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Nursing home fined for not reporting falls

Cohasset Mariner - 6/23/2018

The former owner of The Harborview Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at 1 Chief Justice Cushing Highway reached a settlement with the Attorney General's Office last Friday (June 15) for failing to report four serious falls by residents at their facilities to the Department of Public Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

According to a press release from the Attorney General's Office, the Assurance of Discontinuance filed with Suffolk Superior Court last Friday resolved allegations that Cohasset Care LLC, which owned Harborview, violated Massachusetts' consumer protection laws by failing to provide the DPH with accurate and timely notice of falls at their facilities. As a result, the AG's Office alleged that the company was then able to receive an inflated Quality of Resident Care rating on the CMS website, which helps consumers when selecting a long-term care facility.

DPH regulations require licensed long-term care facilities like Harborview to report incidents that occur on their premises that impact the health or safety of residents within the next seven days.

Failing to report incidents like serious falls to the CMS can impact a facility's Nursing Home Compare rating on the CMS website. The service tells consumers about the facility -- including staffing, quality of resident care, and any penalties imposed on the facility -- when selecting a nursing home, according to the press release.

"The law is clear -- nursing homes must report falls," said AG Maura Healey in the press release. "Failure to do so jeopardizes the safety and well-being of elderly and disabled residents."

Cohasset Care LLC is now transferring Harborview to new ownership. Additionally, Cohasset Care has agreed not to operate a long-term care facility in Massachusetts for three years.

Attempts by the Cohasset Mariner to obtain comment from Harborview were unsuccessful by press time.

Follow Abigail on Twitter for updates @MarinerAbigailA

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