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B

71/100

Above average

Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley

80 Boston Road, Billerica, MA 01862

CMS 2/5 stars #51 of 72 in Middlesex County (978) 667-2166
Certified beds
124
Occupancy
90%
Ownership
For-profit
Accepts
Medicare + Medicaid

What to ask about before you visit

These are findings in the public CMS record for this home. They are not our opinion, each one comes straight from a federal inspection or enforcement file.

  • $161,920 in federal fines

    CMS has fined this facility across 1 penalty action(s).

Our read on Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley

Life Care Center of Merrimack Valley runs 4.09 nurse hours per resident day, about 6% above the national average, and its 38.8% turnover is better than the 45.8% typical elsewhere. Those are real strengths. But weekend staffing drops roughly 12% below weekday levels, and the inspection record is where the trouble sits: 27 deficiencies, four at harm or jeopardy level, one abuse-related, plus a $161,920 fine. A 2/5 inspection rating against a 4/5 quality measure rating usually means the day-to-day care looks fine on paper until something goes wrong. A December 2025 inspection is recent enough to reflect current conditions. Ask about weekend coverage and the abuse deficiency specifically.

Written from the CMS figures for this home shown further down this page. Nothing here is paid for or supplied by the home.

How this grade was calculated

Every point is shown. Nothing is weighted behind the scenes, the full formula is on How we grade.

Inspection30/30Staffing15/30Stability12/15Outcomes12/15Enforcement2/10

A full pentagon is full marks. The shape shows what kind of good or bad a home is, two homes can share a score and look nothing alike.

Inspection safety

30/30

Citations from state health inspections over the last three surveys, weighted by how much harm CMS says they caused.

  • →No citations recorded in the last 3 years

Staffing

15/30

Nursing hours per resident per day, adjusted for how sick the residents are, plus RN cover and weekend consistency.

  • →3.75 total nurse hours per resident per day (national median 3.77)
  • →0.71 RN hours per resident per day
  • →Weekend staffing drops 12% against weekdays

Staff stability

12/15

How much of the nursing team leaves in a year. High turnover means a resident rarely sees the same face twice.

  • →39% of nursing staff left in the last year

Resident outcomes

12/15

The CMS quality-measure rating, built from resident outcomes like falls, pressure ulcers, infections and antipsychotic use.

  • →4 of 5 stars on the CMS quality-measure rating

Enforcement history

2/10

Fines and payment denials CMS has imposed. A denial of payment means CMS stopped paying for new admissions.

  • →$161,920 in federal fines across 1 action(s)

Staffing, against the national average

Full detail

Hours of nursing care each resident receives per day. The marker on each bar is the national average.

Total nurse hours per resident per day4.09 hrs
National average 3.86 hrsBetter than average
Registered nurse (RN) hours0.71 hrs
National average 0.69 hrsBetter than average

RNs are the licence level most likely to catch a resident deteriorating.

Weekend nurse hours3.59 hrs
National average 3.42 hrsBetter than average

The shift most families visit, and the one thinned first.

Nursing staff turnover38.80%
National average 45.80%Better than average

The share of nursing staff who left over the last year.

Recent inspection findings

Last standard health inspection: December 10, 2025 (10 months ago). No citations were recorded.

No health-inspection citations on record for this facility in the current CMS release.

Who owns this home

Full record

Part of LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA, which operates 194 homes. Staffing budgets are usually set at chain level, not in the building.

What families say

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Common questions about Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley

What is the ElderGrade for Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley? +

Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley holds an ElderGrade of B (71 out of 100), which we describe as "above average". The grade combines its inspection citations, nurse staffing levels, staff turnover, resident outcomes and enforcement history from the federal CMS record.

How many nursing hours does each resident get at Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley? +

Residents receive an average of 4.09 nursing hours per day across all nursing staff, against a national average of 3.86 hours.

Has Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley been cited for harming residents? +

No. None of the 0 citations on record were scored at the levels CMS uses to indicate actual harm or immediate jeopardy.

Does Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley accept Medicaid? +

Yes, Life Care Center Of Merrimack Valley is certified to accept Medicaid, which is the programme that pays for long-term custodial care once a resident meets their state's income and asset limits.