Memorial Care Center- Belleville Mem Hosp in Belleville, IL

Pros

• They describe Memorial Care Center as providing excellent, compassionate care from nurses and aides.
• They report the staff as friendly, caring, and forming meaningful connections with residents.
• They praise the physical and occupational therapy teams for their skill and encouragement.
• They note the meals are great and the facility is clean and well organized.
• They commend the facility's teamwork and coordinated approach to discharge planning and aftercare.
• They emphasize the supportive services, including social workers and recreation therapy, contributed to a positive experience.
• They would highly recommend Memorial Care Center to others for rehabilitative and skilled nursing care.

Cons

• The food was horrible, cold, hard and stale, and the care service was described as even worse.
• Four patients were sharing one bathroom and two were sharing one small TV, which felt impractical for a facility.
• The techs were horrible, understaffed, and hateful, with patients ignored and mistreated.
• The nursing staff were inadequate, understaffed, disorganized, abrupt, and rude, with medication delays and errors.
• Patients waited 30?60 minutes to use the restroom, and pain medications were not given on the prescribed schedule.
• The facility's standard of care reportedly dropped after being bought by Bethesda, and some questioned why it should still be called Memorial Care Center.
• The reviewers would not recommend MCC and urged others to seek care elsewhere.
• There was poor communication and lack of follow-up, including failure to contact the reviewer after issues.
• Personal items like dentures were lost or unsecured, with conflicting explanations from MCC and Memorial ER.

Review

Memorial Care Center in Belleville is best suited for seniors who need skilled nursing with a strong emphasis on rehabilitation and discharge readiness after surgery, stroke, or other periods of deconditioning. When the therapy team is fully staffed, the combination of skilled nursing care and aggressive PT/OT translates into tangible mobility gains and a clear pathway back home. The facility tends to shine as a rehab hub where patients repeatedly report supportive therapists, attentive aides, and cohesive care planning. It is less compelling for those who require steady, long-term custodial care or who demand consistently flawless daily nursing responsiveness, because experiences there are notably variable.

Those weighing alternatives should consider facilities with consistently high daily staffing ratios and proven reliability in routine care. If the priority is predictable bedside assistance, prompt pain management, and immediate hygiene support, other SNFs may offer more stable day-to-day operations. For families seeking long-term memory or end-of-life care, or for patients who prefer a consistently calm, smoothly run environment without large turnover or ownership transitions, exploring options elsewhere is prudent. In short, MCC can be exceptional for short rehab trajectories, but risk tolerance should be aligned with expectations about daily nursing consistency.

On the plus side, the rehab program at Memorial Care Center frequently earns top marks. The nurses and aides who are present tend to be compassionate and capable, with many reviewers praising the combination of physical and occupational therapy as the engine of recovery. When therapy is the focus, patients describe meaningful progress, stronger balance, and greater independence, often accompanied by thorough discharge coordination and help securing home health services. The kitchen and overall cleanliness also receive compliments in several cases, reinforcing that the setting supports recovery with decent meals and a pleasant environment.

However, a material portion of reviews flag serious drawbacks tied to staffing and coordination. Instances of understaffing, inconsistent nurse and tech responsiveness, and communication gaps appear repeatedly, sometimes culminating in patient safety concerns or missed treatments. Specific anecdotes include delays in basic hygiene assistance, late medication administration, and even misplacement or loss of personal items. Such experiences tend to erode trust and overshadow therapy gains, making the stay feel fragile. Families should weigh these risks against the rehab benefits, recognizing that outcomes can hinge on which shift, unit, or care team is on duty.

Many reviews also hint that changes in ownership or management have affected care quality, with some families attributing declines to the Bethesda transition. The picture is not uniform: some patients still report state-of-the-art facilities and a team that goes above and beyond, while others feel the system slows down, loses momentum, and becomes hard to navigate. It is essential to verify current leadership, confirm staffing levels, and request candid conversations with the director of nursing or care coordinators before choosing MCC. A prospective resident should also ask to observe a therapy session and to review a concrete care plan and discharge timeline.

In deciding for Memorial Care Center, families should anchor the choice to rehab goals and risk tolerance. For those who want dramatic therapy-driven improvement and efficient discharge planning, MCC offers a solid path when the team is intact. For anyone prioritizing consistent daily nursing care, predictable responsiveness, and a uniformly smooth routine, alternatives may be wiser. The prudent approach is to visit, interview staff, review recent patient families' experiences, and verify unit-specific performance. When aligned with a robust rehab focus and a care team known for coordination, Memorial Care Center can be a decisive, life-changing step toward returning home.

This part of Belleville, Illinois offers a convenient location with easy access to medical facilities such as Memorial Hospital and St Elizabeth's Hospital. There are multiple physicians in the area, including specialists in orthopedics and neurosciences. Pharmacies such as CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens are within close proximity for easy medication needs. Additionally, there are various dining options nearby, including Rally's and Belleville Pancake House. For leisure activities, residents can visit parks like Longacre Park or enjoy a movie at O'Fallon Cinema. Overall, this area provides a range of amenities and services that cater to the needs of seniors looking for a comfortable and convenient living environment.

Hospitals

• Memorial Hospital (0.1 miles)
• St Elizabeth's Hospital (3.1 miles)
• Touchette Regional Hospital (5 miles)
• Physical Therapy Center of Belleville (5.1 miles)

Physicians

• Dr Bhutto, MD (0.1 miles)
• David Craig Norman (0.2 miles)
• Association of Childcare Physicians (0.2 miles)
• Illinois Medicine Southern Md Belleville (0.2 miles)
• The Center for Orthopedic and Neurosciences at Memorial (0.2 miles)
• Belleville Imaging (0.6 miles)
• Dermassociates (1.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.6 miles)
• Genoa Health Care (1 miles)
• Schnucks Belleville W. Floral (1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.1 miles)
• Copper Bend Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• Schnucks (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Rally's (0.6 miles)
• Demo's Sports Bar (0.7 miles)
• Belleville Pancake House (0.8 miles)
• Fletcher's Kitchen & Tap (1 miles)
• Spike's Pub & Grub (1 miles)
• Qdoba Mexican Eats (1.7 miles)
• White Castle (1.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Henry's Catholic Church (0.7 miles)

Parks

• Longacre Park (2.8 miles)
• East End City Park (3.8 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (4.7 miles)
• Starbucks (5.1 miles)

Theaters

• O'Fallon Cinema O'Fallon, Il (4.9 miles)