The Communities at Golden Pond is able to accept new residents following its failure to meet state requirements during a Jan. 14 compliance review, a state source familiar with the case recently confirmed. The suspension was lifted Feb. 26 after Golden Pond’s corrective action plan was approved by the state.

The source revealed in a March 3 email that the state’s Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE), formerly known as the the Executive Office of Health & Human Services, “took emergency action” on Jan. 9 requiring Golden Pond to cease enrollment of new residents. An on-site compliance review took place at 50 West Main Street on Jan. 14. A report on this review was issued to Golden Pond on Jan. 24.

The Independent filed a public records request with AGE to obtain the full report to confirm the extent of the violations.

“Based on the findings from the compliance review, AGE determined that [Golden Pond] was not in compliance with state regulations,” the source stated. “The compliance review report outlined the areas of non-compliance, which included, but were not limited to, non-compliance with Service and Service Coordination Requirements, Emergency Preparedness Plan and Reporting Requirements, Record Requirements, and Staffing Requirements.”

As a result of these findings, Golden Pond needed to “take specific corrective actions” to bring the facility back into compliance.

“Golden Pond’s plan of correction was submitted to AGE on February 6 and February 12, 2025,” according to the email. “AGE reviewed the plan of correction and accepted the plan of correction as of February 26, 2025.”

The facility “still has conditions which require it to submit certain monthly documentation to AGE, on the 15th day of each month. This condition starts on March 15, 2025, and continues until further notice.”

Doug Noble, Golden Pond’s director of operations, did not appear for three scheduled interviews with the Independent in January seeking comment on Golden Pond’s admissions status.

Executive director responds

The Independent interviewed Marc Cohen, Golden Pond’s executive director, on March 7 to learn about the violations and the corrective action plan. Cohen devoted his time since the inspection to developing and implementing the corrective action plan, leaving Noble responsible for communication, he said. Cohen also was on sick leave for a few weeks, which delayed his response to the Independent.

“They came in on a compliance review and obviously found some items,” said Cohen, noting most of them were related to a lack of documentation. “I was aware of some of those, and we had started working on them.”

A certificate of noncompliance was posted at the facility, he noted. At that time, AGE sent letters to residents’ families alerting them about the situation.

“It’s a much more common occurrence than people realize,” said Cohen. “AGE sent two others out on the same day. No one wants to publicize that.”

“I don’t look at the inspection as a pass/fail,” he added. “It’s that you’re doing OK or you need to improve. And obviously, we need to improve. On some levels, you can look at the suspension as a chance to get your house in order. And that’s exactly what the team is doing.”

While the state gave Golden Pond 30 days to submit a corrective action plan, Cohen did this in two weeks, noting that it is a lengthy report.

“It was accepted as presented,” Cohen continued. “There was no request for additional information or that we need to do something differently.”

AGE is required to inspect assisted living facilities “at least once every two years,” according to its website. Cohen said he sees the inspections as “a collaborative process.”

“The point of it is not to be compliant to regulations,” he explained. “The point of all this is to provide excellent resident care. The regulations are kind of a guideline to do that. If we do what we’re supposed to do for the residents, we keep the regulators happy.”

Cohen stressed that his primary obligation is to serve the residents.

“We don’t have to focus on [AGE]; we have to focus on the people that we work for,” he said. “We just coming at it from different ways. They’re not here to make my life miserable. They’re here to make sure the residents’ lives aren’t miserable.”

One issue he pointed out was with one former nurse and medication administration. He elaborated that “everyone makes mistakes, but you have to look at the whole picture.”

On March 3, an anonymous source told the Independent that two Golden Pond employees were fired without being given an explanation. Cohen pointed out Massachusetts law states that everyone is an “at-will employee.” Employees, including himself, can be fired with cause or for no reason. He posted open positions and hired people from his previous employer, Anthology Senior Living in Natick. Cohen said these people have meshed well with the current staff, and senior staff members have been given more responsibilities.

Said Cohen: “They know what I’m expecting, and it works from day one. It’s a very productive, passionate group.”

He added that accusations made to the Independent, including one about bedbug infestation, most likely “came from a disgruntled former employee.”

The pandemic “absolutely changed the field” of health care, which spurred retirements and staffing shortages, Cohen stressed.

Said Cohen: “A lot of people left the field because they could come to work and die just by breathing.”

The facility has been busy. One resident moved in early in March, and two more are scheduled. The transition from living at home or from a hospital or rehabilitation setting can be challenging. The staff’s mission is to make sure everyone feels welcome.

“Residents welcome us into their homes every day,” Cohen said. “And with that honor comes a lot of responsibility, but also a lot of joy.”

Previous issues addressed

Golden Pond was ordered by the state not to accept new residents after two failed compliance reviews in 2023.

On March 23, 2023, Golden Pond failed a compliance review, according to a letter dated May 22, 2023. This prompted a further investigation on June 19 of that year by employees from the Assisted Living Certification Unit of the EOEA. The facility’s 17-page corrective action plan was accepted by AGE, and Golden Pond was recertified on June 28, 2023.

Golden Pond’s correction plan, which was submitted by representatives of the facility, was riddled with typos and grammatical errors, which made its meaning at times unclear. Some of the actions this plan sought to correct were emergency call response times, checks on residents and the management of dispensing medication. Michal Volpe, Golden Pond’s former executive director, attributed the lapses to insufficient staffing and infection control during the pandemic.