The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in Massachusetts

  Worst Nursing Homes in Massachusetts By City

Every city in Massachusetts has its own set of challenges and standards when it comes to nursing home care. To help you find the information most relevant to your location, we've compiled city-specific rankings of the worst-rated nursing homes. Click on the links below to explore the detailed lists for each city.

Worst Nursing Homes in Boston

• Parkway Health and Rehabilitation Center (143)
• Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment. (2025-05-20)
• Develop and maintain an Emergency Preparedness Program (EP). (2025-04-04)
• North End Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (124.75)
• Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2025-05-30)
• Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system. (2025-05-30)
• Presentation Rehab and Skilled Care Center (101)
• Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2025-06-10)
• Allow residents to self-administer drugs if determined clinically appropriate. (2025-06-10)
• Sherrill House (62)
• Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments. (2025-05-09)
• Create and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted (2025-05-09)
• German Center For Extended Care (48)
• Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2025-03-29)
• Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations. (2025-03-29)
• Benjamin Healthcare Center (37)
• Conduct testing and exercise requirements. (2024-07-28)
• Develop and maintain an Emergency Preparedness Program (EP). (2024-07-28)
• Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (32)
• Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2025-03-02)
• Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2025-03-02)
• Laurel Ridge Rehab and Skilled Care Center (22)
• Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments. (2025-06-18)
• Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2025-06-18)
• Spaulding Nursing and Therapy Center - Brighton (21)
• Ensure heating and ventilation systems that have been properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. (2025-05-08)
• Have exits that are accessible at all times. (2025-04-23)
• Recuperative Services Unit-Hebrew Rehab Center (18)
• Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment. (2024-08-26)
• Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-08-26)

Worst Nursing Homes in Springfield

• Springfield Skilled Care Center (364.75)
• 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. (2025-05-20)
• Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed. (2025-05-20)
• Spring Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center (272.5)
• Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2025-02-25)
• Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2025-02-07)
• Arc at Sangamon Valley (256)
• Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. (2025-05-10)
• Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2025-03-07)
• Regency Care (255.75)
• Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services. (2025-04-26)
• Establish staff and initial training requirements. (2025-04-23)
• Springfield Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (172.25)
• Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential. (2025-05-21)
• Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2025-04-29)
• Springfield Suites Rehab and Nursing (162)
• Provide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services. (2025-03-30)
• Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-12-19)
• Springfield Nursing and Independent Living (157.75)
• Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2024-06-20)
• Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2024-06-20)
• Allen View Healthcare Center (152)
• Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment. (2025-05-20)
• Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. (2025-05-20)
• Avenues at Springfield (144)
• Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2025-04-21)
• Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2025-04-16)
• Springfield Health and Rehab (137)
• Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-12-03)
• Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health. (2024-12-03)

Worst Nursing Homes in Worcester

• Bear Mountain at Worcester (339)
• Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being. (2025-03-04)
• Administer the facility in a manner that enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently. (2025-03-04)
• Worcester Rehabilitation and Health Care Center (156)
• Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2024-11-09)
• Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances. (2024-11-09)
• Parsons Hill Rehabilitation and Health Care Center (80)
• Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments. (2025-04-25)
• Honor the resident's right to be treated with respect and dignity and to retain and use personal possessions. (2025-04-25)
• Odd Fellows Home of Massachusetts (79.5)
• Address patient/client population and determine types of services needed. (2025-01-30)
• Develop and maintain an Emergency Preparedness Program (EP). (2025-01-30)
• St Francis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (56)
• Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2024-09-30)
• Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system. (2024-09-30)
• Regalcare at Worcester (50)
• Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. (2025-05-26)
• Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services. (2025-05-26)
• The Hermitage Healthcare (50)
• Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke. (2024-07-20)
• Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2024-07-20)
• Jewish Healthcare Center (42)
• Implement emergency and standby power systems. (2024-11-30)
• Establish roles under a Waiver declared by secretary. (2024-11-30)
• Christopher House of Worcester (40)
• Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems. (2024-07-31)
• Implement emergency and standby power systems. (2024-07-31)
• St Mary Health Care Center (35)
• Install an approved automatic sprinkler system. (2025-03-05)
• Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency. (2025-01-31)

Worst Nursing Homes in Barnstable

Worst Nursing Homes in New Bedford

• Brandon Woods of New Bedford (1030.75)
• Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2025-02-18)
• Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2025-02-18)
• Hathaway Manor Extended Care (109.75)
• Establish procedures for tracking staff and patients during an emergency. (2025-03-09)
• Include a process for Emergency Preparedness collaboration. (2025-03-09)
• Vantage Health and Rehab of New Bedford (67)
• Create and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted (2025-03-26)
• Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2025-03-26)
• Care One at New Bedford (52)
• 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. (2025-03-05)
• Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2025-03-05)
• Sacred Heart Nursing Home (42)
• Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-07-24)
• Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2024-07-24)
• The Oaks (30)
• Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2024-12-31)
• Ensure a licensed pharmacist perform a monthly drug regimen review, including the medical chart, following irregularity reporting guidelines in developed policies and procedures. (2024-12-31)

  Related Lists and Resources

While it's important to be aware of the lowest-rated facilities, we also provide resources to help you find the best care available. Check out our other lists to find top-rated nursing homes and facilities that excel in specific areas.

