Massachusetts inspects every assisted living residence at least once every two years. At its most recent compliance review on November 5, 2025, the state cited 7 findings at The Cottages at Dartmouth Village. 5 of them had already been cited at the previous review. Across the 145 Massachusetts residences with a published report, the median is 6.
This page covers one review, not a history, and it is not a score or a ranking. A finding means the state identified something the residence has to correct; it does not on its own mean a resident was harmed. The state does not publish what happened after this review, so a finding listed here may since have been fixed.
Facility details
What the state found
7 findings · 5 repeatEmergency call responseIn the months of September 2025 and October 2025 there were 45 e-call response times over the 15 minutes required by the Residence policy.Repeat finding▼
How quickly staff answer a resident's emergency call button.
AGE reviewed the Personalized Emergency Response procedures developed to provide timely assistance to a Resident in the event of an emergency.
In the months of September 2025 and October 2025 there were 45 e-call response times over the 15 minutes required by the Residence policy.
The Residence has chosen to manually document hourly safety checks of Residents living in the Special Care Residence (SCR) to comply with the regulation to provide timely assistance to a Resident in the event of an emergency needs situation.
Documentation of hourly safety checks for October and November 2025 had multiple instances where staff failed to document the hourly safety checks of the SCR Residents during the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
This was also cited at the previous compliance review.
General Requirements for an ALR: Emergency Response
651 CMR 12.04(2)(b)(3.)(b.)(c.)
Memory care unitTraining issues and Physical hazards identified in the Special Care Residence.Repeat finding▼
Extra requirements that apply to units caring for residents with dementia.
AGE reviewed the Special Care Residence (SCR) operations on the date of the Compliance Review to verify that the Residence is complying with all the required safeguards.
Age identified deficiencies with staff training in relation to emergency response as no staff responded to triggered door alarms.
Age identified deficiencies with operational safeguards related to the risk of potential hazards in the physical environment:
Unsecured chemicals in the SCR.
Access to the heating elements in the country kitchen.
This was also cited at the previous compliance review.
General Requirements for an ALR: Special Care
651 CMR 12.04(4)(a)(2),(3),(4),(5)
Resident screening and assessment · Resident care plansInconsistent with documenting all requirements of Assessments and Service Plans.▼
Resident screening and assessment: Checking, before and during residency, that the residence can meet a resident's needs.
Resident care plans: The written plan describing the care each resident is assessed to need.
The state cited these together under one finding.
AGE reviewed seven Resident Records to determine compliance with requirements for the Screening and Assessment, Service Plan Development and Service Plan Requirements.
Six records were missing documentation of an initial assessment being completed by a nurse.
Six records were missing signatures of the Resident or Legal Representative.
Two records were missing documentation of a service plan review required within 30 days after the commencement of residency.
Six records were missing documentation of signatures of the Resident, his or her Legal Representative on Service Plan reviews.
General Requirements for an ALR: -Screening and Assessment -Service Plan Development and Requirements
651 CMR 12.04(6)(a),(c) 651 CMR 12.04(7)(b) 651 CMR 12.04(8)(b)
Quality assurance programMissing or incomplete components of the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement requirements.Repeat finding▼
The residence's own program for auditing and improving the care it gives.
AGE reviewed documentation to ensure the Residence has established an effective, ongoing quality improvement and assurance program for Service Planning, Safety
Assurances, and Medication Quality from September 2023, through the date of the Compliance Review.
AGE reviewed the Residence’s quarterly medication documentation audits from November 2024, through the date of the Compliance Review to ensure compliance with SAMM, LMA and Residence policies.
Documentation of the date of the audit, the target date for the follow-up action, and the person responsible for follow-up action was missing for all quarters in the 2025 calendar year.
AGE observed three PCA staff providing medication observation and two nurses providing medication administration to eight Residents to ensure the Residence has developed and implemented systems that support and promote safe SAMM and LMA.
One Resident had two loose unidentified loose pills in their medication storage unit.
One Resident had one compromised pharmacy filled blister package.
One Resident had multiple bottles of over-the-counter medication without pharmacy labels in their medication storge unit.
This was also cited at the previous compliance review.
General Requirements for an ALR: Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement
651 CMR 12.04(10)(c)
Emergency drills · Incident reportingInsufficient documentation of missing person drills. Late submissions of Resident-specific incidents reports.Repeat finding▼
Emergency drills: Fire and elopement drills the residence must run and document on every shift.
Incident reporting: Telling the state, on time, when something happens to a resident.
The state cited these together under one finding.
AGE reviewed the Residence’s Emergency Plan to ensure compliance that the Residence can address potential disasters and emergencies and resident-specific crises such as a missing Resident.
Documentation of a missing person drill for the first and second shift for the 2024 calendar year was missing.
AGE reviewed the Residence records and incident reports from November 2024 through the date of the Compliance Review to determine whether the Residence complied with the requirement to report qualifying incidents to AGE within 24 hours after the occurrence of the incident or accident.
The Residence filed six incident reports greater than 24 hours after the occurrence of the incident or accident.
This was also cited at the previous compliance review.
Emergency Preparedness Plan and Reporting Requirements: -Evacuation Drills and Rehearsals -Reporting Resident Specific Emergencies
651 CMR 12.04(11)(a)(4.) 651 CMR 12.04(11)(e)
Resident recordsInconsistent documentation of information necessary for the continuity of care.▼
Records that keep a resident's care information complete and available to staff.
AGE reviewed the current Correspondence Logs for Traditional and Special Care Residence, required to communicate information necessary to maintain the continuity of care for all Residents.
The Residence did not maintain the Correspondence Logs for at least 90 days.
Record Requirements: Correspondence Log
651 CMR 12.05(4)
Staff trainingInconsistent documentation of Introductory Visits. Biannual SAMM and skills evaluations were not consistently documented for all PC staff.Repeat finding▼
Training and skills checks the residence must give and document for its staff.
AGE reviewed the records of seven Residents to determine compliance with the requirements that a nurse reviews the Resident’s service plan with all relevant personal care workers within the 48 hours after the provision of service or with any change of condition for the Resident:
Three records were without documentation to support that Introductory Visits were consistently conducted with all applicable staff.
AGE reviewed the records of three Personal Care (PC) staff to determine compliance with SAMM skills and Personal Care evaluation requirements in the calendar year 2024 through the date of the Compliance Review.
Documentation confirming the completion of Personal Care skills evaluations every six months was missing from two records for the 2025 calendar year.
This was also cited at the previous compliance review.
Training Requirements: Introductory Visits and Review Supervision
651 CMR 12.07(7), (8)
Glossary
Abbreviations the state uses without explaining themWhat the residence must doThe residence must send the state a plan to correct each finding, what it will do to keep it from happening again, who is responsible and by when. The state also asked for specific proof, listed here as written.▼
Specific Corrective Actions. Submit to AGE the following:
Documentation confirming all SCR staff have been re-trained on policies and procedures concerning response to door alarms.
Documentation that all Personal Care Staff have a current Introductory Review, conducted by a nurse, with all Residents.
Documentation confirming current biannual PC skills evaluations have been completed by a nurse for all PC staff.