Boston Senior AdvisorGood Shepherd Community Care is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 160 Wells Avenue in Newton, MA 02459. It has been certified since 1984. It cares for about 249 patients on an average day, making it one of the larger hospices in the area. It scores 9 out of 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index; the Massachusetts average is 9.2. Family caregivers rate it 3 out of 5 stars. It is better than the Massachusetts average on 3 of the index's visit and discharge indicators.
What is Good Shepherd Community Care's Medicare record?
| Hospice | Good Shepherd Community Care |
|---|---|
| Address | 160 Wells Avenue, Newton, MA 02459 |
| Phone | (617) 969-6130 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | 221500 |
| Ownership | Non-Profit |
| Medicare-certified since | 10/01/1984 |
How does Good Shepherd Community Care score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
Good Shepherd Community Care scores 9 out of 10 on the Hospice Care Index, which counts how many of ten visit, discharge and staffing indicators a hospice meets. Against the Massachusetts average it is better on 3 of the indicators below and worse on 0.
| Indicator | Good Shepherd Community Care | Massachusetts average | U.S. average | vs. Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 48.7% | 52.9% | 52.4% | Better |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 8.4% | 9.4% | 7.3% | About the same |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 36.3% | 36.4% | 37.4% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 6.1% | 8.3% | 8.5% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 5.6% | 2.7% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 13.4 min | 14 min | 19.9 min | About the same |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 12.9% | 8.6% | 9.6% | Better |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 98% | 93.3% | 89.3% | Better |
Separately, 99.8% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (Massachusetts average 95.5%) and 83.7% were visited by a nurse or social worker on at least two of their last three days (Massachusetts average 67.5%).
What do families say about Good Shepherd Community Care?
89% of family caregivers said they would definitely recommend Good Shepherd Community Care; the Massachusetts average is 85%. The survey goes to the family member who was the main caregiver, after the patient has died.
| Survey question | Good Shepherd Community Care | Massachusetts average | U.S. average | vs. Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team always communicated well | 82% | 81% | 82% | About the same |
| Team always provided timely help | 72% | 77% | 78% | Worse |
| Team always treated the patient with respect | 90% | 91% | 91% | About the same |
| Right amount of emotional and spiritual support | 92% | 91% | 91% | About the same |
| Patient always got help for pain and symptoms | 73% | 76% | 76% | Worse |
| Caregivers rated the hospice 9 or 10 | 82% | 82% | 83% | About the same |
| Would definitely recommend the hospice | 89% | 85% | 85% | Better |
Where does Good Shepherd Community Care deliver care, and to whom?
63% of good shepherd community care's care is delivered at home and its largest patient group by diagnosis is cancer (30%). It has provided levels of care beyond routine home visits, such as continuous care at home or inpatient stays, in the last three years.
| Where care is delivered | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| At home | 63% |
| In assisted living | 19% |
| In a nursing facility | 14% |
| Other locations | 3% |
| In a hospital | 1% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Cancer | 30% |
| Dementia | 23% |
| Other conditions | 22% |
| Heart and circulatory disease | 13% |
| Respiratory disease | 9% |
| Stroke | 5% |
Which Boston-area ZIP codes does Good Shepherd Community Care serve?
Good Shepherd Community Care tells Medicare it serves 110 ZIP codes in Boston and Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth counties.
- 01701
- 01702
- 01720
- 01721
- 01730
- 01741
- 01742
- 01746
- 01748
- 01749
- 01752
- 01754
- 01760
- 01770
- 01773
- 01776
- 01778
- 01821
- 01863
- 01867
- 01886
- 01915
- 02021
- 02026
- 02030
- 02032
- 02038
- 02052
- 02054
- 02056
- 02062
- 02067
- 02072
- 02081
- 02090
- 02108
- 02110
- 02111
- 02114
- 02115
- 02116
- 02118
- 02119
- 02120
- 02121
- 02122
- 02124
- 02125
- 02126
- 02127
- 02128
- 02129
- 02130
- 02131
- 02132
- 02134
- 02135
- 02136
- 02138
- 02139
- 02140
- 02141
- 02143
- 02144
- 02145
- 02148
- 02149
- 02150
- 02155
- 02169
- 02170
- 02171
- 02184
- 02186
- 02188
- 02199
- 02210
- 02215
- 02301
- 02302
- 02330
- 02343
- 02346
- 02368
- 02420
- 02421
- 02445
- 02446
- 02451
- 02452
- 02453
- 02458
- 02459
- 02460
- 02461
- 02462
- 02464
- 02465
- 02466
- 02467
- 02468
- 02472
- 02474
- 02476
- 02478
- 02481
- 02482
- 02492
- 02493
- 02494
What should you ask Good Shepherd Community Care before choosing it?
Ask where inpatient care happens
When symptoms cannot be managed at home, hospice provides short inpatient stays. Ask which facility they use and how far it is from the family.
Ask what the family is expected to do
Hospice supports the family caregiver; it does not replace one. Ask how many aide visits a week are typical and what happens overnight.
Ask how fast they can admit
Ask how soon after the call a nurse can come out, including evenings and weekends, and how quickly medications and equipment arrive.
Which other hospices serve Newton, MA?
- Brighton Hospice Massachusetts, LLC — Hospice Care Index 9 of 10
- First Choice Healthcare Inc — Hospice Care Index 8 of 10
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is Good Shepherd Community Care Medicare-certified?
Yes. Good Shepherd Community Care is certified by Medicare under provider number 221500 and has been since 1984.
What is Good Shepherd Community Care's Hospice Care Index score?
9 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The Massachusetts average is 9.2.
How large is Good Shepherd Community Care?
It cares for about 249 patients on an average day.
