Boston Senior AdvisorVisiting Nurse & Community Care is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 37 Broadway, 2ND Floor in Arlington, MA 02474. It has been certified since 2009. It cares for about 46 patients on an average day, making it a small hospice. It scores 10 out of 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index; the Massachusetts average is 9.2. The index flags 3 areas where it is worse than the Massachusetts average, starting with patients discharged alive after 180 days or more.
What is Visiting Nurse & Community Care's Medicare record?
| Hospice | Visiting Nurse & Community Care |
|---|---|
| Address | 37 Broadway, 2ND Floor, Arlington, MA 02474 |
| Phone | (781) 643-6090 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | 221588 |
| Ownership | Non-Profit |
| Medicare-certified since | 07/07/2009 |
How does Visiting Nurse & Community Care score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
Visiting Nurse & Community Care scores 10 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 2 of the indicators below and worse on 3.
| Indicator | Visiting Nurse & Community Care | Massachusetts average | U.S. average | vs. Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 45% | 52.9% | 52.4% | Better |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 8.3% | 9.4% | 7.3% | About the same |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 50% | 36.4% | 37.4% | Worse |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 14.6% | 8.3% | 8.5% | Worse |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 2.1% | 2.7% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 14.1 min | 14 min | 19.9 min | About the same |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 5.3% | 8.6% | 9.6% | Worse |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 98.3% | 93.3% | 89.3% | Better |
Separately, 88.8% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (Massachusetts average 95.5%) and 86% 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 Visiting Nurse & Community Care?
78% of family caregivers said they would definitely recommend Visiting Nurse & 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 | Visiting Nurse & Community Care | Massachusetts average | U.S. average | vs. Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team always communicated well | 86% | 81% | 82% | Better |
| Team always provided timely help | 79% | 77% | 78% | About the same |
| Team always treated the patient with respect | 95% | 91% | 91% | Better |
| Right amount of emotional and spiritual support | 88% | 91% | 91% | Worse |
| Patient always got help for pain and symptoms | 69% | 76% | 76% | Worse |
| Caregivers rated the hospice 9 or 10 | 75% | 82% | 83% | Worse |
| Would definitely recommend the hospice | 78% | 85% | 85% | Worse |
Where does Visiting Nurse & Community Care deliver care, and to whom?
69% of visiting nurse & community care's care is delivered in assisted living and its largest patient group by diagnosis is dementia (42%). 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 |
|---|---|
| In assisted living | 69% |
| At home | 28% |
| In a skilled nursing facility | 3% |
| In a nursing facility | 1% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Dementia | 42% |
| Other conditions | 20% |
| Heart and circulatory disease | 18% |
| Cancer | 9% |
Which Boston-area ZIP codes does Visiting Nurse & Community Care serve?
Visiting Nurse & Community Care tells Medicare it serves 32 ZIP codes in Boston and Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth counties.
- 01718
- 01720
- 01730
- 01773
- 01801
- 01803
- 01821
- 01824
- 01843
- 01845
- 01864
- 01867
- 01880
- 01887
- 01890
- 01938
- 02131
- 02138
- 02143
- 02145
- 02148
- 02149
- 02152
- 02155
- 02176
- 02180
- 02420
- 02421
- 02458
- 02474
- 02476
- 02478
What should you ask Visiting Nurse & Community Care before choosing it?
Ask how eligibility is reviewed
50% 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 a crisis at home is handled
14.6% of its live discharges were followed by a hospital stay and a return to hospice (Massachusetts average 8.3%). Ask who comes to the house in a symptom crisis and how fast.
Ask about weekend coverage
5.3% of its nursing time is delivered on weekends (Massachusetts average 8.6%). Ask who is on call Saturday and Sunday and whether routine visits happen then.
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.
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is Visiting Nurse & Community Care Medicare-certified?
Yes. Visiting Nurse & Community Care is certified by Medicare under provider number 221588 and has been since 2009.
What is Visiting Nurse & Community Care's Hospice Care Index score?
10 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The Massachusetts average is 9.2.
How large is Visiting Nurse & Community Care?
It cares for about 46 patients on an average day.
