The history of county-provided long term care services goes back to the 1870s and the Houghton County Infirmary. Michigan Public Act 280, adopted in 1939, provided for the creation of county medical care facilities, directing for the care of aged of the county without regard to their ability to pay.
This historical facility was located west of Houghton and operated at this site until 1968. As long term care services continued to evolve, the county determined that a new, up-to-date site was necessary. In 1966, the county obtained the state tuberculosis sanatorium building in Hancock. This building, originally built in 1951, was renovated to suit long-term care services, and was occupied by the Houghton County Medical Care Facility in 1968. In 1970 the facility was expanded to its current size of 197 beds.
The facility has undergone many upgrades in the past 30-plus years. There have been a number of resident service enhancements, as well. In 1999 the facility underwent a major change with the addition of a new 28-bed special needs unit which was added to meet the needs of residents who have dementia related disease. In 2004 the facility completed a $3 million renovation, upgrading to a modern, home-like facility.
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