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Nursing homeFAID #5741

The Highlands

335 NICHOLS ROAD, FITCHBURG, MA, 01420

(978) 343-4411

lcca.com

168 licensed beds

★★★★★3/5CMS Five-Star overall3/5 health inspections3/5 staffing4/5 quality measuresSource: CMS Care Compare

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Photo via Google · The Highlands

Address

335 Nichols Road

Fitchburg, MA 01420

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Public record summary

What we can show you for free.

Bed capacity

168

CMS facility ID

225315

Care type

Nursing home

County

Worcester

Facility name

The Highlands

Street address

335 NICHOLS ROAD

City / state / ZIP

Fitchburg, MA 01420

Phone

(978) 343-4411

Website

lcca.com

About this facility — The Highlands

The Highlands is a Medicare/Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facility in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It is licensed for 168 beds — above the median for skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts (123 beds).

It is one of 6 senior care facilities in Fitchburg and 341 skilled nursing facilities across Massachusetts. Families comparing options should weigh inspection history, ownership record, and litigation — not just the tour — before deciding.

Federal inspectors have cited The Highlands 28 times across 6 inspections in the last three years, including 3 food-safety citations; no federal fines are on record. Every citation is listed, dated, and graded in the inspection record below.

This listing draws on federal CMS Nursing Home Compare records, and was last updated on August 31, 2026. Background reports are compiled from primary sources — state inspection files, federal CMS data, corporate registrations, and court records — at the time of order.

Facility background

What the public record shows.

Ownership & operator

Parent company

Life Care Centers of America

Ownership type

For profit - Limited Liability company

Registered owners & officers

Bonilla, Carlos-andres

Managing employee — since 2018

Cross, Cindy

Officer — since 2004

Life Care Centers of America, Inc.

Operational control — since 2005

Thurmond, Joan

Officer — since 2004

Regulatory standing

Federal court records

20 naming its parent company — view the cases (a listed case is not a finding of wrongdoing)

Licensed / certified since

1988-12-08

CMS overall rating

3 of 5 stars

Health deficiencies

7 at the last standard inspection

Federal fines

None on record

Last standard inspection

2025-11-25

Nurse staffing

3.9 hours per resident per day

Cost & payer profile (FY2023 cost report)

Average billed charges

$551 per day (≈ $16,750/month). Private-pay prices typically track billed charges; Medicare and Medicaid pay set rates.

Payer mix (resident days)

59% Medicaid · 13% Medicare · 28% private/other

Occupancy

88% (fiscal year 2023)

Vs. state median

13% above the MA median of $489/day — full state cost breakdown

Services & coverage

Licensed beds

168

Medicare

Accepted

Medicaid

Accepted

Wheelchair accessible

entrance and parking

Visiting hours

Daily Open 24 hours

Compiled from CMS Nursing Home Compare; owners/officers from the CMS Ownership dataset; cost & occupancy from the facility's own CMS cost report; hours/accessibility via Google · last verified 2026-08-31. Facilities can submit a correction.

Inspection record

Every citation, dated and graded.

Kitchen & food safety

Federal surveyors inspect the kitchen at every standard visit. This facility has 3 food-safety citations on its three-year record — flagged below among the inspections.

2025-11-25Health inspection7 citations

F-0656

D · No harm found

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.

Corrected 2025-12-19

F-0676

D · No harm found

Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.

Corrected 2025-12-19

F-0690

D · No harm found

Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.

Corrected 2025-12-19

F-0773

D · No harm found

Provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results.

Corrected 2025-12-19

F-0804

E · No harm foundFood safety

Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.

Corrected 2025-12-19

F-0842

D · No harm found

Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.

Corrected 2025-12-19

F-0880

E · No harm found

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

Corrected 2025-12-19

2024-07-23Health inspection6 citations

F-0641

B · No harm found

Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.

Corrected 2024-08-16

F-0656

D · No harm found

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.

Corrected 2024-08-16

F-0658

E · No harm found

Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.

Corrected 2024-08-16

F-0690

D · No harm found

Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.

