Sunny Acres Nursing Home

    254 Billerica Rd, Chelmsford, MA, 01824
    3.6 · 42 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    3.0

    Compassionate staff but inconsistent, unsafe

    I've had a mixed experience: the building is clean and homey, many nurses, CNAs and therapists are compassionate, professional and attentive (Kerry and several aides stood out) and rehab often produced great outcomes. But staffing is inconsistent - I've seen short-staffing, ignored patients, poor communication, rude front-desk/staff, missing belongings, missed wounds/infections and even unacceptable end-of-life care that led to emergencies. Overall it can be excellent, but quality and safety vary enough that families should monitor care closely.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    3.57 · 42 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      3.9
    • Staff

      3.8
    • Meals

      3.1
    • Amenities

      3.8
    • Value

      1.3

    Pros

    • Compassionate, kind nursing staff
    • Attentive CNAs and nursing assistants
    • Top-notch nursing care reported by many families
    • Strong rehabilitation and physical therapy services
    • Clean and well-maintained facility (many reports)
    • Homelike atmosphere and welcoming environment
    • Family-owned / privately owned advantage
    • Pleasant rooms and attractive private-room options
    • Variety of apartment sizes (1-, 2-, 3-bedroom)
    • Well-equipped common areas and family seating
    • Good security and thorough COVID testing
    • Residents feel safe and welcomed
    • Engaging activities that residents enjoy
    • Homemade meals and soups praised by some families
    • Supportive social work/administrative staff (Kerry named)
    • Friendly staff and family-like community for many residents
    • Positive long-term care experiences (some residents 11+ years)
    • Positive impressions of new ownership and legacy continuity
    • Helpful discharge/rehab encouragement and good outcomes reported

    Cons

    • Inconsistent care quality across reviews and shifts
    • Short-staffing and staff sometimes overwhelmed
    • Serious neglect reported in some cases (missed signs, infections)
    • Rushed or unsafe discharges leading to injury
    • Reports of filthy beds, dirty diapers, and neglected Foley bags
    • Food quality inconsistent; some reports of inedible meals
    • Rude or unprofessional front desk and some staff members
    • Communication failures and missing belongings reported
    • Picky admissions and limited bed availability / wait lists
    • Rehab-unfriendly rooms and inaccessible bathroom layouts
    • Maintenance issues (no handheld shower, broken water adjuster, lighting problems)
    • No-show or inadequate bathing (no showers/bed baths) and delayed repositioning
    • Visiting often limited to common areas
    • Mixed dementia/non-dementia population can exacerbate agitation
    • High cost and affordability concerns
    • Safety concerns including bullying and threats reported
    • Therapy sometimes withheld by physician or hampered by infection
    • Uneven housekeeping—mostly clean but alarming isolated lapses
    • No air conditioning reported in one wing
    • Phone and communication lines not always answered

    Summary review

    Overall impression: The reviews for Sunny Acres Nursing Home are highly mixed, with a strong majority of comments praising the staff, rehabilitation services, and the facility’s homelike, clean environment, while a substantial minority report serious lapses in care, communication, and safety. Many families explicitly describe compassionate, attentive nursing staff, excellent CNAs, and top-notch physical therapy and rehabilitation that led to measurable recovery. The facility’s family-owned character, pleasant common areas, private-room options, and thorough COVID testing/security are repeatedly noted as positive distinguishing features.

    Care quality and staffing: A recurring theme is the variability of care. Multiple reviewers describe exceptional, respectful, and professional care—staff who treat residents like family, respond promptly, and provide high-quality nursing and rehab. Conversely, several reviews describe dangerous lapses: missed clinical signs that allegedly contributed to severe outcomes (including an amputation), life-threatening infections not identified promptly, unmanaged bedsores, neglected Foley bags, and filthy beds or diapers. Short-staffing emerges as a likely contributing factor to inconsistent care: families report staff being overwhelmed, delays in repositioning, missed showers or bed baths, and sporadic coverage differences between night and day shifts. This results in a polarized experience—some residents flourish under attentive staff, while others suffer neglect.

    Rehabilitation and therapy: Physical therapy and rehab are among the facility’s strongest consistently praised aspects. Many reviewers call the therapy ‘excellent’ or ‘top-notch,’ crediting the team for positive recovery outcomes and goal achievement. However, structural and room-related limitations sometimes undermine rehab potential: several reviews mention rehab-unfriendly rooms, inaccessible bathrooms (high showers without handheld options), broken water controls, and lighting issues that make therapy or bathing difficult. Additionally, there are isolated reports that therapy was withheld by a physician or hindered by infection, and bed availability may require waiting before admission to rehab services.

