Latest news with #assistedliving
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Welltower raises annual FFO forecast on strong demand for senior housing
(Reuters) -Real estate investment trust Welltower raised its forecast for annual funds from operations on Monday, banking on steady demand for its assisted living and senior housing properties. The company expects 2025 normalized FFO, a key performance measure for REITs, to be in the range of $5.06 to $5.14 per share, compared to a previous projection of $4.90 to $5.04 per share. Analysts, on average, expect $4.97 apiece, according to data compiled by LSEG. The REIT owns housing, outpatient medical centers and healthcare properties with a focus on older adults and assisted living. It operates in the United States, Canada and the UK. It reported quarterly normalized FFO of $1.28 per share for the quarter, up 21.9% from last year. The growing number of elderly Americans and their rising healthcare expenditures have fueled increased demand for senior living facilities. Welltower's same-store net operating income from its senior housing properties rose 23.4% in the quarter. The Ohio-based company posted a net profit of 45 cents per share for the quarter, compared with a net profit of 42 cents per share reported a year earlier. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Owner of Gabriel House "heartbroken" after deadly fire, working to recover victims' possessions
The owner of the Gabriel House in Fall River, Massachusetts said he is "heartbroken" after the deadly fire last week and is trying to help the victims' families. Ten residents of the home were killed in the fire on July 13. In a statement released Friday afternoon, Gabriel House owner Dennis Etzkorn said he is trying to set up a system for families to recover their possessions from the assisted living facility. "The last two weeks have been the most difficult I've ever known, not because of whatever I have experienced, but rather, because of the knowledge that ten families who were part of the Gabriel House community have suffered unimaginable pain and the ultimate loss," Etzkorn said in the statement. Investigators said the fire started in a resident's room and was caused by smoking or the failure of an oxygen device. "My sole concerns, and only responsibilities continue to be helping authorities determine all the facts and circumstances of this tragedy, as well as establishing a system to help these families recover their loved ones' possessions," Etzkorn said in the statement. He said that will likely happen by the end of next week. A spokesman for the Gabriel House previously said the sprinkler system was tested five days before the fire, and it was "in working order." Several sprinkler heads were taken for further investigation. "All that matters right now is getting to the bottom of why this happened and helping our residents' loved ones in this darkest of times," Etzkorn said. Steven Oldrid, a survivor of the fire, has filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Gabriel House. Oldrid's attorney told WBZ-TV his powerchair was still in the boarded-up building. Since the fire, WBZ-TV has reached out to Etzkorn several times for an interview.
Fox News
23-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Two potential causes of fatal assisted-living facility fire revealed; first responder bodycam rescues go viral
Authorities said a July 13 fire that ravaged a Fall River, Massachusetts, assisted-living facility, killing 10 people and injuring more than 30 others, was an accident that may have been sparked by either a malfunctioning oxygen machine or the careless use or disposal of smoking materials. State Fire Marshal John Davin said during a news conference Tuesday the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility fire started in a resident's room on the second floor of the building. However, when authorities investigated and conducted initial interviews, they found the fire did not appear to have been set intentionally, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn. "[Authorities] found no signs that cooking, lighting, heating, electrical outlets or other appliances contributed to the ignition of this fire," Davin said. "They found no candles, incense or related items." The only items investigators found in the room that could have been related to the cause of the fire were an oxygen concentrator and numerous smoking materials in the room, according to Davin. Since the person who was in the room where the fire originated died in the blaze, authorities said the two most likely causes were a mechanical failure involving the oxygen concentrator or improper use or disposal of smoking materials. When authorities have two possible causes, the incident is ruled to have an "undetermined" cause. "Investigators believe the presence of medical oxygen played a significant role in the fire's rapid spread and the ensuing tragedy," Davin said. "Oxygen is a necessary component of any fire, and it was present in the area of origin and other locations at Gabriel House. In an oxygen-rich environment, the fire will ignite more readily, spread more rapidly and burn at higher temperatures." Home oxygen was a known factor in about 20 fire deaths and more than three dozen injuries in Massachusetts over the last 10 years, and it was a suspected factor in many others, according to the fire marshal. Incidents involving smoking materials are the leading cause of fatal fires in Massachusetts and across the nation. "Please, there's truly no safe way to smoke, but smoking is especially dangerous when home oxygen is in use," Davin cautioned. "No one should smoke around medical oxygen." Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon commended the work of first responders who appear in viral bodycam videos saving elderly residents from the home. "Over the past week, the Gabriel House victims, the survivors and their families have not left our thoughts for a single minute since last Sunday night," Bacon said during the news conference. "I can't imagine the loss they suffered or the pain they feel. What I can say is that every firefighter at the scene that night gave 100% and then gave more to preserve as many lives as they could under catastrophic conditions." Fox News Digital previously reported that five firefighters were among the more than 30 injured in the blaze. "We have a philosophy in the fire service: You risk a little to save a little, and you risk a lot to save a lot," Bacon said. "They risked everything in hopes that others might live. We mourn the lives lost and the decades of family memories that were erased as a fire, smoke and intense heat tore through Gabriel House. "I ask that you say a prayer for these families, and I also ask that you spare a thought for the first responders who are confronting their own trauma. They did a job no one should ever be asked to do, and I know they would do it again. They represented the very highest traditions of the fire service." In addition to on-duty fire crews, dozens of off-duty personnel raced to the fire to help, he said. The Fall River Police Department reported 35 officers also responded to help with evacuations. Bodycam footage showed police rushing to help, equipped with flashlights and explosive door-kicks. "Eleven officers and two sergeants exemplified professionalism, bravery, and selflessness in the face of danger," the police department wrote in a Facebook post. "The coordinated efforts of the Fall River Police Department, Fall River Fire Department, and Emergency Medical Services demonstrated the unwavering commitment of our public safety personnel to protect and serve this community."
