Wareham HealthCare

Wareham HealthCare, also known as Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation - Forestview, sits at 50 Indian Neck Rd in Wareham, MA, and has a long history going back to Forestview Nursing Home in 1990, operating as a 175-bed skilled nursing facility focused on long-term and short-term care, though it closed in 2021 and now faces a planned closure date of July 28, with the owners working to help residents move to other facilities in Wareham, Plymouth, and Middleborough, extending help for both residents and staff and posting notices directly about the closure because of issues like increased staffing rules and low Medicaid pay, a refusal by the landlord to renew or sell the property, and repeated low ratings on Medicare's system, staying at one star since 2019, with regulatory fines and a MassHealth termination notice during the COVID pandemic. The property has been looked at for many uses, like converting to affordable housing under Chapter 40B, or making apartments and assisted living units, with new investors signing agreements and the site holding on to features from the old Forestview Nursing Home. Over the years, Wareham HealthCare offered skilled nursing services in a safe, supervised setting that's meant to keep residents' dignity and independence, with personal and medical care, rehabilitation for people recovering from surgeries, illnesses, injuries, and more, using a team that includes doctors, specialists, nurses, dietitians, and social workers, and provided a call system for emergencies, regular assessments, meal plans for different diets, in-room features like air conditioning, phones, cable TV, Wi-Fi, private bathrooms, and kitchenettes, as well as community meals with chef-prepared options in restaurant-style dining rooms. Residents joined in daily activities like clubs, music, movie nights, and art or game room projects, also spending time in the gardens, walking paths, and outdoor common spaces, along with activity rooms, fitness centers, and a library, plus services for help with moving in, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, and concierge support, all without allowing pets but with the building made to support non-ambulatory care and other special needs. The staff carried out assistance for basic daily needs like bathing, getting dressed, medication, and getting around, running a schedule filled with both staff-led and resident-run programs to keep community strong. The site had mobile X-ray services, therapy options like physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and special care for those with orthopedic, neurological, and degenerative conditions, also running several health programs focused on fighting flu, sepsis prevention, care transitions, falls, culture change, and reducing antipsychotic use. Local and federal protections were extended to LGBTQ+ residents, and different kinds of apartment types-including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes-were considered during its evaluation for future use, but the current closure means amenities, parking, utilities, and outdoor space now aren't available. Operated by Next Step Healthcare and Kindred Healthcare at different times, the facility had ties to staff advocacy and quality improvement programs, and though scores and state reviews stayed low in recent years, efforts aimed to keep things clean, comfortable, and safe, with support for proper care planning and transitions as residents move to other communities.