To see this month's Activities Calendar at Rice Care Center, click here. To see our Activities Photo Album, click here.

To read about our Dignity Quilt, click here.

Did your Rice Care Center nurse "make the difference"? To read about our contest, click here.

Welcome to Rice Care Center

Thank you for considering Rice Care Center's care and services. We're happy to meet you. Our focus is on resident-centered care. That means that our relationship with you is our top priority. We pride ourselves in having excellent professional staff who are here to meet your needs and make your life pleasant.

You and your loved ones partner with our staff and other members of your health care team, such as doctors, pharmacists, and therapists, to meet your individual and unique needs. At all times, we listen to your needs and those of your family. Rest assured that you are treated with dignity and respect.

We want you to consider Rice Care Center your home for as long as you stay with us. Our mission is to treat everyone with Respect, Integrity, Compassion, and Excellence in all we do.

We're here for you

Rice Care Center (RCC) is a 74-bed, skilled nursing facility located in a park-like neighborhood on the west edge of Willmar at 1801 SW Willmar Ave. The facility is owned by Rice Memorial Hospital and provides a range of rehabilitation therapies to bridge the transition from hospital to home and traditional long-term care. We make certain that the services and rehabilitation programs initiated in the hospital or by your physician are continued at RCC. Members of our professional staff work with you and your doctor to continue an individualized care plan which will help speed your recovery.

At Rice Care Center you will find a cheerful, caring team, from housekeepers to therapists, from administration to activities staff, from nursing assistants to food service members. Our goal is YOUR goal - improvement, strength, and enjoying rewarding days of activity and relationships. We all work together to make your stay comfortable, motivating and pleasant.

However long your stay may be, our caring TEAM is here to help you.

Comments from a family member about their loved ones' experience at Rice Care Center: "...you gave them a home the last years of their lives and provided for them. The opportunities were there for them to socialize and enter into the outings and activities offered. They did feel loved and cared for by all the staff and we appreciate you!"

Rice Care Center is Medicare- and Medicaid-certified.

Rehabilitation therapies to meet your needs

Trained and skilled therapists, based right at Rice Care Center, are part of our team. We work to strengthen and prepare residents to return home following hospitalization, or to provide long-term therapies for residents who need it. Our therapists also work with staff members to evaluate and recommend exercise programs that will help each resident reach their highest level of ability. More than half of our residents return home after receiving the necessary physical, medical and social services needed to help them return to independent living.

If you receive therapy services as a resident, then return home only to find that you need to continue therapy on an out-patient basis, you can keep coming to your therapist at RCC for as long as you need! Whether your stay is for short-term rehabilitation or long-term care, our staff is here to help you.

Rehabilitation services include:

A continuum of care from hospital to home

Our nursing staff is here 24 hours every day to make sure that your medical care needs are met. A registered nurse care manager oversees your care in coordination with your doctor. Our nursing staff takes pride in knowing each resident. We care for you in the best way possible because we know who you are and what you need.

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) help you with your medications and monitor you for pain. Nursing Assistants can help with bathing, dressing, eating, and many other daily tasks. They are always respectful and considerate, allowing you to do as much as you can for yourself.

Comments about the staff from family members of Rice Care Center residents: "Every staff member has done extraordinary kindness and care to (resident). I will not name one in case others are left out in great error! All are very, very good at their job." "(Staff person) was fantastic in maintaining contact with family, doctor, and managing the care needs for our mother - many others, too, were instrumental." "(Staff person) is so friendly and helpful - she is very professional in her work, yet caring as she deals with the resident and family members." "We came to appreciate the caring staff, and that goes well beyond the nursing staff. Everyone seemed to have Mom and Dad's best interests at heart."

Rice Care Center staff is highly trained and qualified to provide skilled medical services, such as wound vacs, IV therapy, total parental nutrition, and peritoneal dialysis.

Rice Care Center is unique in that we provide all of the services other nursing homes provide, plus many specialized hospital-based services because we are owned by Rice Memorial Hospital. This offers you a more seamless continuum of care and a wider variety of hospital-based services right at your doorstep! The hospital's specialized services include: cardiac rehabilitation, diabetes, dialysis, congestive heart failure, wound care, hospice, and mental health services.

The nursing department's goal is to provide you with individual care that meets your needs.

Hospital services include:

Someone to talk to about your concerns

Following hospitalization, serious illness, or injury, you may need transitional care. Entering a nursing home doesn't have to be a frightening time. Even if you aren't feeling well or can't care for yourself as usual, we're here for you and your loved ones when you arrive at Rice Care Center. We can help ease your transition and make you comfortable by listening to your concerns and providing the care you expect.

A social worker oversees your arrival, answers your questions, discusses financial issues, and provides information about Rice Care Center, meal times, and activities. Our social workers are licensed professionals who provide you and your family with an orientation to the center, as well as regular care conferences to discuss concerns or changes. They also have referral resources for services when needed after discharge.

If you have a question, and don't know who to talk to about it, your social worker is a great place to start!

Just for the fun of it

Throughout the day, we ofer a variety of group activities - singing, Bible Study, crafts, cooking, wii bowling, reading groups, cards, games, and more. We believe that fun, recreation, and leisure are important to everyone's health and well-being. The Activity Department at Rice Care Center provides you with opportunities to enhance, improve and/or maintain your physical, social and mental abilities. We attend to your specific cultural and spiritual needs whenever possible as well. You can expect opportunities to make new friends, gather with lifelong friends, learn new skills and participate in the life of the center and the community. At RCC, you have the choice to participte in group setting activities or to be provided with materials for independent leisure activities.

Comments from our residents: "I wanted to go home at first, but now I love it here. There is more to do at Rice Care Center." "Therapy is excellent." "(The staff at Therapy) - they are very good, the best." "Everyone has been so good to me, Thank You!" "I appreciate all you do for me very much. Thank you!"

We are here to make life pleasant for you and we feel privileged to serve you.

Delicious meals the way you want them, when you want them!

Our goal is to provide a warm and friendly dining experience for you, your family and friends. Our dietary staff visits you within 24 hours of admission and asks about your likes and dislikes, as well as any food restrictions you might have. This helps us prepare delicious meals the way you want them, when you want them. You can expect Rice Care Center to serve "home-cooked" meals that provide you with balanced nutrition. You have menu choices at each meal or you can make additional requests as well. You deserve to have choices while Rice Care Center is your home. Family and friends are welcome to dine with you at a small cost of $3.50 per meal. Just call ahead so we are prepared to serve you.

Examples of some of our "Food the way you want it" choices include: Eat in a dining room, or eat in your room; eggs for breakfast - any way you like them; pancakes or French toast every Tuesday; sleep in and eat breakfast for lunch; etc. Yes, we said "Sleep In!" This means you don't have to get up until you are ready to get up!

We are committed to surpass professional quality standards, and more importantly, we work to meet and exceed your expectations of the food we serve.

You have choices

You will find that the employees at Rice Care Center deliver excellent care. As a resident of Rice Care Center, you become a part of a community of friends. Everyone you meet has a smile and greeting. Our main goal is to make life pleasant for you and your loved ones. You have choices - choices regarding food, activities, and your own health care. We support and encourage you during your stay, and many of you will become lifelong friends!

The music of life is in our relationships with each other, and it is no different in our Rice Care Center Community. Come and stay until you feel strong enough to go home. You just may want to call THIS home!

For more information on Rice Care Center contact:

Rice Care Center's Social Service Department
dhen@rice.willmar.mn.us
320.214.2700

For information on employment at Rice Care Center contact:

Rice Care Center's Human Resources Director
lsie@rice.willmar.mn.us
320.214.2764