Citations in Massachusetts
Statistics, citations and compliance trends for long-term care facilities in Massachusetts.
Statistics for Massachusetts (Last 12 Months)
Financial Impact (Last 12 Months)
Compliance trends in Massachusetts
Data through Feb 2026Comparisons below measure the most recent period Mar 2025 – Feb 2026 against the prior period Mar 2024 – Feb 2025 (two equal 12-month windows). The most recent 2 months are excluded because CMS is still publishing them.
Top tags by month · last 24 months
dashed = still reportingMonthly citation counts for the 5 most-cited tags. The dashed tail is the 2-month reporting lag.
Frequency movers
Biggest change in how often each tag is cited, as a rate per 100 inspections (so it isn't skewed by survey volume): Mar 2025 – Feb 2026 vs the prior period Mar 2024 – Feb 2025. Only tags with at least 20 citations in both periods are shown.
Severity movers
Tags whose average scope/severity shifted the most: Mar 2025 – Feb 2026 vs the prior period Mar 2024 – Feb 2025. The number is the average severity on the A–L scale (A=0…L=11); the letter is the band it falls in. A rise means the same tag is being cited at a more serious level — note the average can move enough to rank here while staying within the same letter. Same 20-citation minimum applies.
Care domain movers
Citations grouped into CFR care domains — F-tags by their §483 regulatory section (CMS State Operations Manual, Appendix PP) — measured as a rate per 100 inspections: Mar 2025 – Feb 2026 vs the prior period Mar 2024 – Feb 2025. Share is the domain's portion of citations this period; avg severity is the mean scope/severity letter and immediate jeopardy the percentage cited at J–L, both over the current period. Domains with at least 20 citations in both periods are shown; the sparkline tracks the last 12 months (left = oldest).
Immediate jeopardies · this period
Citations at the most serious scope/severity — J–L, immediate jeopardy, residents placed at risk of serious harm or death — over Mar 2025 – Feb 2026 vs the prior period Mar 2024 – Feb 2025. "Surveys with an IJ" counts distinct health inspections that had at least one.
Survey activity · by month
faded/dashed = still reportingCitations each month split into complaint-driven (unscheduled, triggered by grievances) vs standard surveys — bars, left axis — with the number of inspections as a line on the right axis. Rising inspections signal more scrutiny; a rising complaint share means more off-cycle surveys. The most recent 2 months are still being reported.
Deficiency-free survey rate
Share of health surveys that found zero deficiencies — the odds of a clean survey. Mar 2025 – Feb 2026 vs the prior period Mar 2024 – Feb 2025; the most recent 2 months are still being reported (dashed).
Penalties · by month
faded = still reportingTotal civil money penalty dollars imposed on the state's facilities each month — how hard the state is enforcing. The most recent 2 months are still being reported, and penalties often lag citations by several months.
Emerging tags
Tags that weren't established last period but surged — an early warning, distinct from movers (which track already-common tags). Criteria: fewer than 20 citations in the prior period, but at least 10 this period and 2.5× their prior volume. The sparkline shows monthly counts over the last 12 months (left = oldest).
Latest Citations in Massachusetts
Failure to Follow Care Plan Transfer Requirements for Dependent Resident
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure staff consistently implemented and followed a resident’s care plan interventions for transfers. The resident had diagnoses including hemiplegia and hemiparesis following a cerebral infarction affecting the right dominant side, repeated falls, and abnormal posture. A quarterly MDS assessment documented severe cognitive impairment and dependence on staff for transfers from chair to bed. The resident’s ADL care plan, initiated on 12/14/24 with an estimated goal date of 02/27/26, specified a two-person stand-pivot assist for all transfers. The facility’s policy stated that CNAs are to use the ADL Kardex as a complete and updated reference for resident care needs, and that Kardexes are to be reviewed and updated at care plan meetings. On 04/20/26 at about 9:30 P.M., CNA #7 transferred the resident alone from wheelchair to bed, despite acknowledging that the Kardex indicated a two-person assist was required. CNA #7 reported standing the resident, using a walker to pivot, and seating the resident on the bed without incident, and stated he did not obtain a second staff member because he did not feel it was needed. Around the same time, Nurse #2 was called to the resident’s room and observed ecchymosis on the resident’s right upper arm, though she did not know whether the transfer had been done with one or two staff. At the time of survey, the facility could not produce the Kardex in effect on 04/20/26, and the administrator later acknowledged that the CNA Kardexes were not automatically updated when changes were made to the plan of care, resulting in a discrepancy between the resident’s updated plan of care and the information available to CNAs.