Corrected 2024-08-16

F-0812

D · No harm foundFood safety

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.

Corrected 2024-08-16

F-0883

D · No harm found

Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.

Corrected 2024-08-16

4 earlier / fire-safety inspections (15 citations)

2023-03-20Health inspection4 citations

F-0580

D · No harm found

Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.

Corrected 2023-04-03

F-0698

D · No harm found

Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.

Corrected 2023-04-03

F-0700

D · No harm found

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.

Corrected 2023-04-03

F-0812

D · No harm foundFood safety

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.

Corrected 2023-04-03

2025-11-25Fire-safety inspection2 citations

E-0031

D · No harm found

Provide emergency officials' contact information.

Corrected 2026-01-06

K-0321

F · No harm found

Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.

Corrected 2026-01-12

2024-07-23Fire-safety inspection5 citations

E-0041

D · No harm found

Implement emergency and standby power systems.

Corrected 2024-08-20

K-0347

F · No harm found

Properly provide smoke detection systems in areas open to corridors.

Corrected 2024-09-24

K-0712

D · No harm found

Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.

Corrected 2024-08-16

K-0914

F · No harm found

Ensure receptacles at patient bed locations and where general anesthesia is administered, are tested after initial installation, replacement or servicing.

Corrected 2024-08-16

K-0918

F · No harm found

Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.

Corrected 2024-08-20

2023-03-20Fire-safety inspection4 citations

E-0041

D · No harm found

Implement emergency and standby power systems.

Corrected 2023-04-24

K-0341

D · No harm found

Install a fire alarm system that can be heard throughout the facility.

Corrected 2023-05-16

K-0712

E · No harm found

Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.

Corrected 2023-05-17

K-0918

D · No harm found

Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.

Corrected 2023-04-24

Citations and penalties from the CMS Provider Data Catalog (three-year survey window, refreshed monthly). Severity codes follow the federal scope/severity grid; “Immediate jeopardy” is the most serious grade CMS issues. CCN 225315.

Visitor reviews

What people say on Google.

4.7356 ratings on Google

★★★★★Wayne Nasiatka · 2026-05-10 · via Google
“I can't say enough about rhe care provided by all of the staff at The Highlands. They show such compassuon when caring for my Mother in law on their memory unit. We sleep better at night knowing she is safe and her needs are addressed!”

★★★★★Jill Niemi · 2026-04-24 · via Google
“Everyone was so nice to my Dad during his stay. They got to know him and made personal connections with him. Sarah went above and beyond to make sure my Dad saw the Celtics games while he was here. Pam (PT) and Kayla (OT) showed great patience with my Dad as he regained strength and mobility. Food choices were well thought out and somewhat appealing. Big bonus was that my Dad’s loyal fur baby Dais…”

★★★★★James Michel · 2026-06-14 · via Google
“I was a visitor today and was pleased with the service and care provided by the staffing facility personnel performance on the care of the residents who calls this place home. I had a great overall experience and will visit again next week.”

Ratings and reviews are from Google and reflect visitor opinions, not our verification. See all reviews on Google

Inside your report

What unlocks when you order.

Ownership & corporate history

Primary tier

Prior operators & transfers

Corporate network & affiliates

Owners' other facilities

· · 2 more

Inspection citations — last 5 years

Locked

The 28 citations above are shown free. The report takes each one and explains it in plain English — what the tag requires, how serious the scope/severity grade really is, whether it recurred across surveys — plus the five-year pattern a single inspection can't show.

Civil & criminal lawsuits

Advanced tier only

Active civil suits

Federal dockets

CDC infection data

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Citations, owner history, lawsuits — decoded into one PDF.

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Original records

Sources we pull for this facility.

Source

CMS Nursing Home Compare

data.cms.gov Provider Data Catalog

Last verified 2026-08-31

Source

Google Business Profile

Photos, reviews & hours

Displayed with attribution · refreshed on re-run

Source

Secretary of State filings

Entity & officer search

Pulled when a report is ordered

Source

PACER federal dockets

pacer.uscourts.gov

Pulled when a report is ordered