Bethel Home & Services
About our extraordinary, faith-based elder care
Bethel Home and Services was built as a retirement home sponsored by 32 Lutheran churches within a 25 mile radius of the rural county seat of Viroqua, Wisconsin. The original home was built in 1955 as a place where people could come together for congregate retirement living.
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By 1968, additions to the building made room for over 100 residents. The "home" eventually became a skilled nursing facility with Medicaid certification and a Director of Nursing appointed in 1972.
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In 1984, Bethel Home and Services began to offer community services. The first community-based group home was opened. The next year, the Care Cove Adult Day Care was opened, and Bethel Home and Services began Helping Hands Supportive and Personal Home Care. Both of these programs have been a vital part of the continuing care offered by Bethel Home and Services for over 30 years. Transportation Services also became a deeply important service offered to the residents and patients served in the continuum of care.
In 1991, Bethel began building Birchwood, a retirement neighborhood of twin homes with maintenance services. Thirty accessible homes are now occupied by people who may have otherwise had difficulty staying in their own homes.
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Additional group homes and independent apartments were opened in Westby, Cashton, La Farge, and Coon Valley in the following years.
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In 1996, Bethel Home became Medicare certified and began offering rehabilitation services. People came to Bethel Home to receive therapy and return to their own homes or assisted living. The Rehab Center was further developed in 2005 to offer fully furnished Rehab Suites for short-term stays at Bethel Home.
In 1999, Eldergarden was developed as a secure, dementia-specific unit to accommodate the growing population of memory care residents within Bethel Home. Bethel Home and Services also built Maplewood Terrace, the first residential care apartment complex in Viroqua. An addition to this complex in 2004 brought the total number of apartments to 52.
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Also in 2004, the group home in Westby was converted to be used as Bethel Butikk, a volunteer-operated food pantry and thrift shop which provides mission assistance to individuals and families in need in Vernon County and surrounding areas.
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In 2015, the Bethel Oaks Memory Care Home opened for people with Alzheimer's or other dementia to live in a secure, homelike setting.
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Become part of Bethel Home and Services continued story of compassion and extraordinary elder care, guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ. We invite you to learn more about the wonderful opportunities for residents, volunteers, donors and employees through Bethel Home & Services' many ministries.
