Haverhill’s Oxford Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center will pay $180,000 to settle allegations from Attorney General Maura Healey’s office that the facility failed to have Narcan on hand during a resident overdose, among other compliance-related infractions.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Healey said Oxford is among seven care locations across the state to pay various fines to resolve allegations that “directly led to death, injury or potential injury to nursing home residents.”
“Every nursing home resident deserves to live in a safe environment, with dignity and access to high-quality care,” Healey said. “These settlements hold facilities accountable and will help restore the trust families need when making critical decisions about the care of their loved ones.”
Owned by Athena Healthcare Systems, the location at 689 Main St., failed to adequately train staff on how to treat residents with substance issues or how to administer the life-saving opioid reversal drug naloxone. In the suit, Healey alleged the facility did not have Narcan on hand during at least one overdose incident.
As part of the settlement, Oxford must hire an independent compliance monitor for a three-year evaluation period, with results reported to Healey’s office. Annual employee trainings and updated policy manuals will also be implemented.
Money obtained in the settlement against the nursing homes in Haverhill, Longmeadow, Brockton, Westborough, Everett and Wakefield will be split between the state’s general fund and a fund established by the Department of Public Health that aims to improve care in long-term facilities.