A building-wide power failure forced the evacuation of a Lexington nursing and rehabilitation facility Saturday evening, with reports of how many residents were moved ranging from more than 100 to roughly 180 people. The facility, located on Lowell Street, had struggled with intermittent electrical problems for days before officials ordered all power cut to the building, triggering a scramble of ambulances, transport vans, and first responders from across the region.
According to WCVB, more than 130 residents were evacuated from CareOne at Lexington, while the Boston Globe put the number at roughly 180, and WHDH reported more than 100 people were evacuated because of the electrical issue. The exact count has not been reconciled across outlets. The Globe, which refers to the facility as OneCare, reported that the electricity issues originated earlier in the week, and that Saturday's recurrence of the problem triggered the facility's evacuation plan.
Days of Electrical Trouble Came to a Head
WCVB reported that CareOne at Lexington had experienced power failures over several days, culminating in another major failure Saturday evening that spurred what the station described as a massive emergency response. Derek Sencabaugh said the evacuation looked chaotic but was in fact a synchronized process, with first responders arriving from Lexington and surrounding communities to facilitate the operation.
Per the Globe's reporting, multiple utilities, including the sewer system, were tied into the building's electrical system, a configuration that created unsafe conditions once the power problems resumed. The Lexington Fire Department ordered the power turned off in the building, and the same outlet reported that officials had ordered the building to be de-energized while the cause was investigated. Eversource, the building's energy supplier, and local fire inspectors were working to resolve the problem, the Globe reported.
Ambulances Arrived From as Far as Gloucester
Dozens of ambulance services from across Massachusetts responded to transport residents to neighboring nursing facilities, with some crews coming from as far away as North Andover and Gloucester. Officials said residents would spend the night at other nursing centers while the Lexington building remained without power.
Not every resident went to another facility. WHDH reported that some were picked up by loved ones while others arranged alternative housing until it is safe to return. Sencabaugh said some residents were also taken to the hospital for acute care as a precaution, a step WCVB likewise confirmed.
Maintenance Worker Shocked, Expected to Recover
A facility maintenance worker was taken to the hospital after being shocked while trying to fix the power, according to Sencabaugh, who said the worker is expected to be okay. WHDH separately reported that a maintenance worker was injured attempting to repair the power but was expected to be fine.
The response drew multiple agencies to the scene, including the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the Lexington Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. Crews were still working to determine the cause of the power failures as of Saturday night, and no timeline has been set for when residents might return. Yahoo News reported that there was no word yet as to when the building would reopen.
A Known Risk Across the Industry
Nursing home power failures are not unique to Lexington. In Smithfield, Rhode Island, a nursing home was evacuated in August after a fallen tree knocked out power, with high-risk residents moved to another facility, according to WJAR. Federal regulators have also flagged broader concerns about facility readiness: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services maintains an emergency preparedness rule meant to ensure nursing homes plan for natural and man-made disasters and coordinate with local emergency systems.
The federal Office of Inspector General has separately reported that most nursing homes throughout the United States do not have adequate or reliable emergency power systems, and in Massachusetts specifically, the state's Department of Public Health conducts surveys of nursing homes to check compliance with federal life-safety and emergency-preparedness requirements, per the inspector general's office. CareOne at Lexington, according to its facility website, offers both short-term and long-term skilled nursing and rehabilitation care to seniors in the community it has served.
