Nursing home · Top rated by CMS
Knute Nelson Care Center
420 12Th Avenue East, Alexandria, MN 56308 · Map
Non profit - Corporation · 83 certified beds
Knute Nelson Care Center is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Alexandria, Minnesota. CMS rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall (5/5 for staffing, 4/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 4.13 hours per resident per day, below the Minnesota average of 4.23. Its most recent inspection on Mar 5, 2025 cited 3 deficiencies.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Knute Nelson Care Center compares
This facility vs. the Minnesota and national averages, from CMS data. For staffing, higher is generally better; for turnover and deficiencies, lower is better.
| Metric | This facility | Minnesota avg | National avg | Compared with the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 4.13 | 4.23 | 3.89 | below avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 1.01 | 1.06 | 0.68 | below avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.27 | 2.55 | 2.34 | below avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 37.8% | 42.4% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 3.0 | 8.0 | 9.5 | below avg |
Staffing
Hours per resident per day as reported to CMS. Higher numbers indicate more direct care time.
Staff turnover
Lower turnover typically indicates better working conditions and continuity of care. National average for nursing staff is 46.4%.
Recent health inspection
CMS inspects nursing facilities regularly. Deficiencies are categorized by severity.
What inspectors found at Knute Nelson Care Center
Specific deficiencies cited in recent CMS health inspections, most recent first. Severity follows the CMS scope/severity scale. Source: CMS Care Compare.
- Potential for harm
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Mar 5, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Mar 5, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Mar 5, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Infection Control Deficiencies · May 22, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · May 22, 2024 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · May 22, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · May 22, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · May 22, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · May 22, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Sep 22, 2023 - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Jul 13, 2023 - Potential for harm
Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · Apr 19, 2023
Read the full inspection reports on Medicare.gov Each inspection there has a “Read the full report” link with the inspectors’ written findings.
About this facility
- Address
- 420 12Th Avenue East
Alexandria, MN 56308 - CMS certification #
- 245435
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Certified beds
- 83
- Avg residents/day
- 64.3
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1987-02-01
- Setting
- Rural
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Knute Nelson Care Center using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Website says Respite stays, works with hospice
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What Knute Nelson Care Center says about itself, quoted from its own site. We have not checked these claims against licensing records. Ask about each one on a tour.
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Alomere Health, Alexandria. 0.5 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 4 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Bethany On The Lake LLC, Alexandria. 0.8 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Vivie Home Health, Alexandria. 3.1 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Walgreens. 0.4 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 56308 as micropolitan (micropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Fresenius Kidney Care Douglas County, Alexandria, 0.5 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 5 of 5 stars)
- Hospice
- 16 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 56308.
Horizon Public Health, office in Alexandria, 0.6 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 5 of 5 stars)
Moments Hospice Of Alexandria LLC, office in Alexandria, 0.6 miles away, straight line
Vivie Hospice, office in Alexandria, 3.1 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Allina Health System, Annandale. 74.3 miles away, straight line. 2 geriatric medicine doctors listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard risk
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively low. By hazard: inland flooding relatively low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively moderate, heat wave relatively low, earthquake very low. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
What we checked
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here very low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| The community’s own website | See above |
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Frequently asked questions
Is Knute Nelson Care Center a good nursing home?
CMS gives Knute Nelson Care Center an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, including 5/5 for staffing and 4/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Knute Nelson Care Center staffed?
Knute Nelson Care Center reports 4.13 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Minnesota average of 4.23.
Has Knute Nelson Care Center had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 3 deficiencies.
How many beds does Knute Nelson Care Center have?
Knute Nelson Care Center is certified for 83 beds.