• Best Nursing Homes in Massachusetts
• Analysis of Nursing Homes in Massachusetts

  Making Informed Decisions

Understanding our rankings and how they are derived can empower you to make better choices for your loved ones. Remember, a low rating in one area doesn't necessarily mean a facility is entirely unsuitable; it's a starting point for further investigation.

  Tips for Evaluating Nursing Homes in Massachusetts:

• Schedule visits to potential facilities
• Speak with staff and residents
• Review recent inspection reports
• Consider the specific needs of your loved one

Disclaimer: NursingHomeDatabase.com does not have a relationship, either commercial or otherwise, with any of the skilled nursing facilities referred to on this site. This is an independent resource that tries to make more and better information available to the public.

  More Resources for Families

Navigating the world of nursing home care can be overwhelming. Here are some resources to help you make the best decisions for your family:

• The Role of Family in Nursing Home Care
• Navigating Medicaid for Nursing Home Care
• How to Handle a Nursing Home Discharge
• Understanding Nursing Home Ratings and What They Mean
• Questions to Ask During a Nursing Home Visit

  How We Compile Nursing Home Ratings in Massachusetts

Every month, we rank all of the skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts. These rankings are based on data provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid measures ("CMS"), including the CMS 5-Star Rating System and the Health Inspection Scores. The list of the Worst Skilled Nursing Facilities in Massachusetts is based on the weighted overall health inspection score which is a composite of CMS's three most recent skilled nursing home inspection scores weighted to give the most recent inspection more importance.

The CMS 5-Star Rating System rates skilled nursing facilities from one to five stars, with one star being the lowest and five stars being the highest. The rating system also rates Massachusetts nursing homes across five different dimensions including overall rating, health inspection rating, quality measures rating, overall staffing rating, and RN staffing rating (RN is an acronym for Registered Nurse).

In addition to the 5-Star Rating System, CMS provides numerical metrics that summarize:

• Health Inspection Domain. The health inspection rating is based on the three most recent standard surveys for each nursing home, results from any complaint investigations during the most recent three-year period, and any repeat revisits needed to verify that required corrections have brought the facility back into compliance. CMS calculates a weighted deficiency score based on points assigned to health deficiencies identified in each active provider’s current health inspection survey and the two prior surveys (including revisits), as well as deficiency findings from the most recent three years of complaint investigations. More recent surveys are weighted more heavily than older surveys: the most recent period (cycle 1) is assigned a weighting factor of 1/2, the previous period (cycle 2) has a weighting factor of 1/3, and the second prior survey (cycle 3) has a weighting factor of 1/6. The weighted time period scores are then summed to create the survey score for each facility.
• Staffing Domain. Using multiple reporting methods, CMS calculates the amount of time that the nursing staff spends with residents. This is measured across multiple dimensions, one each for three different levels of nursing, including Registered Nurses (“RNs”), Licensed Practical Nurses (“LPNs”), and Certified Nursing Assistants (“CNAs”), plus one metric that totals all contributions. These metrics are expressed in hours per resident per day. CMS also provides state-level and national averages for the metrics to allow for additional comparisons.
• Quality Measures Domain. A set of quality measures (QMs) has been developed from MDS-based indicators to describe the quality of care provided in nursing homes. These measures address a broad range of functioning and health status in multiple care areas. The facility rating for the QM domain is based on performance on a subset of 11 (out of 18) of the QMs. Ratings for the QM domain are calculated using the three most recent quarters for which data are available. This time period specification was selected to increase the number of assessments available for calculating the QM rating, increasing the stability of estimates and reducing the number of facilities that do not have enough data to report QM ratings.
• Abuse Flag. Abuse is always a concern in skilled nursing facilities. To highlight the issue, CMS has extracted this feature as its own flag. Facilities with an actual abuse event or where the potential for abuse has been shown for the past two years are flagged. The Health Inspection Score is capped at 2-stars for nursing homes that have been flagged for abuse.

Skilled nursing facilities that are new and do not have at least two surveys completed are not rated by CMS. These facilities may have health inspection scores that can be used to evaluate the facility.

One complication in Massachusetts nursing home inspections is the COVID-19 pandemic. Although inspections should be performed every 12 months, COVID has decreased this frequency. While CMS admits that only in “rare cases” do these inspections increase to 15 months, our analysis suggests that this time frame may be even longer. This report shows that the time between inspections is now just under 500 days (more than sixteen months). There are now hundreds of skilled nursing homes in the United States that have not been inspected in more than 24 months. This list shows the skilled nursing homes with the longest period since being inspected. According to the CMS data, these homes have not been inspected since 2018!