Southern Ocean Center on Route 72 West in Manahawkin, New Jersey is a single-story nursing facility with 136 licensed beds and an average of 126 residents, and you'll find both private and semi-private rooms, which are all air-conditioned and have individual climate controls, so things stay comfortable, and they're pet-friendly here, so small pets are allowed, which is nice because some folks really need that company, and they even have beautiful gardens and courtyards to walk in or just sit outside for some fresh air. The center is part of Genesis Healthcare and has been working in New Jersey since 1949, and it takes Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans, and staff here offer skilled nursing, medical, and rehabilitative care for both short stays and longer-term residents, helping people after hospital visits or just if someone needs extra support all the time, and if a family member's away, they can provide respite care, plus they've got memory support and transitional care units to help with recovery or other needs, and you get resources like Powerback Rehabilitation to You, which is their approach to rehab care.
Nurses provide an average of 3.50 nurse hours per resident per day at Southern Ocean Center, although there's a nurse turnover rate of 44.5%, meaning about half the nurses may change each year, but you'll still find a trained team on hand all day and night to help with health monitoring, medication management, and things like IV therapy, wound care, dental care, and more, with on-site nurse practitioners and attending physicians making sure residents get the medical attention they need, and there's outpatient rehab too, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy, especially after things like joint replacement or injuries. Residents have access to pain management, hospice care, palliative care, vision and audiology care, psychiatric care, and dietary support, and there's support for colostomy and TPN if someone needs those services.
There are amenities to help life feel better, like restaurant-style dining rooms, in-room dining, or private dining spaces for visiting family, and complimentary laundry services, salon and barber shop, beauty care, as well as an emergency alert and response system, mail and newspaper service, pharmaceutical delivery, computer and internet access, an alarm system for security, and cable TV, plus comfortable lounge areas, activity rooms, social and wellness programs, events, and all sorts of cultural, educational, and religious activities, so people don't just sit around all day unless that's what they'd prefer. There's even an on-site case manager and discharge planner who helps set up care plans and makes sure everyone knows what to expect.
The center has some problems on its record-there are 25 inspection deficiencies, including six from a May 2, 2024, standard inspection, five of which are related to infection prevention and indicate some violations of federal standards for protecting residents from infections, which is important to be aware of, and there have been deficiencies about resident rights, like not always telling residents and their representatives about transfers or discharges in time or letting them know about their rights to appeal, plus some issues providing pharmacy services and with licensed pharmacists, but these didn't cause actual harm, though they were marked as having potential for more than minimal harm, and some affected only a few residents while others affected more. Still, Southern Ocean Center keeps information about itself available online, belongs to the National Alliance for Care at Home, and has been advocating for elderly and disabled New Jersey residents for many years, and the mix of care options means different people may find what they need, though it's always good to look closely at reports, staffing, and care details before making a decision on any facility.
