LOWELL HEALTH CARE CENTER

The information listed below provides an in-depth look into the type and quality of care offered at Lowell Health Care Center. It is important to note that when evaluating if a nursing home is right for you or a loved one, ratings should not be taken as the sole deciding factor, but as one of many aspects to be considered.

Address

LOWELL HEALTH CARE CENTER
19 VARNUM STREET
LOWELL, MA 01850
(978) 454-5644

Nursing Home Ratings

Health Inspections
Quality Measures
Nursing Staff
R.N. Staff Only
Overall Rating

Percent of Beds Occupied

98%

Number of Residents and Certified Beds

  • Residents: 156
  • Certified Beds: 160

This Facility Accepts

  • Medicare
  • Medicaid

Operational Details

  • Operated By For Profit - Corporation
  • Offers Only Resident Counseling
  • This Facility is Not Part of a Chain or Franchise

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Nearby Cities:

Chelmsford | Tewksbury | Billerica

Resident Services

The information below lists services this facility has provided for residents from October through December 2010. During this period, the most common type of service provided was "Behavioral Symptoms and Cognitive Performance". To get a better idea of the types of services that are commonly performed, compare the "Percent of Service Days" column below. These services are based on submitted claims to Medicare and do not provide a complete overview of all the services provided by Lowell Health Care Center. For more information read our guide on how nursing facilities are reimbursed, types of services, and ADL index scores.

Resident ServicesResident ConditionsPercent of Service Days

Medium Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation 150 Minutes Per Week Minimum
  • Five days any combination of three rehabilitation disciplines
ADL Index Range: 0-511.1%
Total Percent:11.1%
 

Clinically Complex

  • Pneumonia, hemiplegia with ADL score >=5
  • Surgical wounds or open lesions with treatment
  • Burns
  • Chemotherapy while a resident
  • Oxygen therapy while a resident
  • IV medications or transfusions while a resident
  • Extensive Services, Special Care High or Special Care Low qualifier and ADL score of 0 or 1
ADL Index Range: 6-10
- No Signs of depression
25.9%
Total Percent:25.9%
 

Behavioral Symptoms and Cognitive Performance

  • Cognitive impairment BIMS score less than or equal to 9
  • CPS great than or equal to 3
  • Hallucinations or delusions
  • Physical or verbal behavioral symptoms toward others
  • Other behavioral symptoms
  • Rejection of care or wandering
  • Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score of 5 or less
ADL Index Range: 2-5
- Less restorative nursing
37.0%
Total Percent:37.0%
 

Reduced Physical Function

  • Urinary and/or bowel training program
  • Passive and/or active range of motion (ROM)
  • Amputation/prosthesis training
  • Dressing or grooming training
  • Eating or swallowing training
  • Transfer training
  • Splint or brace assistance
  • Bed mobility and/or walking training
  • Communication training
ADL Index Range: 0-1
- Less restorative nursing
25.9%
Total Percent:25.9%
 

Rating Details For Lowell Health Care Center

Nursing Staff -

The nursing staff is the most important part of what determines the quality of care and comfort of a resident in a nursing home. Government regulations set expectations on time spent with each resident based on the services being provided. The breakdown below lists the nursing types (RN, LPN, LVN, CNA) and a comparison of the reported and expected hours per resident per day.

Nursing Hours Per Resident Per DayReportedExpected
Registered Nurse (RN) Hours35 Minutes45 Minutes
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) Hours52 Minutes33 Minutes
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Hours1 Hour and 49 Minutes2 Hours and 4 Minutes
Total Licensed Nurse Hours1 Hour and 27 Minutes1 Hour and 18 Minutes
Total Nurse Hours3 Hours and 16 Minutes3 Hours and 22 Minutes

Quality of Care -

Medicare determines quality of care ratings for nursing facilities by surveying several "quality measures", which are broken down into long-term and short-term stay residents, as well as if the action is preventive or if there is a deficiency in the quality of care. State averages for Massachusetts are also provided for comparison purposes. Note: Figures below are averaged over the past nine months.

