This weekend is a special one at the Annandale Care Center. Residents and staff are getting ready for a big party – complete with dueling pianos – because they are celebrating 30 years of serving the Annandale community.
The Care Center, which is a non-profit organization, first opened its doors when Josephine Sterriker walked in with her suitcase and became the first resident of the 60-bed facility on Aug. 4, 1982. Since then, the Care Center has continued to evolve into much more than a residential nursing home. A health and wellness center was added that is also used by non-residents over the age of 50 and an assisted living and memory care facility.
How it started
Assisted Living Housing Director Deb Flygare has worked at the Care Center since it first opened. She said the idea for the Care Center began in 1973 when Annandale’s only physician Dr. Lester Bendix was about to retire.
"A few concerned citizens got together to try and figure out how to attract a new physician to town so in the late ’70s and early ’80s, money was raised money to build the clinic," Flygare said. "Some may recall a large thermometer outside of Kaz Hardware which was used to gauge the progress."
The Heart of the Lakes clinic was then built and the Annandale Clinic Inc. board was formed. The board recruited Dr. Mary Stiles who bought the clinic and proceeds from the sale were used to start the process of getting the nursing home built.
Annandale Care Center began offering other services so an umbrella organization was formed to encompass all services, Annandale Health and Community Services, according to Flygare, and it is now the organization’s parent company. Since then, the Care Center has been consistently evolving and employs about 140 to 150 people.
Members of the original board included Jean Roth, Bud Morrow, George Arenson, Donna Kaz, Frank Kuehn, Elwyn Nordberg, Larry Miller, Ruth Homuth, Dwayne Bruns, Mary Stiles, Dave Doughty, Beryl Planer, Rolland Robinson, Roland Farrell, Jerry Shadduck, Jerry Mundell and Ross Eggestien. Before the Care Center opened, John Nelson was hired as its first administrator in April, 1982. He retired last year and longtime employee Deb Reitmeier replaced him at the helm.
Because she has been with the Care Center since the beginning, Flygare has witnessed firsthand, the many changes that has brought the organization into the present day.
"There have been multiple building projects over the years," Flygare said. "First there was an ancillary service wing for physical and occupational therapy. The garage was built for the Heartland Express transportation program but that was ultimately sold and is no longer part of our auspices."
There also was a home health agency operated by the care center but like Heartland Express, it too has since been sold. The garage was converted to a chapel and the Centennial Villa apartment building was built in 1987.
"Originally, 22 independent senior housing units existed and then in 2000, we built the assisted living and memory care residence," Flygare said. "In 2007, we started working on adding more memory care units."
Three separate cottages that accommodate 29 people with memory loss are now part of the residence. About that same time, Flygare said the Wellness Center was built, which is open to the 50 and older population for outpatient physical therapy.
"We have the capacity to care for up to 150 people, not including outpatient therapy and the wellness center," Flygare said. "Most come for short-term stays after a hospitalization and before returning home so we have a lot of people staying for a shorter time than what it used to be."
Home away from home
The latest project at the Care Center has been remodeling several of the residential rooms in the Care Center to make them "feel more like home," according to Reitmeier.
"We’re in the middle of a facelift on the nursing home side. We’re painting resident rooms warm colors instead of institutional white, and we’re putting in new flooring, new furniture from an Amish builder, putting in a media wall in the day room with a fireplace and we are getting all electric beds," Reitmeier said.
There are private bathrooms with private baths being installed in more rooms and other features are being added to accommodate a growing segment of short-term residents.
"We’ve become more of a short-term facility for people who are rehabbing," Reitmeier said. "All this is being done to accommodate that segment of our short-term stay clients so they can come in, do their rehab and not have to bring much from home. It’s more like a home setting. A lot of short-term people don’t want to bring their home here but they want it to feel like home. The only thing that will say institution here after the renovation is the bed."
Permanent residents are anxiously awaiting the renovation’s completion as well because of the cozy atmosphere that is expected. Anna Handeland, a resident since 2006, is looking forward to getting a private bath and a remodeled room.
"I like it here – no complaints so far," Handeland said with a smile. "I wish they would hurry up and get done though (with the renovation). After they get it all done, it will be nice."
More than a nursing home
When asked about the most positive change Flygare has seen at the Care Center in the last 30 years, she said, "We serve so many more people in the community than just the residents who live here. The Wellness Center has opened it up more."
She said there even classes offered at the Wellness Center that are very popular in the community. The recent Stepping on Falls prevention program offered through Allina is an example of how it has opened the center up to the community.
"The Wellness Center has many members," Flygare said. "It’s been very popular and continues to be very popular. It’s more than just a nursing home and our assisted living and memory care area is consistently close to capacity."
Anniversary celebration
A big outdoor 30th anniversary party is being planned Sunday, Sept. 16, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the Annandale Care Center.
It is a free community event that will feature The Deuces Wild Piano Show from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. (times may change slightly).
Go to www.wildpianos.com to check them out. They look like a lot of fun for all ages. There will be food, beverages and entertainment in the Wellness Center parking lot and tents and a bandshell have been rented.
"It should be a fun, lighthearted afternoon for residents to interact with the community in more of a celebration setting," Reitmeier said. "If we can get the community to join in, that gives them a fun day to look forward to. It also can show the community that we’re successful, we are here and it’s not a depressing place to be."
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