Overview
- The Assisted Living Residences Commission voted unanimously on Monday to adopt a final report recommending broad changes to safety, staffing, transparency, and oversight.
- Gov. Maura Healey said her administration will implement many recommendations without waiting for new laws, with additional regulatory updates from the Executive Office of Aging & Independence and the Attorney General’s Office expected later this month.
- New emergency standards include verifying inspection dates with local fire and health departments, quarterly evacuation drills, protocols for sharing information with first responders, and updated emergency staff plans due by July 1.
- The report calls for stronger clinical capacity, including at least one full-time licensed nurse at each residence, enhanced nursing leadership, and regular assessments of residents’ needs every six months.
- Transparency measures include a statewide public database of compliance and ownership records and standardized disclosures on services, staffing, and costs, while lawmakers are urged to authorize certified medication aides, create an executive-director registry, establish dedicated oversight funding, and review building code classifications.