Nursing home
Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center
1010 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854 · Map
For profit - Partnership · Part of Athena Healthcare Systems (24 facilities) · 123 certified beds
Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Lowell, Massachusetts. CMS rates it 1 out of 5 stars overall (2/5 for staffing, 1/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 3.05 hours per resident per day, below the Massachusetts average of 3.86. Its most recent inspection on Aug 15, 2025 cited 22 deficiencies.
- 2 fines totaling $165,780In CMS records: 2 total penalties.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center 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) | 3.05 | 3.86 | 3.89 | below avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.47 | 0.65 | 0.68 | below avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 1.89 | 2.26 | 2.34 | below avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 27.4% | 39.5% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 22.0 | 8.9 | 9.5 | above 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 August 15, 2025 inspection was corrected by September 12, 2025
Penalties in CMS records: 2 fines totaling $165,780, 2 total penalties.
What inspectors found at Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center
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 care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Aug 15, 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 · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Help the resident make transportation arrangements to and from radiology services.
Administration Deficiencies · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Observe each nurse aide's job performance and give regular training.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure that the resident and his/her doctor meet face-to-face at all required visits.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide for the safe, appropriate administration of IV fluids for a resident when needed.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 15, 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 · Aug 15, 2025 · 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
- 1010 Varnum Avenue
Lowell, MA 01854 - CMS certification #
- 225298
- Ownership
- For profit - Partnership
- Certified beds
- 123
- Avg residents/day
- 116.7
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1987-02-17
- Chain
- Athena Healthcare Systems (24 facilities)
- Setting
- Urban
Part of Athena Healthcare Systems
Athena Healthcare Systems operates 24 nursing facilities across the United States. View all Athena Healthcare Systems facilities →
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Website says Nurse 24 hours a day, works with hospice
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center 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.
Our center provides compassionate 24-hour skilled nursing care with an array of programs and services, ranging from long-term skilled care to more advanced post-hospital rehabilitative care.
(page, checked Oct 15, 2026) - Offers hospice care on site or works with hospice providers.
Athena’s continuum of care includes skilled nursing centers, hospice agencies and private duty care.
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026) - Apartment types named: private room, semi-private room.
Whether you’re looking for a short stay or to make Northwood your home, our fully furnished private and semi-private rooms create an environment that is calming and comfortable.
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026)
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Lowell General Hospital, Lowell. 1.2 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 2 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- D'Youville Senior Care, Lowell. 0.1 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Paramount Healthcare Services, Chelmsford. 1.4 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- CVS Pharmacy. 0.8 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 01854 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Fresenius Medical Care Chelmsford, Chelmsford, 3.8 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Fresenius Medical Care Of Lowell, Lowell, 4.7 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Davita Nashua Dialysis, Nashua, 9.2 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 4 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 12 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 01854.
Tufts Medicine Care At Home, office in Lowell, 4.7 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
Compassus - Southern Massachusetts, office in North Andover, 13.2 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
Care Dimensions, Inc, office in Danvers, 22.3 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Atrius Health Inc, Chelmsford. 3.8 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: relatively moderate. By hazard: hurricane relatively low, inland flooding relatively high, wildfire very low, tornado relatively low, heat wave relatively moderate, 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 Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center a good nursing home?
CMS gives Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars, including 2/5 for staffing and 1/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center staffed?
Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center reports 3.05 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Massachusetts average of 3.86.
Has Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 22 deficiencies.
How many beds does Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center have?
Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center is certified for 123 beds.