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September 11, 2024

Athena nursing home in Waterbury loses federal funding

Cloe Poisson / CTMirror.org Abbott Terrace Health Center in Waterbury.
By Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso, CT Mirror

The federal agency that oversees long-term care facilities has informed Athena Health Care that it will no longer be getting federal Medicare funding for nearly 200 residents living at the Abbott Terrace Health Center in Waterbury.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services notified state officials as well as Athena Tuesday evening that because of the “facility’s failure to meet Medicare’s basic health and safety requirements,” funding will be stopped as of Sept. 10 for any new patients and within 30 days for all patients.

The unprecedented step by federal officials in effect will close the 205-bed facility because most of its residents are Medicaid or Medicare recipients and not private payers. State officials said late Tuesday night they will being working with the Long Term Care Ombudsman’s office to relocate residents.

“Involuntary termination of a provider agreement is generally a last resort after all other attempts to remedy the deficiencies at a facility have been exhausted,” the CMS letter states.

“In this instance, CMS has found that Abbott Terrace Health Center is out of compliance with CMS’s health and safety requirements. While we understand that relocation of residents and patients can be challenging for all parties involved, CMS prioritizes patient safety and care quality.”

Athena officials did not immediately return requests for comment.

Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani and Department of Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves issued a joint statement Tuesday evening.

“Today’s relatively unprecedented decision by CMS was not taken lightly and was necessitated by the repeated failures of Abbott Terrace’s owner and management team to prioritize the health and safety of its residents,” the commissioners said.

The commissioners said the announcement does not mean that Abbott’s residents have lost their coverage. Residents will still be covered when they move to a facility that participates in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. 

“Our focus now turns to ensuring that Abbott Terrace’s owner and management use the next 30 days to assist residents with finding and transitioning to new living arrangements while also adhering to the regulations governing residents’ health, safety, and well-being at the facility,” they said.

“DPH will have monitors at Abbott Terrace daily until the last resident has left the facility. Our agencies will also work with the Long Term Care Ombudsman to help ensure residents understand their rights, explore available living arrangement options, and have as smooth a transition as possible to their next home.” 

Mairead Painter, the state’s long-term care ombudsman, said the termination raises “significant issues” about continuity of care, potential displacement of residents and the well-being of people who live at the facility.

“The Office of the State Ombudsman is deeply concerned about the recent announcement that Abbott Terrace, a skilled nursing facility in Waterbury, had their Medicare and Medicaid provider agreement terminated. This leaves many residents and their families vulnerable as they face uncertainty and potential distress,” Painter said Tuesday. 

“State oversight agencies work to ensure that the skilled nursing facilities in Connecticut provide good quality care. However, my office and state oversight agencies can only do so much,” she said. “It is the responsibility of the facility, its owners, and management companies [to] maintain financial stability and deliver quality care. If they are not stable or choose to put profits over the residents in the facility, then the outcome and care concerns can be significant.”

Painter said while she waits to hear what’s next for the facility, her office is helping ensure residents’ rights are upheld and is providing emotional support to patients.

“We are here to listen to their concerns, offer guidance and connect them with resources that can help them through this difficult period,” she said.

Abbott Terrace is Athena’s largest remaining facility. It has 205 beds, and 192 were occupied as of the end of August, according to DSS records.

DPH officials made several visits to Abbott Terrace over the first six months of this year. The inspections showed staff shortages, particularly nurses, large holes in the tile floors and at least one incident where an employee told a resident with incontinence problems “they could smell them in the hallway.”

State officials have been considering an array of options for Abbott Terrace, including installing a temporary manager or placing the facility in receivership, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

The Connecticut Mirror has chronicled the growing financial problems at Athena over the past 18 months and legislators’ concerns about how the fiscal troubles are impacting residents’ care.

Several employees have contacted The CT Mirror with stories of being unable to pay medical bills and having medical procedures canceled because Athena owed nearly $3 million in employee health care claims.

They also owe back taxes to several municipalities and closed two nursing homes late last year: the Crestfield Rehabilitation Center in Manchester and Middlesex Health Care Center in Middletown.

Athena also recently sold five facilities — Newtown Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, Beacon Brook Health Center in Naugatuck, Montowese Health & Rehabilitation Center in North Haven, Sharon Health Center and Evergreen Health Care Center in Stafford Springs — to National Health Care earlier this year.

Athena still owns 14 long-term care facilities including Abbott Terrace. State officials have been discussing whether there will be a need to place other facilities in receivership.

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