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NEWS RELEASE

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                   HEALTH CARE AND RETIREMENT CORPORATION AND
           MANOR CARE, INC. ANNOUNCE STOCKHOLDER APPROVALS OF MERGER

TOLEDO, Oh. and GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- Sept. 24, 1998 -- Health Care and 
Retirement Corporation (NYSE-HCR) and Manor Care, Inc. (NYSE-MNR) announced 
that at separate special meetings of their respective stockholders held today 
that the stockholders of HCR approved the Amended and Restated Agreement and 
Plan of Merger by and among HCR, Manor Care and Catera Acquisition Corp., a 
wholly owned subsidiary of HCR and the transactions contemplated by the Merger 
Agreement, and the stockholders of Manor Care approved the Merger Agreement and 
the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. As a result of the 
Merger, Manor Care will become a wholly owned subsidiary of HCR. The combined 
company will immediately be renamed HCR Manor Care, Inc. The shares of HCR 
Manor Care will continue to trade under the symbol HCR.

HCR and Manor Care anticipate that the Merger will be consummated on Friday, 
Sept. 25, 1998. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, each share of Manor 
Care Common Stock will be exchanged for one share of HCR Manor Care Common 
Stock as soon as reasonably practicable after the consummation of the Merger.

The above statements include forward-looking statements. HCR and Manor Care 
caution investors that any forward-looking statements made by either of them 
are not guarantees of future performance. Numerous factors exist which in some 
cases have caused, and in the future may cause, results to differ materially
from such forward-looking statements.
        
Contact: Geoffrey G. Meyers of Health Care & Retirement Corporation, 
419-252-5345; or Kimberly A. Holland of Manor Care, Inc., 310-979-4000; or 
Daniel H. Burch, 212-929-5748, or Larry Dennedy, 212-929-5239, both of 
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.