A Month Later, All Residents Have Returned to Twin Oaks

All residents have now returned to Twin Oaks Nursing Home, about a month after the entire building had to be evacuated when sewage backed up into the first floor of the building when a sewer pipe broke.

It happened on Sunday, Jan. 6 and the final resident was back on Wednesday, Feb. 6, according to Peter Mirandi, director of the Board of Health.

Mirandi said he plans to meet with the Fire Department this week to develop an "after-action report."

For the most part, evacuation of the 92 residents at the Locust Street went without any major problems, he said. A majority of the residents were moved to Wakefield Nursing and Rehab, Cedar Glen in Danvers, Radius Danvers and Academy Manor in Andover.

"Our emergency preparedness kicked in," he said.

The evacuation of the facility lasted about five hours, with most residents requiring ambulance transportation to their new, temporary home.

The initial problem started on Jan. 6 and by 3 p.m. Health Inspector Mark Carleo ordered the facility closed and all residents evacuated since there was no solution to the backup after more than two hours was spent on several possible fixes.

The final OK for all residents to return was granted on Feb. 4 when tests of the first floor confirmed that it was safe. The kitchen reopened on Jan. 17 and second and third floor residents began to move back in.