Nursing home
The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill
865 Central Avenue, Needham, MA 02492 · Map
Non profit - Corporation · 72 certified beds
The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Needham, Massachusetts. CMS rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall (5/5 for staffing, 3/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 6.33 hours per resident per day, above the Massachusetts average of 3.86. Its most recent inspection on Jul 18, 2025 cited 3 deficiencies.
- 1 fine totaling $16,153In CMS records: 1 total penalty.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill 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) | 6.33 | 3.86 | 3.89 | above avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 1.47 | 0.65 | 0.68 | above avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 4.12 | 2.26 | 2.34 | above avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 17.3% | 39.5% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 3.0 | 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 July 18, 2025 inspection was corrected by August 21, 2025
Penalties in CMS records: 1 fine totaling $16,153, 1 total penalty.
What inspectors found at The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill
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
Prevent the use of unnecessary psychotropic medications or use medications that may restrain a resident's ability to function.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Jul 18, 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 · Jul 18, 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 · Jul 18, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Immediate jeopardy
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Jan 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Immediate jeopardy
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Jan 15, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 11 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Jul 11, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Jul 11, 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 11, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Assess the resident completely in a timely manner when first admitted, and then periodically, at least every 12 months.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · May 18, 2023 - Potential for harm
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · May 18, 2023 - Potential for harm
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · May 18, 2023
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
- 865 Central Avenue
Needham, MA 02492 - CMS certification #
- 225281
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Certified beds
- 72
- Avg residents/day
- 65.1
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1985-01-10
- Setting
- Urban
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Programs Medicare-certified home health agency at this address
- Website says Transportation, pets allowed
- Workplace safety 2 OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2021, 3 violations cited
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill says about itself, quoted from its own site. We have not checked these claims against licensing records. Ask about each one on a tour.
- Provides transportation.
Transportation
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026) - Pets allowed.
Pet Friendly
(page, checked Oct 15, 2026) - Apartment types named: one-bedroom, two-bedroom.
One Bedroom/Den; Two Bedroom
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026) - Entry fee: charged.
Based on the apartment you choose, you will pay an up-front entry fee, then a monthly fee for your apartment in independent living calculated to include your Lifecare coverage.
(page, checked Oct 15, 2026)
Medicare agencies at this address
- Medicare-certified home health agency at this address. Medicare-certified home health agency NORTH HILL HOME HEALTH CARE INC (Medicare CCN 227462) lists this same street address. Ownership type: PROPRIETARY. Medicare certified since 05/08/1997. (CMS Home Health Care Agencies, as of May 27, 2026)
A shared street address is a fact about location. CMS does not say whether the agency is run by the community.
Staff pay and workplace safety
Federal records about how the employer here treats its staff.
OSHA workplace safety inspections
OSHA inspects workplaces for staff safety, such as lifting, needles, chemicals and workplace violence. It does not inspect resident care.
- Mar 30, 2022: follow-up inspection, partial (health). Case closed Jun 15, 2022. No violations cited. OSHA record. OSHA recorded the employer as North Hill Needham, INC.
- Jan 12, 2021: fatality or catastrophe inspection, partial (health). Case closed Jan 13, 2023. 3 violations cited (3 serious). Penalties: $13,653 proposed, $9,600 now. OSHA record. OSHA recorded the employer as North Hill Needham, INC.
Details
- Serious: Respiratory protection (respirators, N95 fit testing) (1910.134(c)(1)). Penalty $13,653 proposed, $9,600 now. To be fixed by Jul 14, 2021.
- Serious: Respiratory protection (respirators, N95 fit testing) (1910.134(e)(1)). Penalty $0 proposed, $0 now. To be fixed by Jul 14, 2021.
- Serious: Respiratory protection (respirators, N95 fit testing) (1910.134(f)(2)). Penalty $0 proposed, $0 now. To be fixed by Jul 14, 2021.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement data, as of Oct 15, 2026, inspections since 2016. Penalties can change while a case is open or contested.
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Needham, Needham. 1.1 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 5 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Briarwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, Needham. 1.3 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- North Hill Home Health Care Inc, Needham. 0.0 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- CVS Pharmacy. 1.0 mile away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 02492 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Wellesley Dialysis, Wellesley, 1.7 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 4 of 5 stars)
Fresenius Kidney Care Wellesley, Wellesley, 3.9 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Fmc Westwood Dialysis Center (Bma Westwood), Westwood, 6.3 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 5 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 17 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 02492.
West River Hospice, office in Needham, 2.0 miles away, straight line
Good Shepherd Community Care, office in Newton, 2.7 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
Hebrew Seniorlife Hospice Care, Inc, office in Dedham, 3.1 miles away, straight line - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Atrius Health Inc, Needham. 1.9 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 low. By hazard: hurricane relatively low, 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 | See above |
| 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 | See above |
| The community’s own website | See above |
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Frequently asked questions
Is The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill a good nursing home?
CMS gives The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars, including 5/5 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 Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill staffed?
The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill reports 6.33 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Massachusetts average of 3.86.
Has The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 3 deficiencies.
How many beds does The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill have?
The Skilled Nursing Facility at North Hill is certified for 72 beds.