Merrimack County Nursing Home
325 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen, NH 03303
Merrimack County Nursing Home, a 290-bed government - county nursing facility in Boscawen, NH, holds a 4-star CMS overall rating - well above the 3.0-star national average, with nurse staffing above the national norm. 1 inspection finding reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy 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: 6037962165
Build a private shortlist as you compare, saved on this device, no account needed.
- 4 / 5
- Above average · CMS overall · nat'l 3.0
- 4.78
- Well above average · nurse hrs/day · nat'l 3.89
- 9
- Inspection findings · 1 serious
- $16K
- Federal penalties (1)
Health Inspection
Staffing
Quality Measures
Long-Stay Quality
Facility Information
- Provider Number
- 305056
- Ownership
- Government - County
- Provider Type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Beds
- 290
- Residents
- 273
- In Hospital
- No
- County
- Merrimack
- Last Inspection
- Feb 28, 2025
Staffing Data
How the 4.78 total nursing hours per resident-day are staffed:
- RN Hours
- 0.63 (nat'l avg: 0.68)
- LPN Hours
- 0.72
- CNA Hours
- 3.42
- Total Nursing Hours
- 4.78 (nat'l avg: 3.89)
- PT Hours
- 0.04
- Nursing Turnover
- 38.6%
- RN Turnover
- 20.0%
What the CMS Record Reveals About Merrimack County Nursing Home
Merrimack County Nursing Home operates 290 certified beds in Boscawen, NH with approximately 273 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars (health inspection 3★ · staffing 5★ · quality 4★).
The inspection file contains 9 deficiency records from recent surveys, of which 1 reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy threshold on the CMS scope-and-severity grid. This provider has been fined 1 time by CMS, for a combined $16K. Staffing is reported at 4.78 total nursing hours per resident day (national average 3.89), with RN coverage at 0.63 per resident day.
Classified as "Government - County" ownership and operating as a "Medicare and Medicaid" provider, Merrimack County Nursing Home falls into a category where comparative context matters. Reported nursing turnover at this facility is 38.6%, within a range generally associated with stable care teams.
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 details directly with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.
Deficiency History (9 most recent)
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 18, 2025
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.
Category: Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 18, 2025
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 15, 2025
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: May 2, 2024
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 13, 2024
Perform COVID19 testing on residents and staff.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 13, 2023
Ensure that residents are assessed for appropriateness for a feeding assistant program, receive services as per their plan of care, and feeding assistants are trained and supervised.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 17, 2023
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.
Category: Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 13, 2023
Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited.
Category: Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Corrected: Apr 13, 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 | 16.4% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder | Long Stay | 0.7% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection | Long Stay | 0.7% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 4.3% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | 18.5% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 3.1% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 19.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | Short Stay | 0.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight | Long Stay | 3.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms | Long Stay | 7.2% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained | Long Stay | 0.8% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Long Stay | 98.8% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication | Long Stay | 23.5% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Long Stay | 98.8% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence | Long Stay | 25.8% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Short Stay | 79.3% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Short Stay | 56.1% | No |
Penalty History 1 penalties totaling $16K
| Date | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 2024 | Fine | $16K |
Nearby Nursing Homes in NH
Alpine Healthcare Center
Keene, NH
Applewood Center
Winchester, NH
Bedford Hills Center
Bedford, NH
Bedford Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Bedford, NH
Belknap County Nursing Home
Laconia, NH
Birch Healthcare Center
Rochester, NH
Understanding Nursing Home Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the overall CMS rating for Merrimack County Nursing Home?
What are the staffing levels at Merrimack County Nursing Home?
How many beds does Merrimack County Nursing Home have?
Does Merrimack County Nursing Home have any deficiencies on record?
Has Merrimack County Nursing Home received any fines or penalties?
Who owns Merrimack County Nursing Home?
When was Merrimack County Nursing Home last inspected?
What quality measures are tracked for Merrimack County Nursing Home?
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. Always verify information directly with the facility or your state health department.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Found this useful? Share Merrimack County Nursing Home's record.