Thorne Crest Retirement Center
1201 Garfield Avenue, Albert Lea, MN 56007 · Freeborn County · 52 certified beds · avg 43 residents/day · certified since Feb 1, 1987
Part of chain: AMERICAN BAPTIST HOMES OF THE MIDWEST (6 facilities, chain avg rating 2.3★)
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★☆☆☆☆1/5 · CMS overall rating: 1/5
The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.
Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Dec 11, 2024 · F-0689 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: Dec 8, 2024 (Past Non-Compliance)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, repeated · Oct 15, 2024 · F-0600 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors.
Why it matters: Abuse and neglect cause direct physical and emotional harm and are among the most serious failures a nursing home can have.
Severity (K): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation affected several residents. Among the most serious findings an inspection can produce.
Corrected: Nov 8, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Dec 26, 2025 · F-0689 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.
Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Corrected: Dec 19, 2025 (Past Non-Compliance)
All citations in the current public record (36)
CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.
| Date | Severity | What the facility was cited for |
|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide proper care for pressure ulcers (bedsores) or did not do enough to prevent new ones from forming. Bedsores develop when residents stay in one position too long without help moving. · from a complaint |
| Jan 27, 2026 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not have enough nursing staff each day to meet every resident's needs, or did not have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift. Adequate staffing is one of the strongest predictors of good care. · from a complaint |
| Jan 27, 2026 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not make sure its nurses and nurse aides had the skills and training needed to properly care for every resident. · from a complaint |
| Jan 27, 2026 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not provide pharmacy services that meet each resident's needs, or did not employ or contract with a licensed pharmacist. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not have a written plan describing how it runs its quality improvement program — the ongoing process of finding problems in care and fixing them. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not have a working program to monitor how antibiotics are used. Tracking antibiotic use helps make sure these drugs are given only when needed and remain effective. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not keep its building and grounds safe, functional, clean, and comfortable for residents, staff, and visitors. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility allowed residents to lose the ability to do daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and eating — when there was no medical reason for the decline. Good care helps residents keep the abilities they have. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide safe, appropriate care for residents who need dialysis — the treatment that filters the blood when kidneys fail. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not keep residents free from significant medication errors — such as giving the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or missing a critical medication. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide or arrange specialized rehabilitation services — such as physical, occupational, or speech therapy — for residents who needed them. |
| Dec 26, 2025 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · from a complaint |
| Sep 18, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away. · from a complaint |
| Sep 18, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. · from a complaint |
| Sep 18, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide pharmacy services that meet each resident's needs, or did not employ or contract with a licensed pharmacist. · from a complaint |
| Sep 18, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. · from a complaint |
| Dec 11, 2024 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · from a complaint |
| Nov 20, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not make reasonable adjustments to fit each resident's individual needs and preferences — things like call buttons within reach, preferred wake-up times, or accessible room setups. · from a complaint |
| Oct 15, 2024 | ▲ K · Immediate jeopardy, repeated | The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaint |
| Oct 15, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint |
| May 8, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. · from a complaint |
| Oct 26, 2023 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not electronically submit complete and accurate staffing information to the government, based on payroll and other verifiable records. |
| Oct 26, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility transferred or discharged a resident without a valid reason, or failed to provide the required documentation and information when moving a resident out. |
| Oct 26, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives. |
| Oct 26, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines. |
| Oct 26, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide basic life support, such as CPR, before emergency medical help arrived — care that's required when it matches the doctor's orders and the resident's own written wishes. |
| Oct 26, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not help a resident get vision and hearing services — such as eye exams, glasses, hearing tests, or hearing aids. |
| Oct 26, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. |
| Oct 26, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections. |
| Oct 26, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide care that took into account residents' past trauma or their cultural backgrounds. Care is supposed to be sensitive to what residents have lived through and where they come from. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (1 → 16).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | F |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | K ▲ |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | G ▲ |
| 2026 | 17 | 0 | F |
Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.
Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)
1 fine totaling $43,082.
| Date | Type | Amount / length |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2024 | Fine | $43,082 |
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 4.03 | 4.83 | 3.95 | bottom 17% in Minnesota; top 38% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 1.07 | 1.22 | 0.69 | bottom 45% in Minnesota; top 13% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.68 | 4.27 | 3.50 | bottom 23% in Minnesota; top 34% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.62 | 0.69 | 0.48 | top 47% in Minnesota; top 22% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 72.7 | 42.2 | 45.8 | bottom 6% in Minnesota; bottom 4% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 50.0 | 38.6 | 42.9 | bottom 32% in Minnesota; bottom 39% in the U.S. |
Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 3.76, RN 1.00, weekend 3.43. Staffing rating: 4/5.
Self-reported quality measures
Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.
Quality measures rating: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 2/5 · short-stay residents: 5/5
Who owns this facility
Non profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen, Ryan | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2013 |
| Blatnik, Andrea | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Blatnik, Andrea | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2013 |
| Davidson, Roger | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Ford, Ashley | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Hanson, Phillip | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2013 |
| Johnson, Dorothy | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Johnson, James | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Johnson, Lars | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/05/2023 |
| Killian, George | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Neiman, Ruth | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Peters, Marshall | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2013 |
| Van Der Beek, Bruce | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Vanostram, Steven | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2013 |
| Vaughn-Gray, Stephanie | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Wagoner Ford, Anne | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Whitaker, Bruce | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2013 |
| Wood, Jennifer | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/12/2024 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
- "Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
- "How do you prevent bedsores for residents who can't move themselves, and how often are at-risk residents repositioned?"
- "What is your nurse and aide staffing ratio on each shift, including nights and weekends?"
- "How do you verify that your nurses and aides have the skills to care for residents with needs like my family member's?"
- "How does your pharmacist review residents' medications, and how quickly can you fill new or urgent prescriptions?"
- "How does your quality improvement program work, and can you share a recent example of a problem you found and fixed?"
- "How does your quality committee work, and can you give an example of a problem it recently identified and fixed?"
- "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
- "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"
Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)
| Facility | Distance | City | Overall | Inspection | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Johns on Fountain Lake | 2.0 mi | Albert Lea, MN | ★★★☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Good Samaritan Society - Albert Lea | 3.0 mi | Albert Lea, MN | ★★★★☆ | 3/5 | |
| Lutheran Retirement Home | 15.8 mi | Northwood, IA | ★★★☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| New Richland Care Center | 17.7 mi | New Richland, MN | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Sacred Heart Care Center | 18.2 mi | Austin, MN | ★★☆☆☆ | 3/5 | |
| Lake Mills Care Center | 18.5 mi | Lake Mills, IA | ★★★★☆ | 3/5 | |
| St Marks Living | 18.9 mi | Austin, MN | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | |
| Parkview Care Center | 19.3 mi | Wells, MN | ★★★☆☆ | 2/5 |
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Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 245425.