Highlands, the

335 Nichols Road, Fitchburg, MA 01420 (opens Google Maps) · Worcester County · (978) 343-4411· 168 certified beds · avg 156 residents/day · certified since Dec 8, 1988 · Medicare and Medicaid certified

Certified for both programmes. Certification means the facility can bill Medicaid — it does not mean a Medicaid-funded bed is free right now, so ask directly. Who pays for nursing home care →

Part of chain: LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA (194 facilities, chain avg rating 3.4★)

3/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

inspected Nov 25, 2025

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

3.83

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)

New to these records? How to read an inspection report →

Health inspection rating: ★★★☆☆3/5 · CMS overall rating: 3/5 · how star ratings work →

The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and quality measures from resident assessments and claims.

Inspection findings in the public record

Showing the latest 3 of 17 inspection findings. Open the full record below to read every finding.

Nov 25, 2025E · Potential for more than minimal harm, pattern
The facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature. F-0804
Nov 25, 2025E · Potential for more than minimal harm, pattern
The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. F-0880
Nov 25, 2025D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated
The facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines. F-0656

View all 17 inspection findingsShow only the latest 3 findings

CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed — that window is CMS's, not ours. Within it, every citation CMS publishes for this facility is listed here: none excluded.

Date	Severity	What the facility was cited for
Nov 25, 2025	E · Potential for more than minimal harm, pattern	The facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature. · F-0804
Nov 25, 2025	E · Potential for more than minimal harm, pattern	The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. · F-0880
Nov 25, 2025	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines. · F-0656
Nov 25, 2025	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility allowed residents to lose the ability to do daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and eating — when there was no medical reason for the decline. Good care helps residents keep the abilities they have. · F-0676
Nov 25, 2025	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections. · F-0690
Nov 25, 2025	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not provide or obtain laboratory tests when a doctor ordered them, or did not promptly report the results back to the doctor who ordered them. · F-0773
Nov 25, 2025	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not protect residents' personal information or did not keep complete, accurate medical records that meet professional standards. · F-0842
Jul 23, 2024	E · Potential for more than minimal harm, pattern	The facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow. · F-0658
Jul 23, 2024	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines. · F-0656
Jul 23, 2024	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections. · F-0690
Jul 23, 2024	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. · F-0812
Jul 23, 2024	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures for offering residents flu and pneumonia vaccinations. · F-0883
Jul 23, 2024	B · Potential for minimal harm, pattern	The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives. · F-0641
Mar 20, 2023	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away. · F-0580
Mar 20, 2023	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not provide safe, appropriate care for residents who need dialysis — the treatment that filters the blood when kidneys fail. · F-0698
Mar 20, 2023	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility used bed rails without first trying safer alternatives, or without assessing the resident's safety risk, discussing the risks and benefits with the resident or family, getting consent, and installing the rails correctly. · F-0700
Mar 20, 2023	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. · F-0812

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (6 → 7).

Citations by recorded inspection yearPublished citation counts, not a quality score · Source: CMS, 2026-08-01

All citationsSerious citations (G–L)

2023

2024

2025

All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2023	4	D
2024	6	E
2025	7	E

Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.

Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)

How to file a complaint about care →

No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.

Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)

What these staffing numbers mean →

Nurse time, in contextAdjusted hours per resident per day · Source: CMS, 2026-08-01

This facilityMassachusetts averageU.S. average

Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)

3.83

3.89

3.95

Registered Nurse hours

0.41

0.65

0.69

Weekend total nurse staffing

3.39

3.51

3.50

All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.

Measure	This facility	Massachusetts avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	3.83	3.89	3.95	top 43% in Massachusetts; top 47% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.41	0.65	0.69	bottom 14% in Massachusetts; bottom 23% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.39	3.51	3.50	top 49% in Massachusetts; top 48% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.22	0.46	0.48	bottom 13% in Massachusetts; bottom 17% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	24.8	38.2	45.8	top 13% in Massachusetts; top 7% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	27.8	42.6	42.9	top 23% in Massachusetts; top 25% in the U.S.

Hours are per resident per day for the most recent quarter of payroll data in this CMS release (2026-08-01) — the same quarter for every facility — case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 3.86, RN 0.41, weekend 3.42.Comparing with Medicare Care Compare? Care Compare shows the raw figure (3.86 here, displayed there as hours and minutes), not the adjusted one above. Both are correct; they answer different questions. Staffing rating: 3/5.

Quality measures: assessments & claims

Note: CMS combines facility-reported resident assessments (MDS) with claims-based measures. These are different sources from on-site inspection findings. Read the measures alongside inspection and staffing records; a high QM rating does not establish that a home is safe.

Quality measures rating: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 4/5 · short-stay residents: 4/5

Costs & payment

Price evidence · separate from quality

No verified facility-specific private-pay price is available in our data for Highlands, the. CMS inspection and staffing records do not tell us what this home will charge you.

Calculate a stay from a quote you receive

Use a written private-pay quote. This worksheet adds only the amounts you enter; it does not calculate Medicare, Medicaid or insurance benefits.

Formula: (room rate + daily extras) × days + one-time charges. A 30-day scenario is not a calendar-month quote. Refundable deposits, rate changes and charges you omit are not automatically included. Entries are not saved or sent to our server.

Before you compare prices

Request the room type, effective date and itemized daily rate in writing.
Ask about therapy, medicines, supplies, care-level charges, deposits, refunds and annual increases.
Confirm insurance or Medicaid eligibility and bed availability directly; certification alone does not guarantee either.

