Boston Senior AdvisorLegacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 123 Captain's Row in Chelsea, MA 02150. It has been certified since 2008. It cares for about 33 patients on an average day, making it a small hospice. It scores 6 out of 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index; the Massachusetts average is 9.2. The index flags 5 areas where it is worse than the Massachusetts average, starting with gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days.
What is Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care's Medicare record?
| Hospice | Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care |
|---|---|
| Address | 123 Captain's Row, Chelsea, MA 02150 |
| Phone | (617) 889-0779 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | 221584 |
| Ownership | Non-Profit |
| Medicare-certified since | 08/22/2008 |
How does Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care scores 6 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 0 of the indicators below and worse on 5.
| Indicator | Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care | Massachusetts average | U.S. average | vs. Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 93.9% | 52.9% | 52.4% | Worse |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 6.5% | 9.4% | 7.3% | About the same |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 48.4% | 36.4% | 37.4% | Worse |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 6.5% | 8.3% | 8.5% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 0% | 2.7% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 6.3 min | 14 min | 19.9 min | Worse |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 4.6% | 8.6% | 9.6% | Worse |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 70.8% | 93.3% | 89.3% | Worse |
Separately, 92.9% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (Massachusetts average 95.5%) and 28.6% 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 Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care?
72% of family caregivers said they would definitely recommend Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative 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 | Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care | Massachusetts average | U.S. average | vs. Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team always communicated well | 76% | 81% | 82% | Worse |
| Team always provided timely help | 88% | 77% | 78% | Better |
| Team always treated the patient with respect | 92% | 91% | 91% | About the same |
| Right amount of emotional and spiritual support | 96% | 91% | 91% | Better |
| Patient always got help for pain and symptoms | 71% | 76% | 76% | Worse |
| Caregivers rated the hospice 9 or 10 | 79% | 82% | 83% | Worse |
| Would definitely recommend the hospice | 72% | 85% | 85% | Worse |
Where does Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care deliver care, and to whom?
69% of legacy lifecare hospice and palliative care's care is delivered in a skilled nursing facility and its largest patient group by diagnosis is other conditions (40%). In the last three years it billed Medicare for routine home care only, with no continuous or inpatient care.
| Where care is delivered | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| In a skilled nursing facility | 69% |
| In assisted living | 31% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Other conditions | 40% |
| Dementia | 23% |
| Heart and circulatory disease | 16% |
| Cancer | 14% |
Which Boston-area ZIP codes does Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care serve?
Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care tells Medicare it serves 28 ZIP codes in Boston and Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth counties.
- 01843
- 01864
- 01902
- 01904
- 01906
- 01907
- 01923
- 01938
- 01949
- 01960
- 01970
- 01983
- 02021
- 02115
- 02128
- 02130
- 02132
- 02135
- 02148
- 02149
- 02150
- 02151
- 02152
- 02188
- 02360
- 02420
- 02445
- 02464
What should you ask Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care before choosing it?
Ask how often the nurse visits
93.9% of Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care's patients went more than seven days without a nursing visit at some point, against 52.9% across Massachusetts. Ask for the planned visit schedule in writing and who decides when it changes.
Ask how eligibility is reviewed
48.4% of its live discharges came after six months or more of care (Massachusetts average 36.4%). Ask how often the doctor recertifies eligibility and what support is offered if a patient is discharged.
Ask how long nursing visits last
Its nurses average 6.3 minutes per routine care day, against 14 minutes across Massachusetts. Ask how long a typical visit lasts and whether the same nurse comes each time.
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.
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care Medicare-certified?
Yes. Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care is certified by Medicare under provider number 221584 and has been since 2008.
What is Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care's Hospice Care Index score?
6 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The Massachusetts average is 9.2.
How large is Legacy Lifecare Hospice and Palliative Care?
It cares for about 33 patients on an average day.
