Ramsey County Care Center

Ramsey County Care Center, once located at 2000 White Bear Avenue in Maplewood, served seniors and adults who needed different types of care starting in 1959 and closing its doors in 2022, and when you walked in, you found a nursing home that offered things like skilled nursing care, long-term care services, assisted living, memory care, independent living, and personalized support with help for bathing, dressing, transfers, and medication, and you also saw friendly staff around to help with daily living, healthcare, and mental wellness, people who cared and knew their stuff, and if someone needed more, there were internal medicine practitioners available too. There was a focus on recovery, with evidence-based programs for mental health and substance use, and you saw connections with organizations like the Minnesota Alliance of Rural Addiction Treatment Programs, MARRCH, NAATP, and then the care center really cared about supporting people through hard stuff like addiction and mental health challenges through their links with NUWAY Alliance, Cochran Recovery Services, and The Gables, offering residential programs in the Twin Cities and Rochester and mental health outpatient help at 2217 Nicollet Ave S in Minneapolis, plus safe, recovery-focused housing for men at Arrigoni East and Arrigoni West. You found a Blue Distinction Center® for Substance Use Treatment and Recovery, and a Joint Commission-accredited facility that worked with most insurance and programs like Medical Assistance, and maybe you saw LGBTQIA+ signs because they welcomed everyone. Seniors could join scheduled activities, use the beauty salon, barbershop, fitness room, computer center, games, gardens, community salon, small library, or join day trips, and residents picked from air-conditioned, furnished rooms with private bathrooms, and if they had special food needs, the dining room staff could handle things like diabetes diets. The place felt prepared, with 12-16 hour nursing support, a 24-hour call system, help with transportation, restrooms, WiFi, wheelchair access, and laundry, so people could move around and stay connected. There were music programs, recreational activities, walking paths, landscaped gardens, even pet-friendly rules, with room for new residents any time, and if shopping was needed, the on-site gift shop and canteen helped out. The care center supported hospice, palliative care, grief, and those hard end-of-life talks, helping families plan and cope, and partnered with places like the Minnesota Network of Hospice and Palliative Care. Some preferred independent living with maintenance-free apartments and social events, but some needed memory care with 24-hour support and tailored activities, and they found that too. This center provided in-home care and support for people who wanted to stay as long as possible, along with rehabilitation, wound care, and help after hospital stays. With a rating of 3.9 from 7 reviews, the center kept busy serving seniors, those with disabilities, veterans, and anyone needing extra help with housing, food, work, and tough times, and before it closed in 2022, it was a busy, reliable long-term care place in Maplewood that tried to be as welcoming, thorough, and organized as a big old family home can be.