The New Bedford Light
By Grace Ferguson, November 24, 2025
‘Worst of the worst’: Fall River nursing home repeatedly cited
Based on the article provided, here is a summary of the conditions at Fall River Healthcare:
Facility Status and Regulatory Scrutiny
- “Worst of the Worst”: Fall River Healthcare is listed on Medicare’s “Special Focus Facilities” list, a designation for the most troubled nursing homes in the U.S. Only 88 out of over 14,000 facilities nationwide are selected for this list at a time.
- Regulatory Threats: The facility faces heightened scrutiny and could lose access to Medicare funds if it fails to show consistent improvement.
- Legal Settlements: Parent company Next Step Healthcare settled with the Massachusetts Attorney General for $3.25 million regarding allegations of deliberate understaffing. The chain has also been fined over $1.4 million by federal regulators since 2022.
Documented Neglect and Medical Failures
- Severe Medical Neglect: State inspections cited the facility for causing “actual harm” to residents. Specific instances included bedsores quadrupling in size to the point of necrosis and sepsis due to a failure to follow doctor’s orders.
- Medication Errors: Medication administration was described as chaotic, with some residents receiving doses hours late or not at all.
- Hygiene Issues: Family members and staff reported filthy conditions, including broken toilets filled with blood and feces, cockroaches, and urinals placed on resident food trays.
- Lack of Assistance: Residents reported waiting up to 30 minutes for bathroom assistance, leading to soiled clothing or falls when attempting to move alone.
Staff Misconduct and Understaffing
- Verbal and Emotional Abuse: Inspection reports detailed incidents where aides cursed at, insulted, and shamed incontinent residents.
- Failure to Intervene: Staff failed for weeks to stop a resident from racially abusing a roommate.
- Staffing Shortages: Despite the AG settlement, most Next Step facilities in Massachusetts remain below state staffing benchmarks. Fall River Healthcare has a nurse turnover rate of 47% and lost two top administrators in one year.
- Lack of Supervision: Former employees reported being asked to work without proper training or supervision, citing an environment where staff seemed to “forget about” residents.
Personal Impact
- Family Testimony: Sheila Lambert, a nurse aide, recounted finding her father unwashed and neglected in a dirty room. He died shortly after a fall that occurred while he was trying to use the bathroom without help.
- Resident Distress: Residents expressed humiliation regarding their treatment, with one telling inspectors regarding the staff’s attitude, “It’s my life.