Nursing home
The Highlands
335 Nichols Road, Fitchburg, MA 01420 · Map
For profit - Limited Liability company · Part of Life Care Centers Of America (194 facilities) · 168 certified beds
The Highlands is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. CMS rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall (3/5 for staffing, 3/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 4.00 hours per resident per day, above the Massachusetts average of 3.86. Its most recent inspection on Nov 25, 2025 cited 7 deficiencies.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How The Highlands compares
This facility vs. the Massachusetts and national averages, from CMS data. For staffing, higher is generally better; for turnover and deficiencies, lower is better.
| Metric | This facility | Massachusetts avg | National avg | Compared with the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 4.00 | 3.86 | 3.89 | above avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.46 | 0.65 | 0.68 | below avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.48 | 2.26 | 2.34 | above avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 30.8% | 39.5% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 7.0 | 8.9 | 9.5 | below avg |
Staffing
Hours per resident per day as reported to CMS. Higher numbers indicate more direct care time.
Staff turnover
Lower turnover typically indicates better working conditions and continuity of care. National average for nursing staff is 46.4%.
Recent health inspection
CMS inspects nursing facilities regularly. Deficiencies are categorized by severity.
- Every deficiency from the November 25, 2025 inspection was corrected by December 19, 2025
What inspectors found at The Highlands
Specific deficiencies cited in recent CMS health inspections, most recent first. Severity follows the CMS scope/severity scale. Source: CMS Care Compare.
- Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Nov 25, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Nov 25, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Nov 25, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results.
Administration Deficiencies · Nov 25, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Nov 25, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Nov 25, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Nov 25, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Jul 23, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Jul 23, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Jul 23, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Jul 23, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Jul 23, 2024 · Full report (PDF)
Read the full inspection reports on Medicare.gov Each inspection there has a “Read the full report” link with the inspectors’ written findings.
About this facility
- Address
- 335 Nichols Road
Fitchburg, MA 01420 - CMS certification #
- 225315
- Ownership
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Certified beds
- 168
- Avg residents/day
- 154.5
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1988-12-08
- Chain
- Life Care Centers Of America (194 facilities)
- Setting
- Urban
Part of Life Care Centers Of America
Life Care Centers Of America operates 194 nursing facilities across the United States. View all Life Care Centers Of America facilities →
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around The Highlands using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Website says Nurse 24 hours a day, transportation
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What The Highlands says about itself, quoted from its own site. We have not checked these claims against licensing records. Ask about each one on a tour.
- Nurse on site: 24 hours a day.
Focusing on inpatient rehabilitation with 24-hour skilled nursing care, The Highlands' in-house team of therapists and nurses provides the best care possible, recognizing that every patient has a unique background.
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026) - Provides transportation.
Transportation services
(page, checked Oct 15, 2026) - Smoke-free.
Non-smoking facility
(page, checked Oct 15, 2026)
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Umass Memorial Healthalliance Hospitals, Leominster. 4.5 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 3 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Fitchburg Healthcare, Fitchburg. 0.8 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Transitions Home Health & Private Care Co, Fitchburg. 1.2 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Walgreens. 1.7 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 01420 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Davita Pdi Fitchburg, Fitchburg, 2.1 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Leominster Dialysis, LLC, Leominster, 5.5 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 3 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 13 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 01420.
Health Alliance Home Health And Hospice, office in Leominster, 4.5 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars)
Beacon Hospice, An Amedisys Company, office in Leominster, 5.4 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 2 of 5 stars)
Care Central Vna & Hospice, office in Gardner, 7.8 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Acton Medical Associates PC, Acton. 20.1 miles away, straight line. 1 geriatric medicine doctor listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard risk
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: very low. By hazard: hurricane relatively moderate, inland flooding relatively low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively low, heat wave relatively low, earthquake relatively low. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
What we checked
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| Hurricane evacuation zone maps | Not in a mapped zone | |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here very low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| The community’s own website | See above |
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Frequently asked questions
Is The Highlands a good nursing home?
CMS gives The Highlands an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars, including 3/5 for staffing and 3/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is The Highlands staffed?
The Highlands reports 4.00 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Massachusetts average of 3.86.
Has The Highlands had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 7 deficiencies.
How many beds does The Highlands have?
The Highlands is certified for 168 beds.