FALL RIVER, Mass. — Following a deadly fire at the Gabriel House assisted living home in Fall River, a state lawmaker is pushing for hearings to examine the incident and the regulatory requirements for assisted living centers in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) is advocating for hearings once more details emerge from the ongoing investigation into the fire, her office told 25 Investigates.
Investigative reporter Ted Daniel explained where assisted living ranks in terms of regulations: “Think of assisted living residences like apartments with basic health services. At least that’s what they’re supposed to be. They do not have the same level of care or oversight as hospitals or nursing homes.”
The recent fire has intensified scrutiny on the assisted living industry. The Assisted Living Residences (ALR) Commission, already established last year to examine the “current landscape of assisted living residences to ensure the sector meets the evolving needs of our aging population,” is now refocusing its efforts in the wake of Sunday’s tragedy.
MA Senator Mark C. Montigny (D-New Bedford), Chairman, Joint Committee on Healthcare and (ALR) commission member, expressed his long-held belief that regulations need to be stronger. “I think we need to be far more stringent with regulations of this industry. And I thought that long before this fire. So I will hope that this fire will only serve to do what we should have done 10 years ago,” Senator Montigny stated.
25 Investigates obtained the most recent certificate from Fall River Inspectional Services, which showed Gabriel House was certified in October 2024 and that the certificate was valid through October of this year.
However the state also inspects Assisted Living Residences. Governor Healey’s Office of Aging and Independence oversees the industry, requiring inspections every other year. The last state inspection of the Gabriel House in October 2023 found seven deficiencies, according to documents reviewed by 25 Investigates, most were related to record-keeping.
Paul Lanzikos, founder of Dignity Alliance and a leading elder care advocate said, “They were significant, but I wouldn’t say in them serious.” However, Lanzikos highlighted a critical gap in state regulations: Massachusetts has no direct care staffing requirements for assisted living facilities, nor does it mandate emergency evacuation drills.
“They very well could be at the discretion of the local fire authorities,” Lanzikos said regarding the drills. “I think many assisted living residents do that, but clearly not all do.”
One commission member involved in the discussions acknowledged the need for change. “I think there is a lot of improvements that we can make that may help prevent something like this from happening,” they commented.
The commission is expected to issue a report next month, though there is now discussion about extending its work or initiating a new study to address issues brought to the forefront by the Gabriel House fire.
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