    Facilities, cleanliness, and environment: Most reviewers report a spotless, clean, and well-maintained facility with a homelike appearance, pleasant common areas, a family seating area, and walkable parking. Homemade meals and activities add to a welcoming environment for many residents. Nevertheless, alarming isolated reports of filthy beds, dirty diapers, and severe hygiene lapses appear repeatedly enough to merit concern—these contrast sharply with the many accounts of immaculate floors and rooms. There are also reports of an unserviced cafeteria area, inconsistent food quality (from praised homemade soups to descriptions of inedible, slop-like meals), and at least one wing lacking air conditioning.

    Management, communication, and culture: Several reviewers praise supportive administrative staff, social work (Kerry named positively), and new ownership that continues a strong legacy. The family-owned structure is viewed favorably by many as fostering a caring environment. At the same time, complaints about rude or unprofessional front-desk staff, poor communication, missing belongings, bullying, and even threats to involve police indicate problematic pockets of culture or training. Reports of being hurried through discharge, lack of coordination, and unexpected or unsafe discharge decisions underscore concerns about leadership, discharge planning, and patient-centered practices in some cases.

    Safety, admissions, and resident mix: Security and COVID testing receive positive mentions, reflecting attention to safety protocols. However, the facility’s mixed population (dementia and non-dementia residents together) is a source of stress for families of residents with dementia who experience agitation; some families say they had to look elsewhere. Admissions policies are described as selective or “picky,” and bed availability sometimes requires waiting. Several reviewers raise affordability concerns and express that care can be unaffordable for some families.

    Patterns and recommendations: The dominant pattern is one of strong clinical and rehabilitative capability combined with inconsistent operational execution. When staff-to-resident ratios and communication work well, outcomes and family satisfaction are high; when they falter, consequences range from poor personal care to serious medical harm. Prospective families should be encouraged by the numerous positive reports about staff compassion, therapy quality, and the facility’s cleanliness and homelike feel, but should also perform careful due diligence: visit at different times of day to observe staffing and cleanliness, review staffing levels and turnover, ask about bathroom and room accessibility for rehab needs, inquire about infection control and incident reporting, confirm discharge planning protocols, and speak with current families about consistency of care across shifts. Monitor admission requirements and waitlist policies, and verify how dementia care is managed given the mixed resident population.

    Bottom line: Sunny Acres appears to offer excellent nursing, therapy, and a warm, family-owned atmosphere for many residents, yielding strong rehab outcomes and long-term satisfaction. However, significant and recurring reports of short-staffing, communication problems, hygiene lapses, and serious clinical oversights mean the facility’s performance can vary dramatically. Careful, targeted evaluation by prospective residents and families is essential to ensure the facility is a good fit and that specific risks are mitigated.

    Location

    Map showing location of Sunny Acres Nursing Home

    About Sunny Acres Nursing Home

    Sunny Acres Nursing Home sits right on Route 129 off Route 3 in Chelmsford, MA, close to Route 495 and served by the LRTA bus line, so getting there's not hard at all, and the main address stands at 254 Billerica Rd. Since 1948, the staff have provided skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care, with a direct and steady approach to helping seniors get what they need for their daily lives. The building holds 93 beds, including special bariatric beds, and offers private or semi-private resident suites, some with kitchens, bathrooms, and balconies that're centrally heated, where you'll find rooms furnished and suitable for wheelchairs, plus emergency alert systems to help with safety, which makes it easy for residents with limited mobility to live more safely. The place uses Wanderguard safety features and has extra support for people who need wheelchairs or aren't able to walk, so they keep track and keep folks safer.

    Skilled nurses and other licensed staff provide 24-hour supervision, support, and medical care, working directly with residents' healthcare providers for things like medication management, wound vac service, and even ostomy care, while there's organized care for people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, including a secured memory care setting with special programs. The nursing home offers services like meal preparation, housekeeping, personal care, and grooming, and helps with dressing, bathing, transfers, and other activities of daily living, with special attention for those who need a little extra time or help. Residents can use the community dining room, enjoy movie nights, take part in recreational and social activities, or join community-sponsored events, with phone access available in rooms.

    For medical and rehabilitation needs, they provide physical, occupational, and speech therapy, including geriatric rehab for mobility and speech or swallowing issues, which helps people stay as active as possible; long-term care, chronic illness support, and short-term rehab or respite stays are available, as is hospice on request. Special programs include diet and nutrition counseling, evaluations for medication, and help for those recovering from hospital stays or managing complex health needs. Housekeeping and various therapies keep things going in everyday routines. Frank McGuire serves as the Administrator here, and the facility's Medicare-certified. Sunny Acres Nursing Home's straightforward in its approach, aiming for comfort and steady support without fuss or too much fanfare, and it's kept doors open for generations.

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