Failure to Review and Revise Care Plans After Completion of MDS Assessments
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to review and revise comprehensive care plans within seven days of completion of the comprehensive MDS assessment, as required by facility policy and federal regulations. The facility’s Care Plan Policy states that the interdisciplinary team must develop and maintain a comprehensive care plan for each resident within seven days of the completion of the comprehensive MDS, and that care plans must be reviewed and updated with significant changes, unmet outcomes, readmissions, and at least quarterly. For one resident, the quarterly MDS had an Assessment Reference Date (ARD) of 03/11/26, but the care plan meeting occurred on 02/19/26, prior to completion of the MDS, and was documented as updated. This resident’s comprehensive care plan contained multiple problem areas such as cognitive loss and risk of decline in communication, vision impairment, bladder and bowel incontinence, mood alterations, mechanically altered diet, skin breakdown, psychotropic medication use, alterations in ADLs, hearing impairment, and risk of falls, with goal estimated dates listed as 02/27/26, which did not reflect a review and revision following the completed MDS. For a second resident, the annual MDS had an ARD of 03/27/26, but the care plan meeting took place on 03/19/26, again prior to completion of the MDS, and the care plans were marked as updated. This resident’s comprehensive care plan included problem areas such as cognitive loss and risk of decline in communication, hearing deficits, bladder and bowel incontinence, long-term placement, alterations in mood state, history of behaviors, risk for falls, risk for nutrition problems, risk for skin breakdown, and alterations in ADLs, with goal estimated dates listed as 03/19/26. During a telephone interview, the MDS Coordinator acknowledged that care plan meetings should not occur before MDS completion, explained that care plans are reviewed for accuracy, appropriateness of interventions, and realistic goals, and stated that the estimated goal dates for both residents should have been set approximately 90 days from the care plan meeting date but were not.
Failure to Investigate Resident’s Allegation of Rough Care and Unexplained Bruising as Potential Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to respond appropriately to an allegation of rough handling and associated bruising in a resident with severe cognitive impairment. The resident, admitted in December 2022 with diagnoses including dementia, depression, and anxiety, was dependent on staff for care. A Quarterly MDS dated 03/19/26 documented severe cognitive impairment. On 04/07/26, a skin assessment identified new bruising on the resident’s left inner and outer forearm. The facility submitted a report through the Health Care Facility Reporting System noting small bruises on the resident’s left forearm and completed an internal investigation that characterized the bruising as an injury of unknown origin, suggesting it might have been caused by wheelchair self-propulsion. According to the Activity Director’s written statement and interview, during lunch on 04/07/26 she observed bruises on the resident’s left forearm and asked how they occurred. The resident responded that “they were rough with me” and stated not wanting to get anyone in trouble, and would not identify which staff member was involved. The Activity Director immediately informed the Unit Manager and the ADON. The Unit Manager confirmed that she was told the resident had said someone had been rough with care and that she and the ADON assessed the resident. The Unit Manager reported that the resident was unable to tell them what happened, and although they considered self-propulsion of the wheelchair as a possible cause, she acknowledged the resident had been self-propelling for a long time without similar bruising. The ADON acknowledged that on 04/07/26 she was aware the resident had alleged staff had been rough with care and that rough handling could have caused the bruising. The DON stated she was notified of the new bruising and, together with the ADON and Unit Manager, concluded the bruises were from self-propulsion, and she did not investigate the matter as an allegation of abuse by staff. The facility’s internal investigation contained no documentation that staff were interviewed or asked for written statements specific to the allegation of rough care, and no efforts were documented to identify an accused staff member or to interview other residents on the unit. The Administrator later stated she had not been informed of the resident’s allegation of rough care at the time and that the incident had been handled only as an injury of unknown origin rather than as an abuse allegation, resulting in the absence of a thorough abuse investigation as required by the facility’s policy on incident and reportable event management.
Resident at Elopement Risk Sent to Hospital Without Required Escort and Later Found Wandering
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide adequate supervision and prevent accidents for a resident assessed as being at increased risk for elopement, with moderate cognitive impairment and a legal guardian in place. The resident’s MDS documented a need for supervision with ambulation, and an elopement care plan identified elopement risk with a Wandergard bracelet initiated. Despite these assessments and care plans, the resident was scheduled for an out‑patient hospital appointment that required an escort, and a CNA was assigned as the escort on the facility’s appointment calendar. On the day of the incident, a transportation company arrived to take the resident to the hospital appointment. The resident was transported from the facility without the assigned escort, as the transport company left before the CNA arrived downstairs. An agency nurse assigned to the resident was not aware of the facility’s escort procedures and allowed the resident to leave with the transport company, believing the appointment transport was routine. Another nurse observed the resident leaving with the driver, confirmed the appointment on the schedule, and attempted to send the CNA as an escort, but by the time the CNA reached the pickup area, the resident had already departed without supervision. Subsequently, the resident did not arrive at the scheduled clinic appointment. The resident instead walked to a police station, reported being lost and needing to go to the hospital, and was then transported by EMS to the hospital’s emergency department. Facility staff, including the unit manager, ADON, DON, and administrator, later acknowledged that the resident always required an escort for appointments based on cognitive status and safety needs, and that the resident had gone out without an escort and was found wandering in the community. The administrator also stated that nursing staff did not notify him immediately when they realized the resident had left without an escort.
