Worcester Senior AdvisorBarre, Hardwick, New Braintree and Oakham form the rural northwest of the county around the Ware River and the Quabbin. Barre's large common on Route 122 and Route 32 is the area's commercial center, and Hardwick includes the villages of Gilbertville and Wheelwright.
Licensed residential care is distant here, so families usually weigh Worcester, Gardner, Spencer and Ware, and Elder Services of Worcester Area handles home care for all four towns.
How many older residents and certified care options are in Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham, MA?
Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham had about 11,307 residents on July 1, 2025 (up 268 since 2020) and about 2,265 residents 65 and older (20.8%), and the state and CMS records show 0 certified assisted living residences and 0 nursing homes there.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population, July 1, 2025 (Census estimate) | 11,307 |
| Population, April 2020 base | 11,039 |
| Residents 65+ (ACS 2020-2024) | 2,265 |
| Residents 85+ (ACS 2020-2024) | 115 |
| Barre: population 2025 / share 65+ | 5,641 / 19.0% |
| Hardwick: population 2025 / share 65+ | 2,736 / 22.7% |
| New Braintree: population 2025 / share 65+ | 1,013 / 25.6% |
| Oakham: population 2025 / share 65+ | 1,917 / 21.4% |
| With an address in Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham | Without an address in Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham | |
|---|---|---|
| State and CMS records | No certified providers with a local address | Certified assisted living, Nursing homes, Home health agencies, Hospices |
Is there certified assisted living in Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham?
No certified Assisted Living Residence lists an address in Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham; the nearest is Heywood Wakefield Commons in Gardner, about 13.4 miles from the center of town.
| Residence / provider | Miles away | Town | Certified units | Special Care (memory) units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heywood Wakefield Commons 50 Pine Street, 01440 | 13.4 | Gardner | 78 | 0 |
| Benchmark at Tatnuck Park 340 May Street, 01602 | 16.9 | Worcester | 76 | 19 |
| Eisenberg Assisted Living Residences 631 Salisbury Street, 01609 | 17.1 | Worcester | 80 | 19 |
| Broadview Assisted Living 547 Central Street, 01475 | 17.5 | Winchendon | 49 | 7 |
Where is the closest memory care to Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham?
The closest residence with Special Care Residence units is Benchmark at Tatnuck Park in Worcester, about 16.9 miles away, with 19 memory care units.
- Benchmark at Tatnuck Park, Worcester: 19 SCR units, 16.9 miles
- Eisenberg Assisted Living Residences, Worcester: 19 SCR units, 17.1 miles
- Broadview Assisted Living, Winchendon: 7 SCR units, 17.5 miles
Where are the nearest nursing homes to Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham?
No certified nursing home lists an address in Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham; the closest is Quabbin Valley Healthcare in Athol, about 11.1 miles away, rated 2 of 5 by CMS.
| Residence / provider | Miles away | CMS overall rating | Certified beds | Nurse hours / resident / day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quabbin Valley Healthcare 821 Daniel Shays Highway, 01331 | 11.1 | 2 of 5 | 142 | 3.61 |
| Alliance Health at Baldwinville 51 Hospital Road, 01436 | 12.7 | 4 of 5 | 94 | 3.85 |
| Quaboag Rehabilitation & Skilled Care Facility 47 East Main Street, 01585 | 12.8 | 5 of 5 | 166 | 4.04 |
Which hospitals are closest to Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham?
Measured from the center of Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham, the closest hospitals with emergency departments in CMS's data are Heywood Hospital (about 13.4 miles) and UMass Memorial HealthAlliance Hospitals (about 19.1 miles).
Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester is about 19.2 miles away. These are straight-line distances, useful for comparison but not drive times.
Where do Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham families get free senior help?
Home care, nutrition programs and caregiver support for Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree & Oakham run through Elder Services of Worcester Area, the Aging Services Access Point at (508) 756-1545, which also does free in-home assessments.
The town council on aging and senior center are the place to start for rides, meals and SHINE Medicare counseling; the ASAP handles home care and long-term care screening.
