The Highlands
Residential Care
335 Nichols Avenue, Fitchburg, MA 01420
Located in historic Fitchburg, The Highlands has been providing quality elderly care to nursing home residents since 1988.
Operated by Life Care Centers of America, which runs 204 communities in our directory.
The Highlands is licensed for 168 beds, about typical for the area, where senior care communities in Fitchburg average about 138 beds.
Medicare rates this community 3 out of 5 stars overall, a score based on health inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. Communities in Fitchburg average about 1.7 stars. Its most recent standard health inspection was in November 2025 and recorded 7 deficiencies.
Residents receive about 3.9 hours of nursing care per day on average, including 0.4 hours from a registered nurse. Nursing staff turnover over the past year was about 25%.
The community is located in Worcester County, MA.
Inspection record
In its last three standard inspections and any complaint visits, federal inspectors cited 17 problems at The Highlands. None of them caused harm to a resident.
Findings from the most recent inspection cycle
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Nutrition and Dietary
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Infection Control
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Administration
Provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
A citation on its own does not mean poor care, and most are corrected within weeks. What matters most is how serious the findings were and whether the same problems keep coming back. When you visit, it is fair to ask the administrator what inspectors found and what has changed since.
The Highlands offers nursing home care and respite care.
Facility details
- Beds / units 168
- Nursing hours per resident/day 3.9
- Annual staff turnover 25%
- Last health inspection November 2025
Resident & family reviews
No one has shared a review of The Highlands yet. If you or someone you love has lived here, what you saw could help another family make this decision with more confidence.