Failure to Notify Provider and Health Care Agent After Staff-Assisted Fall and Change in Condition
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to notify a resident’s provider and health care agent of a staff-assisted fall and subsequent change in condition. The resident, admitted with dementia, osteoporosis, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and a history of falls, experienced a loss of balance while standing in the bathroom and was lowered to the floor by a CNA. The facility’s policy on Changes in Resident’s Condition or Status required immediate physician notification for any accident with potential need for physician intervention. Nurse #1 was informed by the CNA that the resident became weak in the bathroom and had to be lowered to the floor. Nurse #1 assessed the resident, found stable vital signs and no reported pain at that time, and assisted the resident back to bed but did not notify the provider or the health care agent of the staff-assisted fall, and there was no documentation of such notification in the medical record. In the days following the incident, the resident was noted by another CNA as not feeling well and not being his/her usual self, and the decision was made to keep the resident in bed, though this CNA was not informed of the prior fall. Later, the Unit Manager became aware that the resident had been lowered to the floor when the resident complained of left hip pain, at which point the provider was contacted and an x-ray was ordered, revealing a left acute femoral intertrochanteric fracture with mild osteoporosis. Review of the facility’s report to the Health Care Facility Reporting System documented the staff-assisted fall and subsequent hip pain and fracture diagnosis, but interviews with the DON and record review confirmed there was no documentation that the provider or health care agent had been notified at the time of the fall, contrary to facility policy and expectations.
Oral Administration of Medication to NPO PEG-Tube Resident
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure a resident was free from a significant medication error when a nurse administered an oral medication contrary to NPO and PEG tube orders. The facility’s medication administration policy required medications to be administered safely and appropriately per physician orders. For the resident in question, physician orders specified NPO status with all nutrition, fluids, and medications to be given via PEG tube, including a levothyroxine 137 mcg tablet ordered via PEG tube once daily. The resident had been admitted with diagnoses including dysphagia, pneumonitis due to inhalation of food and vomit, hypothyroidism, a history of aspiration pneumonia, was non-verbal, and developmentally delayed. On the morning in question, the nurse assigned to the 11:00 P.M. – 7:00 A.M. shift reported that she entered the resident’s room, informed the resident she had thyroid medication, elevated the head of the bed, and placed the levothyroxine pill directly into the resident’s open mouth, followed by a sip of water. The resident began to cough, and the nurse further elevated the head of the bed until the coughing stopped, after which she left the room believing the resident appeared comfortable. Later that morning, the nurse on the 7:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. shift observed a blue crushed substance in and around the resident’s mouth and a cup of water on the bedside table. This nurse stated he was concerned because the resident’s record and assignment sheet clearly indicated NPO status and that the resident could not have anything by mouth. Subsequent review by the unit manager and DON confirmed that the resident’s orders specified NPO with all medications via PEG tube, that the levothyroxine tablet was blue in color, and that the administering nurse had signed off on giving the medication. The administering nurse later acknowledged that, despite having been told at shift start that the resident was NPO, she had given the medication orally in error, constituting a significant medication error.
Failure to Provide Required Two-Person Assist During In-Bed Care Resulting in Fall and Fractures
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure a resident who was dependent for bed mobility and used an air mattress received the necessary level of staff assistance during in-bed care, resulting in a fall. The resident had diagnoses including COPD, CHF, and CVA, was non-ambulatory, always incontinent, and required maximum staff assistance for bed mobility per the MDS. The ADL care plan, reviewed with the January 2026 MDS, documented that the resident was totally dependent on staff for positioning and turning in bed and required assistance for toileting and personal hygiene. The DON, nursing staff, and PT confirmed that from a nursing standpoint the resident was dependent for bed mobility, which meant assistance of two staff members was required. On the date of the incident, CNA #1 entered the resident’s room, noted a soiled brief, and decided to provide incontinent care alone. CNA #1 reported that she had previously changed the resident’s bed linens by herself and believed the resident could hold onto the side rail during care. She pulled the resident toward her using the incontinent pad and then rolled the resident onto the left side, away from herself, so the resident could hold the side rail. The resident reported that the side rail was not in use (up) that day, that his/her legs were very heavy, and that when placed on the side away from the CNA, the legs began to slip, leading to a fall from the bed to the floor. The facility’s post-fall investigation identified that the resident, who required two-person assistance, had been changed by one staff member on an air mattress. Nursing staff and supervisors stated that the resident was well known to require two-person assistance for bed mobility and care due to size, immobility, and use of a mechanical lift for transfers. Nurse #1 and Nursing Supervisor #1 both indicated that CNA #1 should have had another staff member present to provide care. Nurse #1 also stated that staff should always roll residents toward themselves in bed, not away. The DON confirmed that the resident’s dependent status for bed mobility meant two-person assistance was required and acknowledged that the air mattress contributed to instability. Following the fall, the resident was transferred to the hospital ED and diagnosed with bilateral displaced distal femur fractures with lipohemarthrosis.
