Fonda Nursing & Rehab Ctr

Pros

• The staff at Fonda are dedicated and kind.
• Great care is provided by great people.
• The staff are rock stars.
• Connie and her team care very much for the residents.

Cons

• The facility is described as unsafe and unclean for residents.
• Residents were not kept clean, with feces on jeans and crusted food on shirts, and clothes were not washed the next day.
• There were multiple falls with no notification to the family.
• It was upsetting to visit and find the resident in pain and bruised.
• It took four days to obtain a urine specimen, and septic illness was attributed to a lack of care.
• The administration was useless and did not return calls or meet in person when requested.
• After the resident's death, money, new shoes, and gifts were missing from the room.
• Activities for residents were severely limited, with little daily mental or emotional stimulation.
• Visiting was difficult due to a lack of seating.
• The facility has bed bugs, and management is described as uncaring about staff and residents, despite claims of "quality care."
• The operation appears to care more about money than the safety and needs of residents.

Review

A look at the collection of reviews about Fonda Care reveals a striking split in experiences. Some families describe a facility that fell far short of basic expectations for safety, cleanliness, and timely communication, while others recount positive interactions with staff who they say are caring and dedicated. Taken together, the notes paint a picture of a place where care quality seems to depend heavily on who is providing it and when, leaving potential visitors and families with mixed impressions.

One deeply troubling account centers on a father-in-law who moved in during late 2023 for what was intended to be a yearlong stay. According to the reviewer, his condition and daily care deteriorated in ways that are hard to reconcile with the idea of "quality care." The reviewer describes him not being clean - poop on his jeans and crusted food on his shirt - yet notes that the clothes he wore the next day appeared unchanged and not washed. They recount multiple falls with little or no notification to the family, which heightened a sense of danger and concern for his safety. The medical lapses are highlighted as well: a urinary tract infection was allowed to progress, and the resident became septic because proper care and oversight were not provided. Despite requests, it allegedly took four days to obtain a necessary specimen, a delay that the family attributes to a broader pattern of neglect.

Communication with administration is portrayed as a major hurdle. The reviewer specifically criticizes the administrative staff during fall 2024 as "useless," noting that calls were not returned and in-person meetings were difficult to arrange because the administrator was unavailable. The issues extend beyond physical health to the emotional and environmental quality of living at the facility. After the father's death, when the family went to clean out his room, they claim to have found missing items from his billfold - the $60 he had - along with new shoes and several gifts from the kids and grandchildren. The overall atmosphere is described as lacking in stimulating activities for residents, with visitors facing the frustration of scarce seating and limited opportunities to engage with or accompany loved ones during visits.

The negative narrative is also reinforced by the claim that bed bugs were present, a problem the reviewer asserts was not adequately addressed by management. There is a blunt assertion that the facility's stated emphasis on "quality care" contradicted what the reviewer saw firsthand: a sense that the organization cared more about money than meeting residents' essential needs. The combination of alleged inadequate cleanliness, insufficient safety monitoring, unresolved medical concerns, missing belongings, and limited activities adds up in this reviewer's view to a troubling overall picture of care.

Against these darker accounts, other voices offer a much more optimistic perspective about the staff and the care environment. One commenter, who expresses hesitation about judging a place they have not personally visited, ultimately shares a nursing-student viewpoint that airway management in distress isn't as complex as it might seem - implying that attentive staff could handle emergency situations effectively. This line of thought is reinforced by praise for the people on the ground: "Great care provided by great people," with the staff described as dedicated and kind. The tone shifts from caution to admiration as the writer emphasizes the compassion and commitment they've observed from the team in practice.

Another positive note appears in a separate message that simply thanks the staff for their dedication. The sentiment is straightforward and heartfelt: "Appreciate all the staff! They are rock stars!!!" Such remarks echo a refrain found in other comments, where residents' families or visitors express gratitude for the day-to-day efforts of caregivers who go above and beyond to support residents. In these endorsements, names like Connie and her team are singled out as showing genuine care and concern for the residents, suggesting that there are caregivers there who make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

Taken together, the collection of reviews presents a nuanced and sometimes contradictory portrait of Fonda Care. On one end, there are harrowing stories of neglect, poor hygiene, safety lapses, delays in medical responses, missing belongings, and insufficient activity and engagement for residents. On the other end, there are voices of gratitude and admiration for staff members who are described as kind, dedicated, and capable of delivering meaningful, compassionate care. This juxtaposition underscores the importance for prospective families to conduct their own, careful assessment when evaluating care options: ask about staffing levels and training, probe how falls and medical concerns are monitored and communicated, and seek out multiple family experiences to form a balanced view of what life at the facility is really like. The range of experiences here serves as a reminder that nursing homes can vary widely in quality from one moment to the next, and that the human element - how staff respond in an emergency, how they treat residents daily, and how they communicate with families - often determines the overall impression as much as formal policies and ratings.

This part of Fonda, Iowa, offers a variety of amenities and services that may appeal to seniors looking for a peaceful and convenient place to live. There are multiple healthcare facilities in close proximity, including nursing homes, hospitals, and physician offices. Places of worship are also easily accessible for those who value spirituality in their daily lives. Additionally, there are several dining options ranging from cafes to restaurants serving a variety of cuisines. For recreation and leisure, residents can visit nearby parks or catch a movie at the local theater. Transportation options are available for those who may not drive, such as taxi services or U-Haul rentals. Overall, this area provides a mix of essential services and entertainment options for seniors looking to settle down in Fonda.

Hospitals

• Fonda Nursing & Rehab Center (0 miles)
• Trimark Physicians Group (0.4 miles)
• Trimark Physicians Group (8.3 miles)
• Park View Care Center (13.3 miles)
• Loring Hospital (13.5 miles)
• Trimark Physicians Group (13.5 miles)
• Pocahontas Community Hospital (13.6 miles)

Cafes

• Hwy 7 Cafe (0.2 miles)
• Tea With Lillian (13.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Siouxland Youth Ministries (5.8 miles)
• BSMNewell (7.4 miles)
• Elfsborg Lutheran Church (8.2 miles)
• Immanuel Lutheran Church (8.2 miles)
• Bethel Baptist Church (8.3 miles)
• Evangelical Covenant Church (8.5 miles)
• P-Cov (8.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Sportsters Newell (8.3 miles)
• Palmer House (12.7 miles)
• Godfathers Pizza (12.7 miles)
• Family Table of Pocahontas (13.1 miles)
• Subway (13.1 miles)
• Udder Cow (13.2 miles)
• Hutch's Cafe (13.2 miles)

Parks

• Parks of Iowa Lc (8.8 miles)
• Twin Lakes State Park West (12.3 miles)
• Featherstone Memorial County Park (12.7 miles)
• Twin Lakes State Park West (13.1 miles)
• Featherstone Park (13.1 miles)
• Heritage Park (13.6 miles)
• Elbert Park (13.8 miles)

Transportation

• Mikes Taxidermy (11.3 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (11.9 miles)
• United Airlines (14.7 miles)

Physicians

• Hearing Unlimited (13.2 miles)
• Trimark Clinic Sac City (13.5 miles)
• Trimark Physicians Group (17.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Sac City Drug (13.6 miles)

Theaters

• Rialto Theatre (13.6 miles)