CNN
22-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Smoking or oxygen machine issue may have caused deadly fire at Massachusetts assisted-living home
Drugs in societyFacebookTweetLink Follow The cause of a fire at a Massachusetts assisted-living facility that left 10 people dead remains undetermined for now as officials investigate whether smoking materials and an issue with a medical oxygen machine may have been factors, officials said Tuesday. The state's deadliest blaze in more than four decades has highlighted the lack of regulations governing assisted-living facilities that often care for low-income or disabled residents. The state fire marshal, Jon Davine, said the presence of medical oxygen contributed to the spread of the July 13 fire at Gabriel House in Fall River. The blaze left some residents of hanging out windows of the three-story building screaming for help. The fire in the blue-collar city in southern Massachusetts remains under investigation but authorities believe it happened unintentionally, Davine said at a news conference Tuesday. 'Please, there's truly no safe way to smoke. But smoking is especially dangerous when home oxygen is in use,' he said. Members of the local firefighter's union have said a lack of emergency personnel staffing in the city made responding to the blaze more difficult, and made the fire itself deadlier. Earlier Tuesday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said the state was releasing $1.2 million for Fall River to hire more emergency response personnel. She also said additional funds will be expedited for the state's municipal public safety staffing program. 'We are here today to listen to make sure that we understand what this community needs now and moving forward in the wake of this tragedy,' Healey said. Healey said last week that a state agency that ensures regulatory compliance at assisted-living residences will investigate all 273 such facilities in Massachusetts to make sure they are prepared to protect residents during emergencies. She said Tuesday that work has begun. The district attorney's office identified the 10th victim as Halina Lawler, 70, on Monday. The victims of the fire ranged in age from 61 to 86. A resident of Gabriel House filed a lawsuit Monday alleging the facility was not properly managed, staffed or maintained, that residency rules were not enforced 'and emergency response procedures were not put in place.' Trapped in his room during the fire, Steven Oldrid was in an 'already compromised physical condition' when he suffered smoke inhalation and lost consciousness, according to the complaint filed in Bristol County Superior Court. As a result, Oldrid says he has increased mobility restrictions and has racked up medical bills for treatment. George K. Regan Jr., a spokesperson for the facility owned by Dennis Etzkorn, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the lawsuit. A phone message was also left with Oldrid's attorney. Public injury law firm Morgan & Morgan also said last week it was hired to investigate the fire by the family of one of the residents killed at Gabriel House. Morgan & Morgan Communications Manager Emily Walsh said the law firm had already begun looking into whether the facility was adequately staffed and provided proper training to staff, as well as any potential code violations and possible failures of fire safety equipment. Etzkorn has said he is cooperating with investigations into the fire. Gabriel House issued a statement Monday emphasizing the importance of finding out 'exactly what caused this catastrophe, and if there were factors that made it worse.' The statement said the facility placed a premium on residents' safety. 'Maintaining compliance with all safety and building codes has always been our priority, and there were quarterly inspections of the fire suppression system – the latest as recently as five days prior to the fire,' said the facility's spokesperson.
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Oxygen Machine Played Role in Fire That Killed 10 in Massachusetts, Officials Say
A fire that killed 10 people at an assisted living center in Fall River, Mass., this month began in a resident's second-floor room, where investigators found an oxygen machine and 'smoking materials,' officials said Tuesday. The presence of medical oxygen 'played a significant role' in the rapid start and spread of the fire on July 13 at the facility, Gabriel House, Jon Davine, the Massachusetts state fire marshal, said at a news conference. 'Smoking is especially dangerous when home oxygen is in use,' Mr. Davine said. 'No one should smoke around medical oxygen.' Officials said the fire was accidental. Thomas M. Quinn III, the district attorney for Bristol County, said that a preliminary examination of the scene and initial interviews, as well as additional evidence gathered in the last week, show that 'the fire did not appear to be set intentionally.' Investigators determined the fire began in a resident's room on the left side of the facility's second floor, Mr. Davine said. There were no signs that the fire was caused by cooking, lighting, heating, electrical outlets or appliances in the room, or by candles or incense, he said. But investigators found an oxygen concentrator — a medical device that filters oxygen from the air — and 'numerous smoking materials,' in the room, Mr. Davine said. An electrical or mechanical failure involving the oxygen concentrator, or the improper use or disposal of smoking materials, were identified as the two possible causes of the fire, Mr. Davine said. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