Incomplete CNA ADL Documentation for a Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a complete and accurate medical record for one resident when Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) documentation of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) was left incomplete on multiple shifts. The facility’s undated policy on Charting and Documentation required that all services provided to residents be documented in the medical record and that documentation be complete and accurate. Resident #1, admitted in July 2025 with diagnoses including COPD, CHF, and CVA, had CNA ADL flow sheets for April 2026 with numerous blanks where care should have been recorded. For bathing, dressing, bladder/bowel continence, personal hygiene, and preventative skin care, entries were left blank and not coded as provided on 15 of 21 applicable shifts across day, evening, and night shifts. The same resident’s flow sheets showed that turning and repositioning every two hours was left blank and not coded as provided on 13 of 21 applicable shifts, and eating and amount eaten were left blank and not coded as provided for 11 of 21 applicable meals. These omissions occurred over multiple consecutive days and shifts. During interviews, CNA #2 stated that CNAs are supposed to chart all resident care either immediately after providing it or by the end of the shift, and the DON confirmed that CNAs are expected to document all resident care by the end of their shifts and that there should not be blanks on this resident’s CNA flow sheet.
Failure to Specify Required Staff Assistance in ADL Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to develop and implement an individualized ADL care plan that clearly specified the number of staff required to safely assist a resident with limited mobility and total dependence for certain tasks. Facility policies required comprehensive, person-centered care plans with measurable objectives and timetables, and specified that residents unable to perform ADLs independently must receive appropriate support in accordance with the plan of care. Resident #1, admitted with COPD, CHF, and a history of CVA, had an ADL care plan noting an ADL self-care performance deficit related to activity intolerance, limited mobility, CHF, osteoarthritis, and CVA. The care plan documented that the resident was dependent or required assistance for mobility, bathing/showering, bed/chair mobility, dressing, personal hygiene, toileting, and transfers, including being totally dependent on staff for positioning and turning in bed. However, the plan of care did not identify the specific number of staff required to safely provide assistance for these ADL tasks, despite the resident’s dependence and need for turning and repositioning. The personal hygiene intervention was later updated to require two-person assistance, but other interventions remained non-specific, listing only "assist/dependent" without clarifying staff numbers. During interviews, a CNA reported that she believed she could provide care to this resident by herself and had previously changed the resident’s bed linens alone. The DON stated that a notation of total dependence for bed mobility should be interpreted as requiring assistance of two staff members and that CNAs should not determine the resident’s level of staff assistance, emphasizing that the care plan should explicitly state the level and number of staff required for each intervention.
Failure to Supervise Resident and Prevent Elopement From Secured Unit
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure adequate supervision and prevent elopement for a resident on a secured unit who had a legal guardian and a care plan requiring that he/she remain in the facility unless supervised. The resident, admitted with dementia with behavioral disturbances, anxiety, major depressive disorder, and frontotemporal neurocognitive disorder, ambulated independently and required physical assistance with ADLs. The facility’s elopement policy required that residents at risk for wandering or elopement have care plan strategies and interventions to maintain safety. Despite this, the DON acknowledged that no elopement assessment or care plan interventions had been initiated for this resident prior to the incident, even after staff observed the resident asking how to leave the facility. On the day of the incident, a CNA observed the resident at the nurse station around 2:30 P.M. asking how to leave the facility. The CNA reported that the resident routinely wandered the unit but was not known to exhibit exit-seeking behavior and therefore did not believe the resident would leave. Around 2:40 P.M., a nurse saw the resident at the nursing station interacting with staff, and by approximately 3:00 P.M., during final clinical rounds, the nurse noted the resident was missing and activated an elopement code. Staff searched the interior and exterior of the facility without success, and about 45 minutes later, staff and local police located the resident at his/her former home approximately two miles away. The administrator reported that exit doors and rear doors were alarmed and required codes, and presumed the resident may have exited by entering an elevator with a visitor who had access to the code, but staff had previously shared alarm/elevator codes with visitors or outside consultants.
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release June 24, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
Trusted by long-term care providers and associations.




Find your facility
Search by name to see its inspection history, citations and penalties — and how to prepare for the next survey.