Worcester Senior AdvisorThe Elms at Briarwood is an Assisted Living Residence at 70 Briarwood Circle in Worcester, certified by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence since October 17, 1996, with 40 certified units, none of them in a Special Care Residence.
Is The Elms at Briarwood in Worcester certified by Massachusetts?
The Elms at Briarwood has held Massachusetts assisted living certification since October 17, 1996 and is on AGE's current list, one of 30 certified residences in the county's 60 cities and towns.
| State record item | Value |
|---|---|
| Certification | AGE-certified Assisted Living Residence (certified) |
| First certified | October 17, 1996 (about 30 years ago) |
| Certified units | 40 total: 40 traditional, 0 Special Care Residence |
| Maximum occupancy on the state list | 40 |
| Address | 70 Briarwood Circle, Worcester, MA 01606 |
| Phone on the state record | (508) 852-2670 |
| Low-income options | No |
| Nonprofit ownership | Yes |
| Part of a continuing care retirement community | Yes |
| Co-located with a nursing home | Yes |
Massachusetts certifies Assisted Living Residences rather than licensing them as health care facilities, and AGE does not publish a certification number; a residence is identified by name and address. Read the state record page.
What did the latest state compliance review of The Elms at Briarwood find?
The latest compliance review AGE has posted for The Elms at Briarwood took place on September 6, 2024; the report's recorded outcome is “Plan of Correction required.”
The report lists 3 findings, under these subject areas:
- General Requirements for an ALR: Emergency Response
- General Requirements for an ALR-Service and Service Coordination: Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement
- Staffing Requirements: Health Screening Requirements
Across the Worcester County residences whose reports we could read, the median latest report lists 5 findings, so this report is at or below the local middle. A finding is a cited area of non-compliance with 651 CMR 12.00, not a measure of how residents feel about the place.
The report gives the previous compliance review as 11/1/22 and the earlier action as “None.”
Owner of record named in the report: Salem Community Corporation.
Download the report (.docx, mass.gov). A plan of correction is the residence's written promise of how and when each finding will be fixed; ask to see it.
Does The Elms at Briarwood have memory care?
No: The Elms at Briarwood has no Special Care Residence units on its state record, so a resident whose dementia requires a secured setting would need to move; the nearest residence with SCR units is The Evergreens in Worcester, in the same ZIP code.
| Residence / provider | Miles away | Town | Special Care (memory) units | Certified units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Evergreens 68 Briarwood Circle, 01606 | 0.0 | Worcester | 12 | 12 |
| Notre Dame du Lac Assisted Living 555 Plantation Street, 01605 | 1.7 | Worcester | 24 | 110 |
| Eisenberg Assisted Living Residences 631 Salisbury Street, 01609 | 2.7 | Worcester | 19 | 80 |
How does The Elms at Briarwood compare with other assisted living near Worcester?
With 40 certified units, The Elms at Briarwood is smaller than the Worcester County median of 68; the closest other certified residence is The Evergreens in Worcester, in the same ZIP code.
| Residence / provider | Miles away | Certified units | Special Care (memory) units | Certified since | Latest AGE compliance review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Evergreens 68 Briarwood Circle, 01606 | 0.0 | 12 | 12 | 07/01/2020 | 07/08/2026 |
| Christopher Heights of Worcester 20 Mary Scano Drive, 01605 | 1.7 | 80 | 0 | 05/06/1997 | 05/08/2025 |
| Notre Dame du Lac Assisted Living 555 Plantation Street, 01605 | 1.7 | 110 | 24 | 08/17/2000 | 07/23/2024 |
How much is assisted living at The Elms at Briarwood?
The Elms at Briarwood sets its own fees, which no public record lists; ask for the full rate sheet, including care levels.
Without low-income options on its record, expect market-rate pricing; ask whether residents who spend down may stay. As a nonprofit, it may have a mission-based policy on residents who run out of money; ask to see it. How assisted living fees work.
Where is The Elms at Briarwood, and what is nearby?
The Elms at Briarwood is in Worcester; the nearest hospital with an emergency department in CMS's data is Saint Vincent Hospital, about 3.6 miles away in a straight line, and home care and benefits counseling for Worcester residents run through Elder Services of Worcester Area at (508) 756-1545.
The same street address also holds Knollwood Nursing Center (nursing home), which can make a later move to nursing care less disruptive. Ask whether residents get any priority for those beds.
The state record also marks it as part of a continuing care retirement community, where entrance fees and contract types matter as much as monthly fees.
The next closest is UMass Memorial HealthAlliance Hospitals, about 14.3 miles away. Distances are straight lines, not drive times.
What does The Elms at Briarwood's record suggest asking?
Start with what the public record cannot answer: ask to see the plan of correction for the 3 findings in the September 6, 2024 review, and what changed.
- Ask who gives eye drops or crushed medications here, and whether that is a nurse.
- Ask how a resident who needs insulin injections would be served.
- Ask what supervision is possible for a resident who starts to wander.
- Ask how many staff are awake overnight.
- After about 30 years of operation, ask what has been renovated recently and what is planned.
