Worcester Senior AdvisorThe Evergreens is an Assisted Living Residence at 68 Briarwood Circle in Worcester, certified by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence since July 1, 2020, with 12 certified units, 12 of them in a Special Care Residence for people living with dementia.
Is The Evergreens in Worcester certified by Massachusetts?
The Evergreens has held Massachusetts assisted living certification since July 1, 2020 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 | July 1, 2020 (about 6 years ago) |
| Certified units | 12 total: 0 traditional, 12 Special Care Residence |
| Maximum occupancy on the state list | 12 |
| Address | 68 Briarwood Circle, Worcester, MA 01606 |
| Phone on the state record | (508) 852-9065 |
| Low-income options | No |
| Nonprofit ownership | No |
| 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.
How did The Evergreens do on its AGE compliance review?
The Evergreens's newest Compliance Review Report on mass.gov is dated July 13, 2026 and records “Plan of Correction” as the action taken.
The report lists 3 findings, under these subject areas:
- General Requirements for an ALR: Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI)
- General Requirements for an ALR: Special Care
- General Requirements for an ALR: Dietary Reviews
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 5/21/2024 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 Evergreens offer memory care?
Yes: 12 of The Evergreens's 12 certified units (100%) are in a Special Care Residence, Massachusetts' certified setting for residents with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; the county median among residences with one is 19 units.
Because every unit here is memory care, residents arrive with a dementia diagnosis already shaping their days; ask how the residence handles medical needs that grow beyond assisted living. How Special Care Residences work.
What are the alternatives to The Evergreens?
With 12 certified units, The Evergreens is smaller than the Worcester County median of 68; the closest other certified residence is The Elms at Briarwood in Worcester, in the same ZIP code.
| Residence / provider | Miles away | Certified units | Special Care (memory) units | Certified since | Latest AGE compliance review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Elms at Briarwood 70 Briarwood Circle, 01606 | 0.0 | 40 | 0 | 10/17/1996 | 09/06/2024 |
| 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 Evergreens?
Massachusetts caps no assisted living fees, and The Evergreens's are not on any state record, so the written fee schedule is the document to compare.
Without low-income options on its record, expect market-rate pricing; ask whether residents who spend down may stay. How assisted living fees work.
Which hospital is closest to The Evergreens?
The Evergreens 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 questions should we bring to a tour of The Evergreens?
Start with what the public record cannot answer: ask to see the plan of correction for the 3 findings in the July 8, 2026 review, and what changed.
- Ask who gives eye drops or crushed medications here, and whether that is a nurse.
- Ask if the residence provides any basic health services under the 2024 law.
- Ask how many staff are awake overnight.
