National nursing home chain Life Care Centers of America has hired a new wastewater treatment system operator and made system upgrades, following allegations of improper disposal at one of its Massachusetts locations — and for violating the terms of its groundwater discharge permit.
The nation’s fourth-largest nursing home chain, based in Cleveland, TN, is also paying $75,000 for failing to properly operate and maintain the facility. LCCA said it has “taken seriously” allegations first brought by the state attorney general, and emphasized that no residents or employees were exposed to the improper discharge of wastewater.
“We consider ourselves partners with the state and are pleased to have this situation resolved,” Rebecca Benoit, executive director of the Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley, told McKnight’s. “We remain focused on providing the highest quality of care possible to our residents and patients.”
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey first announced terms of the settlement on Tuesday, after it had previously filed suit against LCCA. Officials allege that the nursing home violated Massachusetts’ Clean Waters Act by exceeding limits for certain pollutants, including fecal coliform, in its groundwater discharge permit. The state further claims that the company did not address numerous operational and maintenance issues.
Healey also ordered the center to install and activate a cellular alarm system and build a separate storage shed to house onsite treatment containers. LCCA will also automate the facility’s backwash system, according to the attorney general.
Benoit said that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s recent renewal of the facility’s operating permit is a “welcome confirmation that regulators have taken a hard look at our operation and are satisfied with the way the treatment plan is functioning and being monitored.”
