Above average — CMS composite of the measures below.
The next survey window likely opens around October 2026
Estimate from public CMS data, current as of July 2026. Survey timing is at the state agency's discretion.
Citation history
Health deficiencies cited at Bedford Care Center Of Newton during CMS and state inspections, most recent first.
Failure to Provide Transfer and Bed-Hold Notices: The facility did not provide required written transfer/discharge and bed-hold notifications for a resident who was sent to an acute hospital twice. The resident had hemiplegia/hemiparesis after CVA and impaired cognition, and staff confirmed the resident representative was not mailed notice for either hospital transfer even though the representative had declined bed-hold payment on admission.
A facility restricted visitation privileges in the dining room without a reasonable clinical or safety explanation, affecting a resident's right to receive visitors. Despite the facility's policy allowing residents to receive visitors of their choosing, the restriction was maintained due to concerns about COVID-19, even though there was no outbreak. A resident, admitted with Muscle Wasting and Atrophy and cognitively intact, was unable to have family visits in the dining room, causing concern for the family member.
A facility failed to ensure a resident's durable Power of Attorney (POA) was readily accessible, as required by policy. Despite documentation indicating the existence of a POA, it was not found in the electronic medical record (EMR). Staff interviews confirmed the POA was not scanned into the EMR, making it inaccessible to staff. The POA was later found in the front office, highlighting a lapse in document management.
A resident was observed wearing a seat belt in a wheelchair, which functioned as a restraint due to the resident's inability to unbuckle it without assistance. The facility lacked documentation of risk and benefits, physician orders, consent, and monitoring for the restraint, contrary to its policy. The DON confirmed the oversight.
A facility failed to develop a comprehensive care plan for a resident using a seat belt device, which functioned as a restraint due to the resident's inability to unbuckle it independently. The DON and an LPN acknowledged the oversight, noting the facility's misclassification of the device as a support rather than a restraint. The resident, with significant medical conditions, required a care plan to address all needs, including the seat belt use.
Expired medications were found in a medication storage room at the Central Station of an LTC facility. A RN identified expired medications stored in blister packs for a resident, including Furosemide, Vistaril, Aricept, and Zoloft, with expiration dates ranging from January to February 2024. The DON stated that nurses are expected to check expiration dates before administering medications and remove expired ones from storage areas.
Failure to Provide Transfer and Bed-Hold Notices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide required written notice of its bed-hold policy and transfer/discharge information for a resident who was transferred to an acute care hospital twice. Resident #36 was admitted with diagnoses including hemiplegia and hemiparesis following cerebral infarction. The discharge MDS with an ARD of 10/17/25 showed the resident was discharged to an acute hospital with return anticipated, and the Section C staff assessment indicated memory problems and moderately impaired cognitive skills for daily decision making. The discharge MDS with an ARD of 11/01/25 showed the resident was discharged to an acute hospital with return not anticipated. During interviews, the Assistant Administrator stated she was responsible for mailing hospital transfer and bed-hold notifications but did not mail a notification to the resident representative because the resident was discharged each time he was transferred to the hospital. She confirmed the resident representative had opted not to pay for bed hold on admission and was not provided written notification for either transfer. The Business Office Manager confirmed the written notification regarding transfer and bed-hold information was not mailed or provided for the two hospital transfers. The resident representative stated she signed on admission for the resident not to have a bed hold due to lack of a payment source and confirmed she never received written notification regarding the transfers or bed-hold information. The Administrator stated she expected written notification to be provided to the resident and/or resident representative at each transfer and discharge.
Visitation Rights Restriction in Dining Room
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor a resident's right to receive visitors by restricting visitation privileges in the dining room without a reasonable clinical or safety explanation. This deficiency was identified for one of the 15 sampled residents, with the potential to affect all residents who are served meals in the dining room. The facility's policy on Resident Right to Access and Visitation, revised on October 1, 2022, states that residents have the right to receive visitors of their choosing at any time, with exceptions only for reasonable clinical and safety restrictions. However, the facility restricted visitation in the dining room, citing concerns about COVID-19, despite not being in an outbreak situation. Resident #47, who was admitted to the facility on March 22, 2023, with diagnoses including Muscle Wasting and Atrophy, was affected by this restriction. The resident had a Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) score of 15, indicating cognitive intactness. The resident's family member expressed concern about not being able to visit and eat with the resident in the dining room. The Social Services Coordinator confirmed that the restriction was in place since the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the Administrator stated that the decision was made to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even though the facility was not experiencing an outbreak.
