St. Mary’s Care Center has been providing quality care in Winsted for nearly 60 years
“I am so thankful to have this place to call home.”
A patient at St. Mary’s Care Center in Winsted gets checked over by a caregiver. St. Mary’s prides itself on quality care, and it recently received a four-star rating. Contributed photo
That testimonial from Alice Hausladen was in reference to St. Mary’s Care Center, a skilled nursing facility that has been a part of the Winsted area for nearly 60 years.
There are 150 dedicated employees working at the 65-bed facility, providing a wide range of specialized services. Those employees include RN and LPN nursing, TMA nursing assistants, housekeeping, culinary, maintenance, social services, therapeutic rec, therapies and administration.
“Quality care is very important to us,” said Constance Anderson, administrator/CEO of St. Mary’s Care Center. “We are always focusing on improving our care services, and we respond quickly to any customer concerns. Our residents come first.”
And Anderson noted that many of the staff members volunteer their services throughout the community.
“They are active in many activities and are an integral part of Winsted and our surrounding communities,” she said. “They are compassionate about providing much-needed services to various organizations.”
Nestled in the heart of this town of 2,300 in the south central part of the state, St. Mary’s Care Center has that special small-town feeling in which everyone knows each other. The facility recently received a four-star rating.
“I like living at St. Mary’s Care Center,” said Hausladen. “There are people to talk to, and the staff is friendly and takes good care of us. I feel secure here. Family members feel welcome. I just love it here.”
St. Mary’s Care Center leadership team is pictured above. St. Mary’s has been serving the Winsted area for nearly 60 years. Contributed photo
When entering St. Mary’s Care Center, the front portion of the facility takes on the atmosphere of a cozy coffee shop in which residents or their family members can socialize over a cup of coffee, or just relax while reading the paper.
“A lot of people that come here comment on that area,” said Anderson. “It’s a comfortable setting and feels like home.”
St. Mary’s Care Center, managed by Benedictine Health System, is part of a senior living campus that includes The Garden House, a memory care unit, and Lindenwood Apartments, an independent living facility.
“It’s a convenient campus in which you can age in one place,” Anderson noted. “If someone falls or becomes ill at Lindenwood or Garden House, it’s convenient to bring them over here for their recovery or therapy.”
St. Mary’s Care Center is well known for its top-notch in-patient or outpatient rehabilitation services for those individuals recovering from orthopedic surgery, such as a hip or knee, or anyone recovering from other health concerns, such as a stroke or heart attack. St. Mary’s Care Center offers physical or occupational therapy in private rehab rooms seven days a week.
“We take residents that many other care facilities won’t,” said Anderson. “We are a non-profit facility that features a staff with longevity. We have several staff members that have been here over 30 or 40 years. That translates to commitment.”
St. Mary’s Care Center’s occupational and physical therapists, as well as speech language pathologists are all health care experts in the examination and treatment of health conditions and concerns correlated to tasks that may be used at home, work or leisure.
Occupational therapists at St. Mary’s Care Center assist with the following:
• Post-surgical orthopedic conditions involving shoulders, elbows and hands.
• Strengthening and endurance following cardiac or pulmonary problems
• Self-cares for daily living such as safety in bathing, dressing, home management, cooking, etc.
• Balance and coordination following brain or spinal cord injuries.
• Cognition, safety and judgment assessments limiting home or work safety.
• Wheelchair fitting and adjustments.
Speech language pathologists assist with:
• Language comprehension, word finding and verbal expression.
• Swallowing restoration or compensation following surgery or brain injury.
• Respiratory support and exercises.
• Articulation for speech impediments.
• Adaptive communication systems for non-verbal clients.
• Cognitive assessments for memory, problem-solving and learning.
Physical therapists assist with the following health conditions:
• Post-surgical orthopedic conditions involving knees, hips and shoulders.
• Acute and chronic pain management related to muscle, joint or soft tissue injuries.
• Neurological impairments related to stroke, brain injury or disease,
• Prosthetic or orthotic equipment training.
• Equipment fitting and training for crutches.
A St. Mary’s Care Center caregiver assists a patient from a wheelchair to a walker. Contributed photo
Another rehabilitation service offered by St. Mary’s Care Center is a unique Mobility Courtyard that opened in 2012. This impressive outdoor area provides actual everyday situations and obstacles for caregivers to use in therapy treatments of patients.
“We have a real car in the courtyard for individuals to practice transfer training with their caregivers,” Anderson explained. “It’s important for them to get in and out of a vehicle, and we show them the best possible way to do this as part of their rehabilitation process.”
Also included in the Mobility Courtyard are various walkway surfaces that include grass, flagstone, gravel, concrete, mulch, sand, rocks and pavers; all surfaces that patients will likely walk on once they complete their rehabilitation and return to their home.
There are also varying degrees of elevations in the courtyard used in therapy treatments, such as stairs, ramps and hills, as well as functional activities that include a mailbox, garden gate, horseshoe pit, garden hose and a clothesline.
“We offer short-term or long-term rehabilitation, hospice, bariatric care, home health rehabilitation, outpatient services, pet therapy, Alzheimer’s, dementia and related conditions,” Anderson said.
St, Mary’s Care Center has state-of-the-art equipment, such as ultrasound, diathermy, electrical stimulation, light therapy and computerized exercise equipment to assist in the treatment of numerous conditions and injuries.
Therapists at St. Mary’s Care Center also provide community senior fitness programs twice a week at Lindenwood Apartments that are open to the public.
St. Mary’s Care Center is proud to call itself “A place where human dignity is part of everyday life.” It’s a place a patient can call home.
“That’s important to us,” said Anderson. “We want them to feel comfortable here as if they were in their own home.”
For more information, contact St. Mary’s Care Center at 320-486-3137, visit their website at www.stmaryscarecenter.org or visit them on Facebook.