Blueberry Hill nursing home cited for abuse after two deaths

One of the resident's daughters said her parent's death was the 'direct result of the facility's mistreatment and neglect'

The Blueberry Hill nursing home has been cited for abuse after two residents died at the Brimbal Avenue facility.

A report in November by state health inspectors said one resident died after the nursing home failed to notify a doctor in time of his worsening condition. In another instance, the facility failed to treat a resident’s wound for six days, address a significant weight loss, or review abnormal laboratory tests, leading to a delay in treatment “and subsequent hospitalization and death,” the report said.

One of the resident’s daughters told inspectors that she felt the facility did not listen to any of her concerns and believes her parent’s death was the “direct result of the facility’s mistreatment and neglect.”

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made a finding of “immediate jeopardy” at Blueberry Hill and required the nursing home to take immediate steps to correct the situation. Blueberry Hill is marked with a red abuse icon on the federal Nursing Home Compare website.

In a statement to The Beverly Beat, Blueberry Hill Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center said the facility is “committed to providing the highest quality care to the residents we serve.”

“Our care team is comprised of dedicated professionals who deliver personalized care with compassion,” the statement said. “We are responsive to any issues that may arise, whether from residents, family members or surveys of our center.”

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Blueberry Hill’s immediate jeopardy status was removed as of Dec. 11 and the facility is now back in “substantial compliance.”

This marks the second time in a year that Blueberry Hill has been cited for abuse. An inspection last year revealed multiple violations, including one that led a resident to contemplate suicide.

Blueberry Hill has a one-star rating, the lowest, from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is ranked in the bottom 1% of nursing homes by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Blueberry Hill has been tagged with a red abuse icon on the federal Nursing Home Compare website.

Inspectors in November issued 31 health citations, three times the average number of citations issued to Massachusetts nursing homes.

Among the many problems were a shortage of nursing staff to meet the needs of every resident. Even some of the nurses who were on duty lacked the “skills sets necessary for the care and treatment of residents,” the report said.

Other citations included:

• Failure to obtain mail-in ballots for four residents who wanted to vote in the presidential election.

• Failure to respect a resident’s right to self-determination when they expressed interest in being intimate with their spouse.

• Lingering, stale urine odors in the hallway of one of the resident care units.

• Failure to identify and address significant weight loss in three residents.

• Failure to administer pain medication as scheduled to one resident, causing their pain to increase.

• Failure to store medications properly on two of the three units.

• Failure to provide dental services for four residents, including one who had not seen a dentist for over two years.

• Failure to ensure that staff washed their hands and used sterile equipment while changing a resident’s dressing.

Blueberry Hill is affiliated with Marquis Health Services, a New Jersey-based for-profit company that operates 65 facilities in nine states. Six of its facilities have an abuse icon, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

CMS encourages consumers who see an abuse icon next to a nursing home to review inspection reports on its nursing home compare site, talk to the facility about their concerns, and learn what actions they have taken to address the issue.

Locally, consumers can also contact SeniorCare Inc., which has an ombudsman program to assist North Shore residents of long-term care facilities and their families.