Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Palmer Healthcare Center
250 Shearer Street, Palmer, MA · (413) 289-9887
- Certified beds
- 61
- Residents per day
- 49
- Ownership
- For-Profit
- Chain
- No chain reported
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicare + Medicaid
- Certified since
- February 15, 2002
1
How this home got 4 stars
The overall rating isn't an average. CMS starts from the inspection rating and nudges it at most two steps. Here is the arithmetic for this home, using CMS's own rules.
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Health inspections
★★★★★starting point
Everything starts from what state inspectors found on site. This is a ranking against other homes in Massachusetts.
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Staffing
★★★★★no change
Only a 5-star staffing rating adds a star, and only a 1-star rating removes one. Ratings of 2 to 4 change nothing.
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Quality measures
★★★★★no change
Same rule: 5 stars adds one, 1 star takes one away. These measures are mostly reported by the home itself.
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Overall
★★★★★4 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
2
Where it sits among Massachusetts homes
Palmer Healthcare Center carries 23 inspection points. That is fewer than 68% of Massachusetts's 339 rated homes.
Inspectors' citations earn points by how serious and how widespread they were (the grid below). CMS then ranks every home in Massachusetts: the 10% with the fewest points get 5 stars, the 20% with the most get 1 star, and the middle 70% split evenly into 2, 3 and 4.
- 5★ 0–6 pts
- 4★ 6–24 pts
- 3★ 24–41 pts
- 2★ 41–76 pts
- 1★ over 76 pts
Bars show every rated home in Massachusetts by its weighted inspection score. CMS recalibrates the cut points monthly but holds a home's rating until its own score changes, so a home can sit just outside today's band.
3
What inspectors found
14 health citations on record since 2023. Each one gets a letter: the row says how badly residents were affected, the column how many.
Immediate jeopardyResidents at risk of serious injury or death
Actual harmA resident was hurt
Potential for harmNo one was hurt, but could have been
Minimal harmPaperwork-level problems
Read the rows, not the total. Most citations nationwide are a D: one problem, nobody hurt. Rows G–I mean a resident was harmed; J–L mean inspectors found residents in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Small numbers in each cell are the inspection points CMS assigns per citation. Those points are what the state curve above ranks.
No citation on record at the harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
Everything else, by area of care
Resident Rights4D
- D
Give the resident's representative the ability to exercise the resident's rights.
- D
Honor the resident's right to be treated with respect and dignity and to retain and use personal possessions.
- D
Honor the resident's right to be treated with respect and dignity and to retain and use personal possessions.
- D
Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident.
Nutrition and Dietary3F
- F
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
- D
Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs.
- F
Employ sufficient staff with the appropriate competencies and skills sets to carry out the functions of the food and nutrition service, including a qualified dietician.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning2D
- D
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
- D
Plan the resident's discharge to meet the resident's goals and needs.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation2D
- D
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
- D
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
Quality of Life and Care2D
- D
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
- D
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Environmental1D
- D
Regularly inspect all bed frames, mattresses, and bed rails (if any) for safety; and all bed rails and mattresses must attach safely to the bed frame.
Inspection history
2026-01-06
4 health deficiencies · 1 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Resident Rights (2 deficiencies)
2024-09-26
8 health deficiencies · 2 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Nutrition and Dietary (2 deficiencies)
2023-08-10
2 health deficiencies · 2 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Nutrition and Dietary (1 deficiency)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 3 h 37 min of nursing staff time a day, 32 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
3 h 37 min
Massachusetts average
3 h 56 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Turnover: 58% of nursing staff and 50% of registered nurses left in the past year.
Reported hours from payroll data the home submits to CMS, divided by its daily resident count. Not adjusted for how sick residents are.
5
Resident outcomes
Quality measures compared with state and national averages. Most come from assessments the home itself reports.
| Measure | This home | State | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days0.4 pts better | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days0.8 pts worse | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine4.8 pts better | 97.7% | 92.9% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine6.5 pts better | 100.0% | 93.5% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury1.5 pts better | 1.9% | 3.4% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms15.1 pts better | 2.3% | 17.4% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight4.4 pts worse | 9.4% | 5.0% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication2 pts worse | 21.5% | 19.5% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication5.2 pts worse | 26.7% | 21.5% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained0.1 pts better | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened7.7 pts worse | 21.6% | 13.9% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased9.3 pts worse | 25.1% | 15.8% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder1.2 pts worse | 1.9% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection1.1 pts worse | 2.8% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence8 pts better | 12.4% | 20.4% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers0.4 pts worse | 4.6% | 4.2% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine13.7 pts worse | 65.2% | 78.9% | 82.3% |
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Who owns and runs it
12 owners and managers reported to CMS. The last column counts how many nursing homes each one is tied to.
Show ownership list
| Name | Role | Share | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascentria Consulting Services Inc | Adp Of The SNF · Organization | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Cavalier, David | Direct Ownership Interest · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Cavalier, David | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Cavalier, David | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Cavalier, David | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Cavalier, David | Adp Of The SNF · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Cliftonlarsonallen | Adp Of The SNF · Organization | 0% | 124 facilities |
| Mintz, Joshua | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 5 facilities |
| Mintz, Joshua | Adp Of The SNF · Individual | 0% | 5 facilities |
| Twomagnets LLC | Adp Of The SNF · Organization | 0% | 57 facilities |
| Wellman Realty, LLC | Indirect Ownership Interest · Organization | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Wellman Realty, LLC | Adp Of The SNF · Organization | 0% | 1 facilities |
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Fire safety
5 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Smoke4D
- D
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
- D
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
- D
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- D
Have proper openings in smoke barrier doors.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems1F
- F
Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.
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Other homes nearby
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Hampden Post Acute
Wilbraham, MA · Marquis Health Services
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- E
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 36 min
- Fines
- $0
-
Life Care Center of Wilbraham
Wilbraham, MA · Life Care Centers Of America
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- F
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 54 min
- Fines
- $0
-
Vantage At Hampden LLC
Hampden, MA · Vantage Care
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- J
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 56 min
- Fines
- $16,801