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Families deciding to place a loved one into a nursing home are often overwhelmed at the thought that they will not receive the best care. Unfortunately, mistreatment occurs at many facilities nationwide, including in Massachusetts.If your loved one was injured while living in a Middlesex County nursing facility, contact the Massachusetts Nursing Home Law Center attorneys now for immediate legal intervention. Let our team of abuse prevention lawyers work on your family’s behalf to ensure you receive financial compensation to recover your damages. All the necessary paperwork must be filed in the proper county courthouse before the statute of limitations expires.
This long-term care home is a 149-certified bed center providing cares and services to residents of Wakefield and Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The "for-profit" Medicare and Medicaid-participating facility is located at:
One Bathol Street
Wakefield, Massachusetts 01880
(781) 245-7600
Wakefield Center Nursing Home
In addition to providing around the clock skilled nursing care, Wakefield Center Nursing Home offers other services. Additional focused care includes short-stay care, IV (intravenous) therapy, respite care, hospice, wound care, dementia and memory care, colostomy care, and restorative services involving physical, speech and occupational therapies.
The state of Massachusetts and the federal government have the legal obligation to monitor every nursing facility and impose monetary fines or deny payments through Medicare if the facility has violated established nursing home regulations and rules. In serious cases, the nursing facility will receive multiple penalties if investigators find the violations are severe and harmed or could have harmed a resident.
This nursing facility self-reported three serious problems over the last thirty-six months that resulted in violation citations. Additional documentation concerning penalties and fines can be reviewed on the State of Massachusetts Reporting Elder Abuse & Neglect Webpage.
Call (800) 926-7565 Toll-Free for a No Obligation Consultation
The state of Massachusetts and federal government nursing home regulatory agencies routinely update their care home database system. This list contains historical information of all citations and violations.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including two out of five stars concerning health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing issues and one out of five stars for quality measures.
The state investigators determined that the nursing home “failed to provide adequate supervision and implement interventions to prevent accidents.” On October 4, 2017, the resident “eloped from the facility without staff knowledge.”
Evaluations and assessments indicated that the cognitively impaired resident “who had poor decision-making ability and required supervision.” The resident’s Care Plan indicated that the resident “had a guardian, was at risk for elopement, with [a patient who] frequently asked when he/she would be able to get out of the facility.”
The resident “refused to wear a wander guard (device to cause an alarm to sound when the resident would try to exit through the alarm doorway), and he/she had a wander guard in place to be checked for placement every shift and for functioning daily.”
The Event Summary Report indicated that the resident “was [last] seen in the facility at approximately at 1:30 PM [and] was found at 2:00 PM down the street from the facility by an employee on her way back to work.” The resident was returned to the facility “and was not found to be wearing a wander guard bracelet.”
When the resident was returned, the resident “was agitated, had no apparent injuries, and was transferred to the hospital for evaluation.” The survey team interviewed the resident who stated when asked how he/she left the facility, he/she pointed to a door which led directly outdoors.”
The resident told the surveyors the facility “did not have a wander guard alarm system installed and said he/she pushed the buttons on the keypad and figured out the code, or words to that effect.” The survey team interviewed the Maintenance Director who said that “he had been in his position for about a year and [before the resident’s elopement on October 4, 2017] the door alarm codes had not been changed on the unit.”
The Maintenance Director said that “some visitors did know the codes and he had witnessed some staff loudly saying what the door codes were.” A nurse at the facility said that the resident “was known to push the exit doors, causing the alarms to sound, and would talk about going outside to get fresh air.”
Do you believe that your loved one was the victim of abuse or neglect while living at Wakefield Center Nursing Home? Contact the Massachusetts nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. We represent Middlesex County victims of abuse and neglect in all areas, including Wakefield.
It is always free to discuss your case with our legal team. We provide a 100% “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you will owe us nothing until we can secure a financial recovery on your behalf.
Sources:
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home