Home›Massachusetts›Worcester County›HIGHLANDS, THE
C
Below Standard

HIGHLANDS, THE

335 NICHOLS ROAD · FITCHBURG, MA 01420

9783434411 · For profit - Limited Liability company

168 beds154.5 residents223 staff
CMS Five-Star Ratings
Overall
★★★★★
Staffing
★★★★★
Quality
★★★★★
Inspections
★★★★★
Staffing Grades
B
Good
Total Staff
C
Below Standard
RN Staff
C
Below Standard
Overall
✓CMS Benchmark(≥ 3.48 HPRD)
✗RN Recommendation(≥ 0.75 HPRD)
✗Research Standard(≥ 4.10 HPRD)
📋

What This Means in Plain English

HIGHLANDS, THE receives an overall staffing grade of C (Below Standard). With 4.0039 total nurse hours per resident per day, this facility meets the CMS staffing benchmark and has RN staffing of 0.4613 HPRD, below the recommended 0.75. It is 0.11 HPRD above the national average.

Weekend staffing stays relatively consistent — dropping 14.86% compared to weekdays. The facility has low agency staff usage (0% of hours), suggesting a mostly permanent workforce.

Staffing levels have been trending upward over recent quarters.

🔍 Areas of Concern (1)

⚠️RN staffing (0.4613 HPRD) is below the research-recommended minimum of 0.75 HPRD. This means less clinical oversight per resident.

✨ Strengths (3)

✅Meets the CMS staffing benchmark (≥ 3.48 HPRD)
✅No days with zero registered nurse hours this quarter
✅Low agency staff usage (0%) — mostly permanent, familiar staff
Total Nurse HPRD
4.0039hrs/resident/day▲ 0.11
CMS benchmark: 3.48
RN HPRD
0.4613hrs/resident/day▼ 0.22
Recommended: 0.75
Weekend Drop-off
14.86%
4.1793 weekday → 3.5585 weekend
Agency Staff
0%
0% of RN hours from contractors
Days with Zero RN
0days this quarter
4+ days = auto 1-star
CNA HPRD
2.4766hrs/resident/day
Direct care aides
LPN HPRD
1.0659hrs/resident/day
Licensed practical nurses
Consistency
0.3371std dev
Lower = more predictable

HPRD Over Time

Total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, by quarter

Total HPRD (shaded area)RN HPRDCMS Benchmark (3.48) — staffing standardResearch Standard (4.10) — recommended level

How Does This Facility Compare?

Compared to county, state, and national averages for total nurse HPRD

vs. Worcester County Average+0.18 HPRD
3.82
04.00 HPRD
vs. Massachusetts State Average+0.13 HPRD
3.87
04.00 HPRD
vs. National Average+0.11 HPRD
3.90
04.00 HPRD
■ Colored bar = this facility · | Black line = average · Based on 2025Q3 data

Nearby Facilities

Compare with other nursing homes in the area

FacilityDistanceGradeTotal HPRDRN HPRDCMS Rating
HIGHLANDS, THE ★
FITCHBURG · This facility
—
C
4.00390.4613★★★★★
FITCHBURG HEALTHCARE
FITCHBURG
0.8 mi
C
3.41040.4681★★☆☆☆
FITCHBURG REHABILITATION AND NURSING CENTER
FITCHBURG
1.7 mi
C
3.07840.466★☆☆☆☆
KEYSTONE CENTER
LEOMINSTER
4.5 mi
C
3.35940.4386★☆☆☆☆
LIFE CARE CENTER OF LEOMINSTER
LEOMINSTER
4.6 mi
D
4.03050.3972★★★★☆
RIVER TERRACE REHABILITATION AND HEALTHCARE CTR
LANCASTER
8.8 mi
B
3.59530.5994★★★★★

Inspection History & Penalties

Health inspection results from state surveys — most recent first

4
Inspections
12
Total Deficiencies
$0
Fines Assessed
Jul 23, 2024Health
6 deficiencies cited
▼
Mar 20, 2023Health
4 deficiencies cited
▼
Mar 9, 2023Health
1 deficiency cited
▼
Jun 30, 2021Health
1 deficiency cited
▼
CMS Severity Scale
A–C: No Harm / PotentialD–F: No Harm but ConcernG–H: Actual HarmI–L: Immediate Jeopardy

Source: CMS Staffing & Quality Data — 2025Q3 · data.cms.gov

Staffing grades are based on CMS-published thresholds and research recommendations. CMS is not affiliated with and does not endorse this website.