Heritage Manor-Springfield, located at 900 N. Rutledge St., has long served as a retirement home and senior living community since 1985, offering choices like independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing for seniors, putting special focus on people needing extra care such as those with Alzheimer's and dementia, and also providing respite care as a short-term relief option for caregivers. The facility has 178 beds and, up until closure, functioned as Springfield's second-largest nursing home, with most patients using Medicaid and Medicare to pay for services, and was managed in partnership between nonprofit Memorial Health and the for-profit Heritage Operating Group, sharing resources with other Heritage-run places like Regency Care in Springfield and The Villas Senior Care Community in Sherman.
Over the years, Heritage Manor-Springfield has provided many senior services-help with daily activities, medication reminders, prepared meals, laundry services, house cleaning, social and activity programs, and specialized care for Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss, with staff trained in state-approved certification programs for caregivers and dementia needs. The place has had both independent-living communities for active seniors and assisted living for those who need more day-to-day support, along with round-the-clock on-site supervision and ongoing nursing care, wound care, rehabilitation, and hospice when needed.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the home faced serious challenges with staffing shortages, financial strains from inadequate Medicaid payments, and a sharp 41% rise in labor costs, while COVID caused infections among 111 staff and residents and sadly 19 deaths since 2020, all of which pushed daily occupancy down from about 140-150 in earlier years. Because of these hardships, a joint decision with Memorial Health led to a plan to close the facility on December 17, 2023, with care to help residents transition to other places and job offers provided for staff at other Heritage facilities, like Regency Care. Heritage Manor also earned attention for their friendly, joyful staff and for programs that encourage social, physical, and mental engagement, with meal programs that emphasize nutritious, quality ingredients. While it's closing, Heritage Manor-Springfield has played an important part in the senior care community, providing a home-like setting and specialized care for seniors for nearly four decades.
