Nursing homeActive
Highlands, The
335 Nichols Road, Fitchburg, MA 014209783434411168 certified beds · 156 residentsFor profit - Limited Liability companyMedicare and Medicaid
Surveys on file
3
since 2023
Deficiencies
17
● 1● 16● 0
Penalties · 3 yrs
—
none on file
Last survey
2025-11-25
Standard
CMS overall
3 / 5
stars as published by CMS
CMS overall 3/5
Health 3
Staffing 3
Quality 4
Star ratings as published by CMS · CMS’s caveats
Survey history
Source: CMS · Massachusetts Department of Public Health · data as of 2026-08-01| Date | Kind | Deficiencies | Official record | Archived PDF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-25 | Standard | 070 | CMS-2567 (Care Compare) | — |
| 2024-07-23 | Standard | 150 | CMS-2567 (Care Compare) | — |
| 2023-03-20 | Standard | 040 | CMS-2567 (Care Compare) | — |
Counts by class: paperwork · standard · harm.
Deficiencies
CMS · Massachusetts Department of Public Health publishes each citation’s tag, official description and scope/severity letter. The surveyor’s written findings are in the Statement of Deficiencies (CMS-2567) for each survey, linked above.
F656Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.Scope/severity DStandard
Care planningRecords
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2025-12-19Record 225315-20251125-F656
F676Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.Scope/severity DStandard
Care planning
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2025-12-19Record 225315-20251125-F676
F690Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.Scope/severity DStandard
Care planning
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2025-12-19Record 225315-20251125-F690
F773Provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results.Scope/severity DStandard
Records
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2025-12-19Record 225315-20251125-F773
F804Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.Scope/severity EStandard
Food & nutrition
Pattern; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2025-12-19Record 225315-20251125-F804
F842Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.Scope/severity DStandard
Care planningRecords
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2025-12-19Record 225315-20251125-F842
F880Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.Scope/severity EStandard
Infection control
Pattern; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2025-12-19Record 225315-20251125-F880
F656Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.Scope/severity DStandard
Care planningRecords
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2024-08-16Record 225315-20240723-F656
F658Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.Scope/severity EStandard
Care planningRecords
Pattern; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2024-08-16Record 225315-20240723-F658
F690Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.Scope/severity DStandard
Care planning
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2024-08-16Record 225315-20240723-F690
F812Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.Scope/severity DStandard
Food & nutrition
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2024-08-16Record 225315-20240723-F812
F883Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.Scope/severity DStandard
Infection control
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2024-08-16Record 225315-20240723-F883
F641Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.Scope/severity BPaperwork
Care planningRecords
Pattern; potential for minimal harm.Corrected 2024-08-16Record 225315-20240723-F641
F580Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.Scope/severity DStandard
Dignity & rights
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2023-04-03Record 225315-20230320-F580
F698Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.Scope/severity DStandard
Care planning
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2023-04-03Record 225315-20230320-F698
F700Try 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.Scope/severity DStandard
Care planning
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2023-04-03Record 225315-20230320-F700
F812Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.Scope/severity DStandard
Food & nutrition
Isolated; no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm.Corrected 2023-04-03Record 225315-20230320-F812
Staffing
CMS Payroll-Based Journal · PBJ, as published Aug 2026 · explainerRN hours per resident day0.41
Facility
Massachusetts
National
Massachusetts 0.65 · National 0.69
Total nurse hours per resident day3.86
Facility
Massachusetts
National
Massachusetts 3.86 · National 3.86
Weekend total nurse hours3.42
Facility
Massachusetts
National
Massachusetts 3.48 · National 3.42
Total nursing staff turnover25%
Facility
Massachusetts
National
Massachusetts 38% · National 46%
Registered nurse turnover28%
Facility
Massachusetts
National
Massachusetts 43% · National 43%
Quality measures
CMS MDS quality measures · 2025Q2-2026Q1 · definitions| Measure | Facility | Massachusetts | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers lower is better | 6.3% | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury lower is better | 6.4% | 3.4% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication lower is better | 16.0% | 21.4% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection lower is better | 0.6% | 1.8% | 1.6% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained lower is better | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased lower is better | 7.8% | 16.4% | 13.9% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight lower is better | 10.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication lower is better | 22.8% | 19.5% | 19.5% |
Figures verbatim from CMS, with the state and national figures from the same release. The direction that counts as better is CMS’s own and is stated on every row.
Ownership
As reported to CMS (Provider Enrollment)| Entity | Role | Interest | Since | Registry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life Care Centers Of America, Inc. Organization | OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL | NOT APPLICABLE | — | — |
| Bonilla, Carlos-Andres Individual | W-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE | NOT APPLICABLE | — | — |
| Cross, Cindy Individual | CORPORATE OFFICER | NOT APPLICABLE | — | — |
| Thurmond, Joan Individual | CORPORATE OFFICER | NOT APPLICABLE | — | — |
Part of a chain
Life Care Centers Of America — 194 facilities
Ownership as reported to CMS/state. CMS ownership data has known gaps; merges between entities are published only after human review.
Cost context
County figures from public surveys. Not this facility’s price. Nursing-home rates are not published by CMS or Massachusetts.
No county cost figures on file for Worcester.
Nearby nursing homes
| Facility | Distance | Last survey | Deficiencies · 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitchburg Healthcare Fitchburg | 0.8 mi | 2026-02-11 | 1251 |
| Fitchburg Rehabilitation And Nursing Center Fitchburg | 1.8 mi | 2025-03-07 | 0305 |
| Life Care Center of Leominster Leominster | 4.6 mi | 2026-04-29 | 0120 |
| Leominster Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Leominster | 4.5 mi | 2025-11-19 | 0291 |
| River Terrace Rehabilitation And Healthcare Ctr Lancaster | 8.8 mi | 2026-03-19 | 101 |
Watch this facility
One email when a new survey, harm-class deficiency, penalty, Special Focus change or ownership change is recorded. Nothing else, ever.
Sources & provenance
| Section | Agency · dataset | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|
| Facility, ratings | CMS Provider Data · Nursing Home Provider Information | 2026-08-01 |
| Surveys | CMS · Survey Summary | 2026-08-01 |
| Deficiencies | CMS · Health Deficiencies (CMS-2567 findings via Care Compare) | 2026-08-01 |
| Penalties | CMS · Penalties | 2026-08-01 |
| Staffing | CMS · Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ, as published Aug 2026) | 2026-08-01 |
| Quality measures | CMS · MDS Quality Measures | 2026-08-01 |
| Ownership | CMS · Ownership | 2026-08-01 |