Understand who pays for care · How we handle price evidence · Report an incorrect price

Who owns this facility

How to read ownership records →

Ownership records as published by CMS on 2026-08-01. CMS records when an owner joined but not when they left. Listed here and no longer involved? Tell us →

For profit - Limited Liability company

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Bonilla, Carlos-Andres	Individual	W-2 Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	09/01/2018
Cross, Cindy	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	04/19/2004
Life Care Centers of America, INC.	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	06/30/2005
Thurmond, Joan	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	04/19/2004

All 4 owning or managing parties CMS has on file are shown — none excluded.

Other facilities in the same chain

CMS lists this facility under the chain Life Care Centers of America — 194 facilities in the current records. Chain membership says who operates these homes. It says nothing about how any individual one of them was inspected; each has its own record.

Life Care Center of Acton — Acton, MA · overall 4/5
Life Care Center of Attleboro — Attleboro, MA · overall 5/5
Life Care Center of Auburn — Auburn, MA · overall 3/5
Life Care Center of Leominster — Leominster, MA · overall 4/5
Life Care Center of Merrimack Valley — Billerica, MA · overall 2/5
Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley — Littleton, MA · overall 4/5
Life Care Center of Plymouth — Plymouth, MA · overall 5/5
Life Care Center of Raynham — Raynham, MA · overall 4/5

Listed by state, then facility name — not a ranking. Showing 8 of the 193 others, continuing from this facility's own place in that list.

Questions to ask on your visit

Full visit checklist →

Print visit checklist

Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.

"Could I join residents for a meal to see the food quality and temperature for myself?"
"Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
"Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
"How do you help residents maintain their daily living skills, and how do you measure whether it's working?"
"How do you care for residents with incontinence or catheters, and what do you do to prevent urinary tract infections?"
"When a doctor orders lab work, how quickly is it done and how are results communicated back?"
"How do you keep residents' medical records accurate, complete, and secure?"
"Can you tell me what this citation involved and what steps you took to bring care back up to standard?"

Also worth asking anywhere

"What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
"Can I see the plan of correction for the findings in your most recent state inspection?"
"CMS reports 25% total nursing staff turnover here — who on the care team has been with you longest?"
"Can I visit again unannounced, at a mealtime or on a weekend?"

Nearby facilities (12 closest of 21 within 20 miles)

Facility	Distance	City	Overall	Inspection
Fitchburg Healthcare	0.8 mi	Fitchburg, MA	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Fitchburg Rehabilitation and Nursing Center	1.8 mi	Fitchburg, MA	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Leominster Rehabilitation and Nursing Center	4.5 mi	Leominster, MA	★☆☆☆☆	2/5
Life Care Center of Leominster	4.6 mi	Leominster, MA	★★★★☆	3/5
Wachusett Manor	8.7 mi	Gardner, MA	★★★☆☆	3/5
River Terrace Rehabilitation and Healthcare Ctr	8.8 mi	Lancaster, MA	★★★★★	5/5
Gardner Rehabilitation and Nursing Center	8.9 mi	Gardner, MA	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Seven Hills Pediatric Center	11.7 mi	Groton, MA	★★★☆☆	3/5
Ayer Valley Rehab and Nursing	12.1 mi	Ayer, MA	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Alliance Health at Baldwinville	12.9 mi	Baldwinville, MA	★★★★☆	4/5
Sterling Village	13.1 mi	Sterling, MA	★★★★☆	4/5
Oakdale Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center	14.1 mi	West Boylston, MA	★★★★☆	4/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

Other facilities in the same county

CMS records place this facility in Worcester, MA — 50 certified facilities there. These are outside the 20-mile list above, or far enough down it not to appear.

Holden Rehabilitation & Nursing Center — Holden, MA · overall 4/5
Holy Trinity Eastern Orthodox N & R Center — Worcester, MA · overall 5/5
Jewish Healthcare Center — Worcester, MA · overall 4/5
Knollwood Nursing Center — Worcester, MA · overall 4/5
Lanessa Extended Care — Webster, MA · overall 1/5
Life Care Center of Auburn — Auburn, MA · overall 3/5

Listed by facility name — not a ranking. Homes already in the table above are not repeated here.

All facilities in Fitchburg →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 225315.

This page is the printable visit checklist. If your browser did not open the print dialog automatically, use File → Print (Ctrl/⌘-P).

The Care File

Visit checklist — Highlands, the

335 Nichols Road, Fitchburg, MA 01420 · (978) 343-4411

Health inspection rating 3/5 · CMS overall 3/5· Fines (3y): $0

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "Could I join residents for a meal to see the food quality and temperature for myself?"
☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
☐ "How do you help residents maintain their daily living skills, and how do you measure whether it's working?"
☐ "How do you care for residents with incontinence or catheters, and what do you do to prevent urinary tract infections?"
☐ "When a doctor orders lab work, how quickly is it done and how are results communicated back?"
☐ "How do you keep residents' medical records accurate, complete, and secure?"
☐ "Can you tell me what this citation involved and what steps you took to bring care back up to standard?"
☐ "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
☐ "Can I see the plan of correction for the findings in your most recent state inspection?"
☐ "CMS reports 25% total nursing staff turnover here — who on the care team has been with you longest?"
☐ "Can I visit again unannounced, at a mealtime or on a weekend?"

While you're there, notice:

☐ Smell and cleanliness in hallways, not just the lobby
☐ How staff speak to residents; call lights answered promptly
☐ Residents up, dressed, and engaged (visit mealtimes and a weekend if you can)

Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog, version 2026-08-01 · CCN 225315 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)