Notre Dame Long Term Care Ctr in Sudbury, MA

Pros

• The place is top notch; staff, facility, and level of care are incredible, like a 5-star hotel.
• Notre Dame is undoubtedly one of the best nursing homes in Worcester County; the staff are caring, friendly, reliable, professional, and prioritize the care and comfort of each resident.
• The nursing staff, especially the CNAs, are the backbone of Notre Dame's exceptional rating; they take excellent care of residents and treat them as if they were their own family.
• The meal plan at Notre Dame is impressive, offering a great variety of food options for every meal, including a range of ice creams; the drinks selection is wide.
• The linen, towels, and face cloths are incredibly soft, and their equipment is up-to-date, reliable, and not outdated.
• Notre Dame comes highly recommended with a 5-star rating.
• The medical treatment has been outstanding; the care for residents has been excellent.
• Notre Dame Rehab has been the best experience by far; the staff's kindness and caring have made difficult situations more manageable.
• The campus is beautiful and peaceful, with friendly, happy staff and residents.
• The grounds are beautiful.

Cons

• The facility was incredibly overcrowded due to a construction project, with rooms unusable and hallways blocked by wheelchairs.
• Meals were crowded and rushed, served on paper plates with plastic utensils, which is not suitable for residents with tremors and neurodegenerative conditions.
• Despite renovations, admissions continued, making the environment feel unsafe and like a fire-code violation.
• Staffing shortages were chronic, leading to routinely skipped showers and 30-minute or longer waits after pressing the call button.
• There was inexcusably poor communication between the ND LTC and the du Lac programs, undermining discharge planning.
• The rehab discontinued all therapy (PT/OT) without informing the family, delaying progress and mobility goals.
• The Harmony program appeared to treat residents as second-class, with no menu options and staff ripping menus from residents who attempted to order.
• Laundry was a mess, with missing hangers and closets overstuffed with other people's hangers, causing items to go missing.

Review

Notre Dame Long Term Care Center in Sudbury is best suited for families prioritizing hands-on nursing care, solid rehabilitation services, and a warm, campus-like atmosphere. The strongest case rests on the caregiving culture: CNAs and nurses are repeatedly described as caring, reliable, and dignified in their approach, with staff who treat residents like family. The on-site rehab pathway within the Long-Term Care building is a real asset for those who require recovery-focused therapy alongside 24/7 nursing attention. The campus has benefited from recent renovations and a generally bright, clean feel, with a reputation for good meals and an active social calendar. Yet this strength sits beside a thornier reality: ongoing construction and crowded spaces can undermine day-to-day operations.

That said, there are clear reasons to consider alternatives. For families whose loved one needs very predictable discharge planning between rehab and memory-care settings, the current arrangement can be fraught with miscommunication and delays. Some reviewers report inconsistent information flow between the ND Long Term Care unit and the adjacent Harmony living area, which can leave families guessing about schedules, medications, and when a transfer might occur. The most visible red flags include crowded dining rooms and hallways, frequent bottlenecks during meals, and reports of staffing shortages that translate into longer waits for showers, call-button responses, or routine tasks. If reliability and seamless transitions are non-negotiable, explore other options.

Yet the positives here often counterbalance these drawbacks for the right resident. The care team is frequently praised for its warmth, respect, and professional demeanor, with CNAs identified as the backbone of daily life. Therapy services - PT and OT - are lauded for effectiveness, and residents benefit from a varied menu, generous drink selections, and careful attention to cleanliness and equipment maintenance. Rooms and common areas show pride in upkeep, and the overall environment tends to feel more like a high-end residence than a typical skilled facility. When the rehab-to-home trajectory stays stable, the distinctions between success and struggle come down to execution and capacity.

Prospective visitors should verify several operational details before committing. Ask for the current occupancy level and how construction work is affecting space, dining flow, and activity options. Confirm what med-management looks like, since the Harmony unit relies on self-administration and may not accommodate crushed medications or added assistance. Inquire about transportation coordination for medical appointments, and whether there is a clear discharge timeline that aligns with the resident's rehab goals. Request examples of indoor activities during hot or inclement weather to avoid a sole emphasis on outdoor programming. These specifics often determine whether the positives can consistently outweigh the logistical negatives.

Feedback from families emphasizes Notre Dame's strength in caregiving presence and in-depth attention to residents' dignity. The facility earns praise for its atmosphere, cleanliness, and staff responsiveness, with many noting meaningful interactions that foster a sense of belonging. The rehab program is repeatedly cited as a standout, delivering measurable gains in mobility and independence for those who participate consistently. There are caveats, of course: some residents experience longer than expected transitions, and a few reviewers report menu or service inconsistencies that erode the impression of premium service. Overall, the combination of care quality and program depth makes ND a compelling choice for many families.

The bottom line is practical: Notre Dame Long Term Care Center is a strong option for families whose priority is high-quality nursing and robust rehabilitation in a well-kept, engaging environment, provided tolerance exists for ongoing construction and the occasional administrative hiccup. It is especially suitable for residents who benefit from a warm caregiving culture and clear access to therapy. Those who require meticulous medication management, guaranteed immediate responses, or stable, uninterrupted access to memory-care admissions should weigh alternatives where such assurances are easier to secure. Visit to observe staff, tour rehab spaces, and interview current families will crystallize whether this community aligns with the loved one's needs and the family's expectations.

Pharmacies

• Sudbury Pharmacy (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.6 miles)
• Walgreens (4.8 miles)

Cafes

• Karma Coffee (1.3 miles)
• Panera Bread (4.8 miles)
• Starbucks (5 miles)
• Starbucks (6.4 miles)
• Haute Coffee (6.7 miles)
• Starbucks (7.3 miles)
• Donelans cafe (8 miles)

Physicians

• Post Road Pediatrics (1.6 miles)
• Framingham Pediatrics (4.7 miles)
• New England Eye Center - Framingham (4.8 miles)
• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (5.9 miles)
• Jacob Goldberg (5.9 miles)
• Medical Associates of Greater Boston PC (6.4 miles)
• Charles River Medical Associates Radiology (7 miles)

Restaurants

• Longfellow's Wayside Inn (3.1 miles)
• Verrill Farm (4 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (4.9 miles)
• KFC (5.1 miles)
• Subway (5.2 miles)
• Dave & Buster's (5.3 miles)
• The Cheesecake Factory (5.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Temple Shir Tikva (3.5 miles)
• St Bridget's Church & School (5.2 miles)
• Parish of the Messiah (9 miles)

Transportation

• Framingham Logan Express (4.9 miles)
• South Acton Mbta Commuter Rail Station (6.4 miles)
• MBTA Riverside Station (8.6 miles)
• Hanscom Field (BED) (8.8 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Framingham 16 (5 miles)

Hospitals

• Emerson Hospital - Main Campus (5.7 miles)
• Newton-Wellesley Hospital (9.1 miles)

Parks

• Cushing Memorial Park (6.1 miles)
• Cat Rock Park (6.8 miles)
• Natick Common (7.1 miles)
• Prospect Hill Park (8.4 miles)