Failure to Ensure Readily Accessible Advance Directive
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that an advance directive, specifically a durable Power of Attorney (POA), was available and readily retrievable for a resident. The facility's policy, revised on 11/1/22, mandates that copies of advance directives be made and placed on the resident's chart upon admission. However, a review of the electronic medical record (EMR) for a resident admitted on 5/2/2018 revealed that there was no copy of the POA on the chart, despite documentation indicating the existence of a POA. Interviews with facility staff, including a Registered Nurse (RN) Supervisor and the Medical Records personnel, confirmed the absence of the POA in the EMR. The Medical Records staff acknowledged responsibility for scanning advance directives into the EMR and admitted that the POA was not scanned, making it inaccessible to staff. The POA was eventually found in the front office, indicating a lapse in the facility's process for managing and storing critical resident documents.
Failure to Document and Authorize Use of Physical Restraint
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident was free from the use of physical restraints, as evidenced by the observation of a resident wearing a seat belt in a wheelchair without proper documentation or authorization. The resident, who had contracted hands and was unable to use them to release the seat belt, was observed on multiple occasions with the seat belt buckled. The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) confirmed that the resident could not unbuckle the seat belt without assistance, indicating that the device functioned as a restraint. The facility's policy on physical restraint application requires documentation of risk and benefits, physician orders, consent, monitoring, assessments, and medical symptoms for restraint use. However, the medical record for the resident lacked any documentation of a wheelchair seat belt restraint, consent, risk and benefits assessment, physician order, or monitoring. The Director of Nursing (DON) acknowledged that the lap belt should have been considered a restraint and confirmed that the facility did not obtain a physician's order for its use.
Failure to Develop Comprehensive Care Plan for Seat Belt Restraint
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop a comprehensive care plan for a resident regarding the use of a seat belt device, which was effectively functioning as a restraint. During an observation and interview, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) noted that the resident was unable to unbuckle the seat belt without assistance, indicating a lack of autonomy in its use. Despite this, the facility did not have a care plan addressing the seat belt, which should have been considered a restraint due to the resident's inability to release it independently. The Director of Nursing (DON) and a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) both acknowledged the absence of a care plan for the seat belt device. The DON stated that the facility viewed the lap belt as a support device rather than a restraint, which led to the oversight. The LPN confirmed the lack of a care plan and expressed uncertainty as to why it was not developed. The resident, admitted with diagnoses including the acquired absence of both legs above the knee, required a comprehensive care plan to address all medical, nursing, and psychosocial needs, including the use of the seat belt device.
Expired Medications Found in Medication Storage Room
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to discard expired medications in one of the three medication storage rooms observed, specifically at the Central Station. During an observation and interview with a Registered Nurse (RN), it was found that expired medications were stored in blister packs for a resident. The expired medications included Furosemide 40 mg, Vistaril 25 mg, Aricept 20 mg, and Zoloft 25 mg, with expiration dates ranging from January 2, 2024, to February 27, 2024. The RN explained that all nurses are responsible for checking the medication rooms and carts to ensure no expired medications are present. In an interview with the Director of Nursing (DON), it was stated that the expectation is for nurses to check expiration dates before administering medications and to remove expired medications from the medication carts and rooms. The facility's policy, revised on July 17, 2023, mandates that all medications be stored according to the manufacturer's recommendations and that unused medications be routinely inspected by the consultant pharmacist.
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Resident with a documented fall history left unattended on the patio; found on the ground with a hip fracture.
Walk-in cooler logs missing for 12 days; expired supplements in the medication room fridge.
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Nursing homes near Newton
How nearby facilities compare on the same public inspection record.
| Facility | Distance | Overall rating | Citations, 12 mo | Serious (J–L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J G Alexander Nursing Center | 16.9 mi | ★★★★★ | 2 | 0 |
| Hilltop Manor Health And Rehabilitation Center | 19 mi | ★★★★★ | 1 | 0 |
| Reginald P White Nursing Facility | 23.6 mi | ★★★★★ | 2 | 0 |
| James T Champion | 23.7 mi | ★★★★★ | 5 | 0 |
| Jasper County Nh | 24.9 mi | ★★★★★ | 9 | 0 |
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Trusted data, never guesswork. Every citation, penalty, rating and Plan of Correction on this page is sourced from public CMS records (latest release July 2026) and official state health department websites.