Minnewaska Community Health Services

Minnewaska Community Health Services has a long history in Minnesota, going all the way back to when Minnewaska Lutheran Home started as a "home for the aged" in Starbuck in 1958, growing over the years with big expansions in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1989, and 2005, and these days it runs several sites including Starbuck, Hoffman, Balaton, and Walnut Grove, with facilities like Holly Ridge Manor, Glacial Trails Memory Care, and assisted living in Hoffman that opened in 2018, and the whole thing's run as a non-profit, faith-based operation with a Board of Directors made up of local church and community folks. The main spot in Starbuck at 605 Main Street holds a 39-bed skilled nursing facility, with another spot for memory care over at 109 E 7th Street and the Holly Ridge Manor assisted living campus at 500 Holly Ridge Drive, while the Hoffman Senior Living site is at 601 Carolina Ave in Hoffman, and together these places offer around-the-clock licensed nursing, assisted living, memory care, and transitional rehab, always trying to give faith-based and person-centered care to about 31 residents per day on average. Holly Ridge Manor offers 20 assisted living units and one- and two-bedroom apartments with secure community, while folks living there can get daily housekeeping, laundry, beautician, spiritual services, meals, therapy services, and regular activities meant to keep people active and connected. There are independent living options like Minnewaska Apartments and Prairieview Place as well, and Minnewaska Therapy gives both inpatient and outpatient rehab. Staffed with between 201 and 500 employees, Minnewaska reports 3.45 nurse hours per resident per day, but it does see high nurse turnover, reaching 60%. Inspectors have found 21 total deficiencies, including 3 tied to infection control. In June 2025, state reports listed a serious deficiency in Resident Rights with a J-level, affecting a few residents, and another with immediate jeopardy to health or safety. There was also an E-level deficiency for not fully respecting resident rights, which affected some people, carrying a risk of harm. Specific issues included failing to honor a resident's right to ask for or refuse treatment, participate in research, or create an advance directive, as well as not always supporting each resident's rights to dignity, choice, communication, and self-determination. Even with these issues, Minnewaska Community Health Services continues to offer a range of care programs and support aimed at meeting the needs of seniors in the area, from skilled nursing to memory care to independent and assisted living, grounded in a strong non-profit and faith-based tradition.