New name unveiled— ONRC celebrates 50 years
--By Deb Loger
Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center in Odebolt will observe its 50th anniversary Sunday, Oct. 11, with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Along with observing their golden anniversary, the business is unveiling its new name Odebolt Specialty Care.
Open house plans include Paul and John Ching of Sac City performing musical selections on piano, cello and violin from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m.
Colonial Manor Nursing Home formally opened Oct. 9-10, 1965. Following ribbon cutting ceremonies, Rev. Dana C. Boggie gave the invocation and Reuben and Wayne Lindskoog gave a musical presentation. Mayor Ron Rex gave the mayor’s welcome, followed by a presentation of the keys by Dwight W. Meyer, president of the local corporation.
A special attraction was Joe Feeney, TV star from the Lawrence Welk show, giving two performances accompanied by Dorothy Purdy. Others speaking at the opening event were Dr. John Hubiak, the Revs. Palmer Sellstrom and Carl Boaz and John Klopstad of Colonial Manors of Sioux City.
The two-day open house drew more than 1,500 visitors. Residents of the community initiated the plan to provide this type of facility by financing through local investment in preferred and common stocks with a first mortgage through Ida County State Bank in Ida Grove and the Livestock National Bank in Sioux City. No federal financing or special grants were solicited or obtained, and the only donations requested were for the chapel to provide for the religious needs of the residents.
Odebolt residents owned the home and, as a private enterprise, paid local real estate taxes along with income taxes to both the state and federal governments. The original home had two wings for 43-residents, a chapel, lounge and dining room. The center core held the offices and nurses’ station. The completed home cost approximately $260,000. A middle wing was added in 1970, bringing the patient capacity to 64 residents. In 1977, the facility provided employment for 45 people.
In 1992, Care Initiatives purchased Colonial Manor Nursing Home. In March 2000, a major remodel was conducted, giving the facility a face lift. A 10-bed assisted living facility was built in 2007.
Today, Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center is a 46-bed skilled nursing facility licensed by the State of Iowa and certified by the federal government and has a four-star rating. The churches of the community contribute to the happiness of the residents by conducting worship services each week. An activity director makes life more enjoyable by taking into consideration the interests of all the residents and planning such activities as movies, crafts and music.
"Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center employs about 45 people in our area with jobs. It would be hard to place a dollar and cents value on the benefits of the home to this community. It will be vital that we prepare for a much more challenging labor market in the future, because the quality of everything that we do rises and falls without front line staff. Retaining qualified, trained, skilled and dedicated staff is essential to doing care well,” said ONRC Administrator Nancy Snyder. “Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center has many of the latest equipment and technology, and recently completed a major remodel to our whirlpool spa room. The ongoing challenge we face is the increasing baby boomer population with decreasing funding and finding a financial balance,” Snyder said.
Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center is owned by Care Initiatives, which is the largest nonprofit, long-term care organization in Iowa.
New name
Snyder said, “In an effort to better align with our sister locations throughout Iowa and to provide a united front as a leading statewide rehabilitation services, skilled nursing care, long term care and hospice organization, we are changing our local name to better reflect the breadth of services we provide. We retain the same ownership and management team.
“Like most post-acute care providers, Odebolt Specialty Care offers rehabilitation services, skilled nursing care, long-term care and hospice care, all under one roof. For most post-acute care providers, gone are the days of just being a ‘nursing home.’ While caring for elderly residents of our community is still a main focus of the service we provide, our industry has changed. Healthcare and resident care have changed. We continue to change with it.” Snyder said.
“Care Initiatives has grown over the years. To reflect our modern services and forward-thinking goals, our brand must change as well. But, while our look may be changing, our values remain the same. We will always treat our patients, residents and their families with compassion, dignity and respect. And, with a strong unified brand, we are better able to serve Iowans in our communities.
“Care Initiatives provides compassionate, transitional health care to Iowans at all walks of life. We help patients and residents achieve their highest level of independence and quality of life, and we care for their families’ well being as well. We are committed to providing compassionate, dignified and custom care for Iowans through rehabilitation services, skilled nursing care, long term care and Hospice care. We currently serve more than 3,000 Iowans through 44 nursing homes, eight assisted living locations and four independent living units. Our home office is located in West Des Moines.”
Mission statement
Improving quality of life for Iowans and their families during life’s health transitions through compassionate, individualized care.
Core values
• Commit to continuously improve quality in everything we do.
• Demonstrate compassion, integrity, respect and dignity in all interactions.
• Compassionately serve others and their needs as defined by them.
• Cultivate a culture of skill development and personal growth among all staff.
• Recognize the power of teamwork to make effective, efficient and transparent decisions.
• Commit to consistency and excellence in all processes.
“I want to thank our community for the support we continually receive from volunteers, school children, businesses, and families and friends of our residents. We are proud to be part of this community,” said Snyder.