This FacilityMassachusetts Average

Long-Term Stay Preventive Actions

Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Were Assessed and Given Pneumococcal Vaccination89%92%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Given Influenza Vaccination During the Flu Season90%93%

Long-Term Stay Deficiencies

Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Lose Too Much Weight5%7%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Are More Depressed or Anxious11%14%
Percent of High-Risk Long-Stay Residents Who Have Pressure Sores6%9%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Have Moderate to Severe Pain-2%
Percent of Low-Risk Long-Stay Residents Who Lose Control of Their Bowels or Bladder47%63%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Whose Ability to Move About in and Around Their Room Got Worse3%12%
Percent of Low-Risk Long-Stay Residents Who Have Pressure Sores-3%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Spend Most of Their Time in Bed or in a Chair-3%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Have/Had a Catheter Inserted and Left in Their Bladder-5%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Whose Need for Help with Daily Activities Has Increased6%12%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Were Physically Restrained3%4%
Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Had a Urinary Tract Infection2%9%

Short-Term Stay Preventive Actions

Percent of Short-Stay Residents Given Influenza Vaccination During the Flu Season90-100%89%
Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Were Assessed and Given Pneumococcal Vaccination90-100%88%

Short-Term Stay Deficiencies

Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Have Pressure Sores6%12%
Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Had Moderate to Severe Pain-18%
Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Have Delirium-2%

Health Inspection Details -

All Medicare and/or Medicaid certified nursing home must undergo health inspections on average once a year, but may be more frequent if the facility is peforming poorly. These inspections cover most aspects of life in a nursing home, and are broken down into deficiencies types, which including: Pharmacy Service, Administration, Resident Rights, Nutrition and Dietary, Resident Assessment, Environmental, and Mistreatment. Below are the list of deficiencies found by inspectors in the past few years along with the degree of harm and how many residents may have been affected. Note: The most recent health survey was on 07/15/2010.

Degree of Harm

  • - Potential for Minimal Harm
  • - Minimal Harm or Potential for Harm
  • - Resident Harmed
  • - Immediate Jeopardy to Resident Health

Residents Affected

  • - Isolated
  • - Some Residents
  • - Many Residents
Deficiencies Found By InspectorsDegree of HarmResidents Affected

Administration

Give or Get Lab Tests to Meet the Needs of Residents.
  • Inspection Date: 07/02/2009
  • Correction Date: 08/03/2009
Keep Accurate and Appropriate Medical Records.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010

Pharmacy Service

Keep the Rate of Medication Errors (Wrong Drug, Wrong Dose, Wrong Time) to Less Than 5%.
  • Inspection Date: 07/02/2009
  • Correction Date: 08/03/2009
1) Make Sure That Residents Who Take Drugs Are Not Given Too Many Doses or for Too Long; 2) Make Sure That the Use of Drugs is Carefully Watched; or 3) Stop or Change Drugs That Cause Unwanted Effects.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010
At Least Once a Month, Have a Licensed Pharmacist Check the Drugs That Each Resident Takes.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010

Quality Care

Develop/Implement Required Procedures for the Administration of Immunizations.
  • Inspection Date: 07/02/2009
  • Correction Date: 08/03/2009
Provide Social Services for Related Medical Problems to Help Each Resident Achieve the Highest Possible Quality of Life.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010
Give Professional Services That Meet a Professional Standard of Quality.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010
Give Professional Services That Follow Each Resident's Written Care Plan.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010
Make Sure That Residents Receive Treatment/Services to Continue to Be Able to Care for Themselves, Unless a Change is Unavoidable.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010
Make Sure That Each Resident Who Enters the Nursing Home Without a Catheter is Not Given a Catheter, Unless It is Necessary.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010

Resident Assessment

Assess the Resident when the Resident Enters the Nursing Home, in a Timely Manner.
  • Inspection Date: 07/15/2010
  • Correction Date: 08/29/2010
Source: Medicare Nursing Home Compare; Massachusetts Department of Public Health - Retrieved 2011