South River Healthcare Center sits over on Washington Road in Edgewater and when you get there, you'll see it's got an older look to it because the building hasn't had many updates, but they work hard to provide skilled nursing and rehab care, mostly for people who are staying for a long time or recovering from a hospital visit, and they do skilled short-term care, memory care, and hospice, too. The place is a for-profit nursing home, run by Health Care Facility Management, LLC, and tied to Communicare Health and MedStar Health, with a team managed by Richard Odenthal since 2012, and they have a nurse turnover rate that's better than the state average, which probably helps keep things steady for residents, though they're a little short on nurse staff hours compared to most places. They've got 111 certified beds, but only 8 were certified out of 11 available as of June 2025, but they've been averaging about 103 residents a day, offering all-day dining in a restaurant-style setting with a chef who works around allergies and different diets, so meal time feels a bit like going out, and residents sit in a dining room for meals. There's an emergency alert system, and the rooms come furnished with private bathrooms, cable TV, a little kitchenette, phone, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi, with ADA accessibility throughout. Activities are a steady part of the daily routine - they do bingo, live music, elementary school visits, movie nights, and even a prom for residents, plus family support so everyone gets involved, and the community's got walking paths, a library, a garden, and game rooms so people stay active. Their wellness room and spa give folks a way to relax, and there's an arts room for those who like crafts. People can join a resident or family council to address problems and make suggestions, which gives the community a steady way to hear concerns and hopefully improve things.
On the medical side, they run with a focus on skilled nursing care, long-term care, memory support, medication management, and daily activity help, plus they do physical, occupational, and speech therapy as part of their rehabilitation programs, so a lot of residents come here to recover or deal with ongoing health issues, including kidney care and advanced specialty hospital services, and you'll see that there's always someone on duty since they promise supervision around the clock. Doctors are supposed to review each resident's plan and sign off on care, though state inspectors have found cases where records weren't kept as well as they should be, and sometimes care wasn't reviewed properly by doctors - this has led to 42 deficiencies on inspection reports, including infection control issues and not always protecting residents from accident hazards or potential abuse, though inspectors didn't report any actual serious harm happening, just risks that could have caused problems. They accept Medicare and Medicaid for folks who need help paying, and they'll coordinate your move in and provide transportation and parking. Social wellness is important here, so the team works at building friendly relationships, which they call the South River Approach to Senior Care, aiming to keep people connected in body, mind, and soul. Many say the care team has a positive attitude and tries to make the environment supportive, even with the older facility and various documented issues in the past. They run regular activities, help with daily needs, and offer respite care so families can get a break. Staff receive training on cultural competency, which is important for a diverse group of residents, and there's no age restriction. South River Healthcare Center isn't a Continuing Care Retirement Community, just skilled nursing and related care, but it tries to give as much support and choice as possible for daily life, recovery, and well-being, even as the building itself is showing its age and inspection records show there's plenty that still needs constant attention and improvement.
