Massachusetts Assisted Living Commission Debates Deadline Extension After Deadly Fall River Fire

By Colin A. Young

A state commission that has been studying assisted living facilities with an eye toward resident health and safety is wrestling with its next steps as its members process the deadly fire at a Fall River facility shortly before a reporting deadline.

A law that Gov. Maura Healey signed last year to address long-term care issues broadly included the formation of an Assisted Living Residence Commission. That group, which began a meeting Tuesday morning, is due by Aug. 1 to submit its report and “recommend policies to ensure assisted living residences adequately meet the health and safety needs of residents.”

Executive Office of Aging & Independence Secretary Robin Lipson, who chairs the group and whose secretariat certifies assisted living facilities, said that “to say that this tragedy is heartbreaking — I don’t even know [if that] begins to capture how people are feeling.”

“Investigations are ongoing. I don’t think we have answers at the moment. I know there’s lots of rumors, lots of speculation. Some rumors are informed, some are uninformed, but they are rumors,” she said. “So I believe it’s best for us to wait for the investigation to be completed before we speculate, because I want us to learn from the right answers, not fast or inaccurate or incomplete information.”

Lipson said members of the commission “will all be continuing to think about what happened yesterday as as we carry the commission’s work forward,” but she also acknowledged that the deadly fire may change the thinking of some commission members.

Sen. Patricia Jehlen said she was in favor of extending the commission’s deadline and that she expected Lipson was “going to offer a different idea” that included a different group with a different charge.

“I’m open to something,” Jehlen said. “I think we have to recognize what happened and take something — either extending this commission or establishing a new task force, which would not require new legislation — that could consider the investigation. I think the idea of a hearing is is a good one.”

Sen. Mark Montigny made clear that he would be comfortable extending the commission’s time to conduct its work but only as long as a report and recommendations actually come to fruition.

“The lobbying over the years that I’ve faced in opposition to anything to regulate assisted living or further regulate nursing homes has been the same insidious coziness that goes on in Washington, on Beacon Hill and across the country. So what I want to make sure that we do is, yes, we should reserve our final conclusions until a investigation is complete, but we also shouldn’t close the book on a report of this commission, and if need be, I’ll offer legislation to extend the deadline,” the New Bedford Democrat said.

The commission was reviewing a draft version of its report Tuesday and has at least one more meeting planned before its current Aug. 1 deadline.