Pine Kirk Care Center operated in Kirkersville, Ohio as a long-term care and nursing home facility with a history dating back to the 1960s, and the Rosser family ran it for more than 30 years before closing the doors earlier this week, with its sister facility, the Utica Care Center, also closing at the same time, both doing so voluntarily and confirmed by the Ohio Department of Health. The building, holding 24 certified beds and maintaining a 100% occupancy rate until closing, offered a range of support services, including assisted living, skilled nursing, home health care, and memory care for elderly residents with needs like Alzheimer's, offering housing, daily medical care, and activities to keep residents engaged, physically and socially, through things like movie nights, community-sponsored events, arts and crafts in a special room, gardening, walking paths, and even an on-site barber or salon for easy self-care. Staff, known by many residents for being helpful and kind, provided about 1.62 hours of care per resident on average, split among RNs, LPNs, and CNAs, and were present at all hours to help with bathing, dressing, medication, transfers, and meals-making sure everyone had help when needed, including for things like special diets and managing daily challenges, with move-in help, meal planning, housekeeping, and safety features like a sprinkler system and emergency alerts in place, promising a fairly comfortable and safe living space.
The community always accepted Medicare and Medicaid, supported both short- and long-term stays, and followed all major health regulations, with no reported safety deficiencies during the last check, though staff ratings for coverage were low at 1 out of 5, health was average at 3 out of 5, and the overall rating stood at 2 out of 5 according to Medicare.gov, with a few notable care statistics: 18% of long-stay residents lost too much weight, 8% had urinary tract infections, 19% of low-risk residents experienced incontinence, 24% became more anxious or depressed, and 10% had moderate to severe pain, while vaccination rates for both pneumococcal and flu were very high, near 99% and 97%. No resident ever had to be in restraint, and facility staff always alerted authorities and families right away whenever major medical or safety incidents occurred, and the team provided social services, support for transfers, and education about resident rights, along with regular opportunities for residents and families to give feedback and form councils.
The center did experience a very serious tragedy on May 12, 2017, when a shooting claimed the lives of the Kirkersville Police Chief and two nursing staff, affecting everyone in the community deeply; following this, the building underwent extensive renovations in May 2018 to help ease memories for those returning or considering staying, and during the incident, staff moved all 23 residents safely to other locations. Pine Kirk Care Center was never part of a continuing care retirement community or attached to a hospital, and while it operated as a for-profit, individually owned facility, it always made room for personalized health planning, safe discharges, and tried to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere where residents could be part of a group and socialize if they wanted. The building itself featured shared, studio, and private rooms, with both furnished living areas and places for residents wanting to keep to themselves or join group activities, and while staff sometimes struggled with numbers, most people found them joyful and dedicated, working to meet the needs of each resident up until the very last week the facility remained open.
