D'youville Senior Care
Nursing Home Facility
981 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854
For over 50 years the D'Youville Life & Wellness Community has been an integral part of the physical and cultural landscape of Greater Lowell.
With 208 beds, D'youville Senior Care is one of the larger communities in the area, senior care communities in Lowell average about 135 beds. Larger communities more often keep clinical staff on site around the clock and can offer a wider range of on-site therapy and activities, though some families prefer the quieter feel of a smaller setting.
Federal reporting puts occupancy at about 95% of its licensed beds, which is high; communities this full often maintain a waiting list, so it is worth calling well before you need a place. That is above the Lowell average of roughly 83%.
Medicare rates this community 1 out of 5 stars overall, a score based on health inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. The individual scores differ noticeably: 3 stars for staffing against 1 star for health inspections, so it is worth reading both before deciding. Its most recent standard health inspection was in April 2026 and recorded 22 deficiencies.
Residents receive about 3.8 hours of nursing care per day on average, including 0.2 hours from a registered nurse. Nursing staff turnover over the past year was about 36%.
Inspection record
In its last three standard inspections and any complaint visits, federal inspectors cited 41 problems at D'youville Senior Care. None of them caused harm to a resident. 8 came from investigating complaints by residents or families.
Findings from the most recent inspection cycle
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Pharmacy Service
Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Quality of Life and Care
Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Pharmacy Service
Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
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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 Rights
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
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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
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide appropriate foot care.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide for the safe, appropriate administration of IV fluids for a resident when needed.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Nursing and Physician Services
Ensure that the resident and his/her doctor meet face-to-face at all required visits.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide or obtain dental services for each resident.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Nutrition and Dietary
Ensure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident.
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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.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Rights
Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Rights
Honor the resident's right to be treated with respect and dignity and to retain and use personal possessions.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide appropriate foot care.
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.
D'youville Senior Care offers nursing home care and senior living.
Facility details
- Organization type Non profit - Corporation
- Beds / units 208
- Occupancy 95%
- Nursing hours per resident/day 3.8
- Annual staff turnover 36%
- Last health inspection April 2026
Resident & family reviews
No one has shared a review of D'youville Senior Care yet. If you or someone you love has lived here, what you saw could help another family make this decision with more confidence.