All states › Minnesota › Albert Lea › Thorne Crest Retirement Center
1201 Garfield Avenue Albert Lea, MN 56007 · Freeborn County
All 3 nursing homes in Albert Lea, MN (3 take Medicaid)
CMS certification number 245425 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare
Is Thorne Crest Retirement Center a good nursing home? Reviews, ratings and inspection record
There are no official resident reviews of nursing homes: Medicare's Care Compare publishes inspections, staffing and quality data instead. Here is what that record shows for Thorne Crest Retirement Center as of October 2026.
CMS rates it 1 out of 5 stars overall, below the Minnesota average of 3.2.
Online reviews from families and residents are on Google Maps and other sites; they reflect individual experiences and aren't checked by CMS. The full inspection reports, including what inspectors observed, are on Medicare Care Compare.
Staffing
Nursing staff spend about 3.46 hours per resident per day at Thorne Crest Retirement Center, below the Minnesota median of 4.18 (US median: 3.72). About 0.72 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 2.93 hours, 15% below its all-week average. Ask how weekends are staffed. 77% of nursing staff left within a year (Minnesota median 39.7%). High turnover can mean residents see unfamiliar caregivers; ask how long the nurses on the unit have worked there.
About this nursing home
Paying for care at Thorne Crest Retirement Center: Medicare and Medicaid
Thorne Crest Retirement Center is certified for both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare Part A can cover a short skilled-nursing or rehab stay here after a qualifying hospital stay of at least three inpatient days (observation days don't count), for up to 100 days per benefit period. Medicaid can pay for long-term care for residents who meet Minnesota's income and asset rules. Being certified doesn't guarantee a Medicaid bed is open, so ask whether the home accepts residents whose Medicaid application is still pending.
In 2026 Medicare covers days 1–20 in full after the Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period); for days 21–100 you pay $217 a day; after day 100 you pay all costs. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care. Medicare's coverage rules.
Health inspections
The most recent standard inspection was on January 27, 2026 and found 14 deficiencies, plus 4 from complaint inspections in the same period. In total, inspectors issued 36 citations in the last three years.
Each citation has a scope and severity letter from A to L. A–C: potential for minimal harm. D–F: potential for more than minimal harm. G–I: actual harm. J–L: immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.
What the inspections found
Over the last three years, inspectors issued 36 citations at Thorne Crest Retirement Center across 9 inspection dates, 13 of them from complaint investigations. 2 were at the immediate-jeopardy level (J–L), CMS's most serious category, most recently on December 11, 2024 (complaint inspection). The most common areas cited were quality of life and care (15) and infection control (4). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody" (tag F0600, level K, October 15, 2024). 2 citations were under CMS's abuse, neglect and exploitation rules.
May 20, 2026 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DProvide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
January 27, 2026 · 16 citations · includes complaint inspection
FProvide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
FEnsure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.
FProvide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
FHave a plan that describes the process for conducting QAPI and QAA activities.
FSet up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
FProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
FImplement a program that monitors antibiotic use.
EMake sure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public.
DImmediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
DEnsure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.
DProvide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
DProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
DProvide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
DProvide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
DEnsure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
DProvide or get specialized rehabilitative services as required for a resident.
December 26, 2025 · 1 citation, includes actual harm · includes complaint inspection
GEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
September 18, 2025 · 4 citations · includes complaint inspection
DImmediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
DProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
DProvide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
DProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
December 11, 2024 · 1 citation, includes immediate jeopardy · includes complaint inspection
JEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
November 20, 2024 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DReasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident.
October 15, 2024 · 2 citations, includes immediate jeopardy · includes complaint inspection
KProtect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
DTimely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
May 8, 2024 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
October 26, 2023 · 9 citations
FElectronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
DNot transfer or discharge a resident without an adequate reason; and must provide documentation and convey specific information when a resident is transferred or discharged.
DEnsure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
DDevelop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
DProvide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
DAssist a resident in gaining access to vision and hearing services.
DEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
DProvide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
DProvide care or services that was trauma informed and/or culturally competent.
Questions to ask on a tour of Thorne Crest Retirement Center
- Inspectors cited the home at the immediate-jeopardy level on October 15, 2024 under the rule on freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. What changed afterwards, and can I see the plan of correction?
- CMS cited the home under its abuse and neglect rules on October 15, 2024. How are staff trained, and how are concerns reported?
- Weekend staffing is 15% below the all-week average. Who is on duty on Saturday nights?
- Nursing staff turnover was 77% a year. How many of the staff come from agencies?
- Do you have a Medicaid bed open now, and will you admit someone whose Medicaid application is still pending?
- When is the first care-plan meeting, and can family attend?
Questions come from this home's CMS data: its inspections, staffing and ownership record.
Fines and payment denials
1 penalty in the last three years, including $43,082 in fines.
| Date | Type | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2024 | Fine | $43,082 |
Rating history
| CMS month | Overall | Inspection | Staffing | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| August 2026 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
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Location
Hospitals near Thorne Crest Retirement Center
The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.
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1.1 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea and Austin Albert LeaEmergency room ★★★★★ Medicare overall 5 of 5Median ER visit 2h 4m for patients treated and sent home
Hospital ratings, ER visit times and more at Hospitals In Each State
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Nearby nursing homes
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Higher-rated nursing homes within 10 miles
- Good Samaritan Society - Albert Lea · Albert Lea · 4 stars · 3.0 mi
- St John's on Fountain Lake · Albert Lea · 3 stars · 2.0 mi
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (provider information, health deficiencies, penalties), October 2026. Inspection citations and penalties cover the last three years. Nursing Homes In Each State is independent and not affiliated with CMS or Medicare. About the data · Report a problem with this listing. Is this your nursing home? Feature it here.