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                                                                      Exhibit 5
                                 August 15, 2001


Manor Care, Inc.
333 North Summit Street
Toledo, Ohio 43604-2607

                  Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8 with respect to
                      4,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
                      ----------------------------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  This will refer to the preparation and filing by Manor Care,
Inc. (the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), of a
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") relating to
the issuance by the Company of 4,000,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock,
par value $.01 per share (the "Shares"), pursuant to the Equity Incentive Plan
of Manor Care, Inc.

                  In my capacity as General Counsel of the Company, I am
familiar with the proceedings taken and proposed to be taken by the Company in
connection with the authorization, issuance and sale of the Shares, and for the
purposes of this opinion, have assumed such proceedings will be timely completed
in the manner presently proposed. In addition, I have made such legal and
factual examinations and inquiries, including an examination of originals or
copies certified or otherwise identified to my satisfaction of such documents,
corporate records and instruments, as I have deemed necessary or appropriate for
purposes of this opinion.

                  In my examination, I have assumed the genuineness of all
signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to me as originals and
the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to me
as copies.

                  Subject to the foregoing, it is my opinion that the Shares
have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered pursuant to the Plan,
and when the Registration Statement shall have become effective, will be legally
issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable.

                  I consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to me contained under the heading
"Interests of Named Experts and Counsel."

                                                     Very truly yours,


                                                     /s/ R. Jeffrey Bixler
                                                     R. Jeffrey Bixler
                                                     Vice President, General
                                                     Counsel and Secretary