Highlands, The
335 Nichols Road, Fitchburg, MA 01420
Highlands, The, a 168-bed for profit - limited liability company nursing facility in Fitchburg, MA, holds a 3-star CMS overall rating - right around the 3.0-star national average, ranking #155 of 338 rated homes in MA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing above the national norm. No recent finding reached the actual-harm level.
CMS combines health inspections, nurse-staffing levels, and clinical quality measures into the overall star rating, read the components below; they often tell a sharper story than the headline.
Phone: 9783434411
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- 3 / 5
- Average · CMS overall · nat'l 3.0
- #155 of 338
- In-state rank among rated MA homes
- 3.86
- About average · nurse hrs/day · nat'l 3.86
- 17
- Inspection findings
The verdict
Highlands, The, a 168-bed for profit - limited liability company nursing facility in Fitchburg, MA, holds a 3-star CMS overall rating - right around the 3.0-star national average, ranking #155 of 338 rated homes in MA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing above the national norm. No recent finding reached the actual-harm level.
- 3 / 5
- CMS overall · national 3.0
- #155 of 338
- In-state rank among rated MA homes
- 3.86
- Nurse hrs/resident-day · national 3.86
- 17
- Inspection findings on file
CMS force-curves overall stars within each state; read health, staffing, and quality sub-ratings alongside the headline.
In-state ownership mix · peer inventory
How 341 MA nursing homes split by ownership sector
This facility is recorded as For profit - Limited Liability company. Sector buckets collapse CMS ownership_type into For-profit, Nonprofit, and Government, orthogonal to the RN/LPN/CNA hour bar below.
Health Inspection
Staffing
Quality Measures
Long-Stay Quality
Facility Information
- Provider Number
- 225315
- Ownership
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Provider Type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Beds
- 168
- Residents
- 156
- In Hospital
- No
- County
- Worcester
- Last Inspection
- Nov 25, 2025
Staffing Data
How the 3.86 total nursing hours per resident-day are staffed:
- RN Hours
- 0.41 (nat'l avg: 0.69)
- LPN Hours
- 1.15
- CNA Hours
- 2.31
- Total Nursing Hours
- 3.86 (nat'l avg: 3.86)
- PT Hours
- 0.09
- Nursing Turnover
- 24.8%
- RN Turnover
- 27.8%
What the CMS Record Reveals About Highlands, The
According to CMS Nursing Home Compare, Highlands, The ranks #155 of 338 rated nursing homes in MA on overall stars (tie-broken by health+staffing+quality, then fewer fines). Highlands, The operates 168 certified beds in Fitchburg, MA with approximately 156 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars (health inspection 3★ · staffing 3★ · quality 4★).
The inspection file contains 17 deficiency records from recent surveys, all falling in the no-harm or minimal-harm bands of the CMS scope-and-severity grid. No fines or payment denials have been assessed against this provider. Per resident day, this facility reports 3.86 total nursing hours (national average 3.86) and 0.41 RN hours.
Classified as "For profit - Limited Liability company" ownership and operating as a "Medicare and Medicaid" provider, Highlands, The falls into a category where comparative context matters. Reported nursing staff turnover at this facility is 24.8% (CMS payroll-based measure).
Why sub-scores and the CMS methodology matter
The overall score is a composite of three weighted sub-ratings published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: health inspection results, staffing levels, and quality measures. Because CMS caps the overall score at the health-inspection tier and then adjusts up or down based on staffing and quality, the sub-scores often tell a sharper story than the headline star count alone, a 3-star facility with weak inspection history reads differently from one held back by thin staffing.
National research consistently shows that ownership structure, staffing hours, and turnover are the three operational levers that correlate most strongly with resident outcomes, ratings and fines are lagging indicators of those upstream choices. The staffing metric in particular is the one most strongly tied to resident outcomes in peer-reviewed literature.
For families evaluating this facility, the CMS record should be read alongside a site visit, direct conversation with current residents and their families, and review of the state health department's most recent inspection report, the star rating is a starting point, not a verdict. All data on this page is sourced from CMS Provider Data and the Nursing Home Compare program; always verify the same record on Medicare.gov Care Compare and with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.
Deficiency History (17 most recent)
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 19, 2025
Provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results.
Category: Administration Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 19, 2025
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 19, 2025
Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 19, 2025
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 19, 2025
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 19, 2025
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 19, 2025
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 16, 2024
Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 16, 2024
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 16, 2024
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 16, 2024
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 16, 2024
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 16, 2024
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 3, 2023
Try different approaches before using a bed rail. If a bed rail is needed, the facility must (1) assess a resident for safety risk; (2) review these risks and benefits with the resident/representative; (3) get informed consent; and (4) Correctly install and maintain the bed rail.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 3, 2023
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 3, 2023
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 3, 2023
Quality Measures
| Measure | Type | Score | Used in Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased | Long Stay | 7.8% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder | Long Stay | 0.2% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection | Long Stay | 0.6% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 6.4% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | 8.1% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 6.3% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 16.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | Short Stay | 0.4% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight | Long Stay | 10.6% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms | Long Stay | 2.6% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained | Long Stay | 0.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Long Stay | 59.2% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication | Long Stay | 22.8% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Long Stay | 92.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence | Long Stay | 32.2% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Short Stay | 17.7% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Short Stay | 50.4% | No |
Penalty History
No penalties on record.
Nationwide facilities with similar scale or staffing
Two data-derived peer sets for Highlands, The, both outside MA so the neighborhoods are not the same-state geography list below.
Similar bed count
Nearest CMS certified bed counts outside MA (168 beds here).
Similar staffing hours
Nearest CMS adjusted total nurse hours per resident day outside MA (3.83 here).
Nearby Nursing Homes in MA
340 other nursing homes are on record in MA; 6 are shown here.
Abbott Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Lynn, MA
Aberjona Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
Winchester, MA
Adviniacare at Northbridge
Northbridge, MA
Adviniacare at Provincetown
Provincetown, MA
Adviniacare Newburyport
Newburyport, MA
Adviniacare Newton Wellesley
Wellesley, MA
Understanding Nursing Home Data
What the CMS records show for Highlands, The
The health, staffing, and quality sub-ratings above often diverge from the CMS overall headline. Use those components and the inspection findings to read the full file, not the overall star alone.
- The MA registry aggregates state averages and the highest-rated homes in this cohort. View MA registry
- Peer homes near 168 beds show how CMS stars vary at a similar scale in MA. Compare a similar-size peer
- CMS publishes separate fields for inspections, nurse staffing hours, and quality measures; the guide explains how each star is computed. How CMS ratings work
CMS refreshes Nursing Home Compare quarterly (current extract: August 2026). PlainNursing describes published records; it does not establish suitability, availability, admissions, or individual outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the overall CMS rating for Highlands, The?
Where does Highlands, The rank among nursing homes in MA?
What are the staffing levels at Highlands, The?
How many beds does Highlands, The have?
Does Highlands, The have any deficiencies on record?
Has Highlands, The received any fines or penalties?
Who owns Highlands, The?
When was Highlands, The last inspected?
What quality measures are tracked for Highlands, The?
Data Sources
Data source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Ratings, staffing, deficiency, quality measure, and penalty data are from CMS Provider Data. For informational purposes only. Verify the same CCN on Medicare.gov Care Compare and with the facility or your state health department.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
