Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center: Staffing, Turnover, and Inspection Record
Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center is a 123-bed for-profit nursing home in Lowell, Massachusetts, part of Athena Healthcare Systems. In the CMS August 2026 release it reported 1.86 nurse aide hours per resident per day, 18% below the Massachusetts average of 2.26, and 23.8% nursing staff turnover (Massachusetts average 38.2%).
Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center
1010 Varnum AvenueLowell, MA 01854
Middlesex County
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release
How many staff hours residents get
CMS reports staffing as hours per resident per day, from the payroll records each home submits. At Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, nurse aides logged 1.86 hours per resident per day, 18% below the Massachusetts average. With about 115 residents a day, that works out to roughly 214 aide hours a day, or about 27 eight-hour aide shifts across day, evening, and night. On weekends, total nursing hours per resident ran 3% below the all-days figure.
| Hours per resident per day | This home | Massachusetts avg | US avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse aides (CNAs) | 1.86 | 2.26 | 2.32 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.60 | 0.95 | 0.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.38 | 0.65 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff | 2.83 | 3.86 | 3.86 |
| All nursing staff, weekends | 2.75 | 3.48 | 3.42 |
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release: reported staffing hours from Payroll-Based Journal data, and CMS state and US averages.
Staff turnover
23.8% of nursing staff at Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center left over the year CMS measured, against a Massachusetts average of 38.2% and a US average of 45.8%. Registered nurse turnover was 33.3%.
Inspections and penalties
State inspectors last completed a standard health inspection on Aug 15, 2025. The most recent inspection cycle, which also counts complaint and infection-control inspections from the past 12 months, found 22 health deficiencies (Massachusetts average 7.2). CMS lists 1 fine totaling $85,178 in the last three years.
| Inspection date | Penalty | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2024 | Fine | $85,178 |
CMS Penalties file, August 2026 release. A payment denial stops Medicare and Medicaid payment for new admissions for the days shown.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every nursing home from one to five stars overall and on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center holds 1 of 5 overall; the Massachusetts average is 3.0.
About Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center
- Ownership: For profit - Partnership
- Chain: Athena Healthcare Systems, 22 homes
- Legal name: Northwood Ma SNF LLC
- Medicare and Medicaid certified since: Feb 17, 1987
- Councils: resident council
- Area: urban
Nursing homes near Northwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center
The closest homes by distance, with the same CMS figures. Select a column to sort.
| D'Youville Senior Care Lowell | 0.1 | 208 | 2.16 | 3.79 | 36.4% | 1 | None |
| D'Youville Care for Advanced Therapy Lowell | 0.2 | 33 | 2.30 | 5.51 | 54.5% | 5 | None |
| Fairhaven Healthcare Center Lowell | 1.0 | 169 | 1.98 | 3.23 | 49.5% | 2 | $15,030 |
| Regalcare at Lowell Lowell | 1.8 | 90 | 1.84 | 3.60 | 30.0% | 1 | $91,558 |
| Palm Springs Post Acute Chelmsford | 1.9 | 124 | 2.09 | 3.62 | 43.3% | 2 | None |
| Care One at Lowell Lowell | 3.4 | 160 | 2.25 | 3.68 | 20.7% | 3 | None |
| Sunny Acres Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Ctr Chelmsford | 3.9 | 93 | 1.87 | 3.33 | 41.7% | 4 | None |
| Vantage at Lowell LLC Lowell | 4.3 | 115 | 2.13 | 3.59 | 29.6% | 2 | $13,497 |
Aide hrs and all nurse hrs are staff hours per resident per day. Fines are the CMS total for the last three years. Turnover is the share of nursing staff who left over a year. All figures from CMS Care Compare.
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Source: CMS Care Compare Provider Information, State and US Averages, and Penalties files, August 2026 release. Figures are as CMS publishes them; check Medicare Care Compare for the latest. Methodology.