Boston Senior AdvisorWest River Hospice is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 63 Kendrick Street in Needham, MA 02494. It has been certified since 2017. It cares for about 43 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 4 areas where it is worse than the Massachusetts average, starting with gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days.
What is West River Hospice's Medicare record?
| Hospice | West River Hospice |
|---|---|
| Address | 63 Kendrick Street, Needham, MA 02494 |
| Phone | (781) 707-9524 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | 221604 |
| Ownership | For-Profit |
| Medicare-certified since | 08/29/2017 |
How does West River Hospice score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
West River Hospice 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 4.
| Indicator | West River Hospice | Massachusetts average | U.S. average | vs. Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 84.8% | 52.9% | 52.4% | Worse |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 10% | 9.4% | 7.3% | About the same |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 36% | 36.4% | 37.4% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 10% | 8.3% | 8.5% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 4% | 2.7% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 7.5 min | 14 min | 19.9 min | Worse |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 2.8% | 8.6% | 9.6% | Worse |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 74.5% | 93.3% | 89.3% | Worse |
Separately, 65.3% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (Massachusetts average 95.5%) and 29.6% 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 West River Hospice?
84% of family caregivers said they would definitely recommend West River Hospice; the Massachusetts average is 85%. The survey goes to the family member who was the main caregiver, after the patient has died.
| Survey question | West River Hospice | Massachusetts average | U.S. average | vs. Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team always communicated well | 79% | 81% | 82% | About the same |
| Team always provided timely help | 78% | 77% | 78% | About the same |
| Team always treated the patient with respect | 90% | 91% | 91% | About the same |
| Right amount of emotional and spiritual support | 93% | 91% | 91% | About the same |
| Patient always got help for pain and symptoms | 64% | 76% | 76% | Worse |
| Caregivers rated the hospice 9 or 10 | 86% | 82% | 83% | Better |
| Would definitely recommend the hospice | 84% | 85% | 85% | About the same |
Where does West River Hospice deliver care, and to whom?
38% of west river hospice's care is delivered at home and its largest patient group by diagnosis is dementia (41%). 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 | 38% |
| In a nursing facility | 36% |
| In assisted living | 23% |
| In a skilled nursing facility | 3% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Dementia | 41% |
| Cancer | 21% |
| Other conditions | 17% |
| Heart and circulatory disease | 15% |
| Stroke | 6% |
Which Boston-area ZIP codes does West River Hospice serve?
West River Hospice tells Medicare it serves 61 ZIP codes in Boston and Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth counties.
- 01432
- 01450
- 01460
- 01464
- 01701
- 01719
- 01720
- 01721
- 01730
- 01742
- 01746
- 01749
- 01752
- 01754
- 01760
- 01773
- 01775
- 01776
- 01778
- 01801
- 01824
- 01830
- 01833
- 01844
- 01862
- 01879
- 01886
- 01887
- 01922
- 01945
- 02050
- 02054
- 02067
- 02072
- 02081
- 02090
- 02131
- 02136
- 02191
- 02324
- 02332
- 02333
- 02338
- 02341
- 02359
- 02360
- 02364
- 02370
- 02451
- 02452
- 02453
- 02458
- 02459
- 02460
- 02465
- 02468
- 02481
- 02482
- 02492
- 02493
- 02494
What should you ask West River Hospice before choosing it?
Ask how often the nurse visits
84.8% of West River Hospice'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 long nursing visits last
Its nurses average 7.5 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 about weekend coverage
2.8% 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 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.
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is West River Hospice Medicare-certified?
Yes. West River Hospice is certified by Medicare under provider number 221604 and has been since 2017.
What is West River Hospice's Hospice Care Index score?
6 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The Massachusetts average is 9.2.
How large is West River Hospice?
It cares for about 43 patients on an average day.
