Conditions At Worcester Nursing Home 'Deeply Troubling': Report

WORCESTER, MA — An investigation has uncovered numerous instances of abuse or neglect of patients at Bear Mountain Worcester nursing facility, according to the Disability Law Center.

The organization said the facility, a for-profit healthcare group, "demonstrates a detrimental lack of proper patient care. Understaffing, overmedication, and neglect are among the practices of concern highlighted in the report."

The findings come following a two-year investigation into complaints from patients and their families.

“Our investigation uncovered deeply troubling practices at Bear Mountain’s Worcester facility. The treatment of patients in this facility violates their rights and reflects a wider issue within the industry,” Nina Loewenstein, lead author of the report and senior attorney at the Disability Law Center, said in a statement. “It’s imperative that immediate action be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of these vulnerable residents.”

The organization said it "uncovered evidence of a reliance on antipsychotic drugs, questionable schizophrenia diagnoses, isolation, a lack of effective interdisciplinary behavior plans, and minimal engagement with patients in the neuro-behavioral unit."

The Disability Law Center said guardians and families of residents have reported "widespread, serious infections spreading on site, as well as known rodent infestation and unclean communal spaces."

Bear Mountain has agreed to make changes at the facility, including certifying staff on the neurobehavioral unit and conducting courses on behavior management and analysis.

Bear Mountain Healthcare responded saying that its "top priority...remains the wellbeing of our residents," according to Boston 25 News. Bear Mountain said that many of the claims in the report are "based on overgeneralizations and inferences gleaned from outdated data and reports unrelated to Bear Mountain at Worcester."

Read the statement from the Disability Law Center.