Suite Living of Spring Lake Park

Pros

• The family appreciated the cleanliness, staff, and friendliness during their tour of Suite Living of Spring Lake Park.
• The facility provides great activities for residents during the week.
• The family noticed improvements in care after a rough start at the new facility.
• Staff members took the time to know the residents personally when given the opportunity.
• The family's experience with activities during the week offered opportunities for engagement and enjoyment.

Cons

• The facility lacked adequate care for daily tasks, such as washing, shaving, and changing Depends.
• Family meetings with management did not result in any changes to the inadequate level of care.
• The head nurse relied on aides who failed to read resident reports, leading to mismanagement of care.
• Medications were improperly dispensed, resulting in confusion and eventually running out of essential medications.
• The last days of the resident's life were described as horrific and distressing due to lack of proper care.
• There were insufficient staff members available during nights and weekends for a high number of residents.
• Weekend activities for residents were rated poorly, leading to boredom and lack of engagement.
• Scheduled showers for residents were neglected, requiring family members to provide personal care instead.

Review

The experience of caring for elderly loved ones often becomes a crucial and emotionally charged endeavor, especially when their health deteriorates to a stage that requires significant care beyond basic necessities. One family shared the heartbreaking narrative of their father's brief stint at an assisted living facility, where they quickly discovered that the level of care provided fell drastically short of their expectations. Despite needing assistance with daily tasks such as personal hygiene—washing his face, shaving, brushing teeth, cleaning dentures, and timely changes to adult diapers—the aides seemed overwhelmed or ill-equipped to provide the necessary support. Family meetings with management yielded little change in the situation, leaving the family feeling frustrated and helpless.

The inadequacy of staff training became painfully evident when the family’s father was nearing the end of his life. The aides demonstrated a concerning lack of knowledge regarding medication administration; they confused medications and ultimately ran out of crucial prescriptions. This compounded an already distressing situation and highlighted serious shortcomings within the facility's operations. The head nurse, who should have been responsible for ensuring proper care protocols were followed, could not rectify these issues effectively. As their father's final days approached, he experienced great discomfort marked by physical distress and emotional pain—a tragic reality that robbed his family of a peaceful farewell.

Compounding these challenges was the apparent lack of sufficient staffing during nights and weekends at this particular facility. With only two staff members available to supervise 34 residents on weekends, it was no surprise that many residents felt neglected and isolated. At $10,000 per month for assisted living services, families expect not just adequate but exemplary care for their loved ones—a promise this facility failed to keep.

In contrast to this disheartening experience is another account from a family exploring a memory care option at Suite Living in Spring Lake Park. While they found much to appreciate during their tour—including cleanliness, attentive staff members, and an overall sense of friendliness—their satisfaction waned when evaluated over time concerning weekend activities for residents. While weekday programs were well-organized and engaging, weekends proved rather dull as residents often spent long hours confined to their rooms amid limited social interaction or structured activities.

This disparity has caused frustration among families seeking consistent engagement opportunities for their loved ones with dementia or other cognitive impairments. Residents may need constant encouragement and occasional reminders—tasks that need focused attention from caregivers who are present and attentive throughout all days of the week. Without adequate coverage from staff during off-peak hours or thoughtful planning for weekend engagement activities, residents risk boredom instead of benefiting from enriching experiences meant to stimulate both mind and spirit.

As uplifting as some aspects appear at Suite Living during weekdays might be—recognizing good intentions is important—issues relating to oversight on weekends remain glaringly evident in user reviews being reflective thoughts from concerned families seeking proactive engagements with facilities designed explicitly for memory care needs. For instance, one poignant example is how one relative noted her mother was scheduled for showering every Thursday but had been overlooked on several occasions until another family member visited her later in the evening to assist her personally instead.

The collective insights reflect an essential theme: while families desperately seek places promising compassion-filled care tailored towards individual needs in nostalgia’s twilight years—a delicate time requiring both patience amidst frailty—they also advocate significantly improved staffing responsiveness across various operational aspects if true harmony exists genuinely within any given residential environment intended primarily for older citizens facing dignity-targeted vulnerabilities navigated alongside aging transitions ahead peacefully toward serenity without added burdens left unaided through mere oversight alone.

The area of Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, surrounding Unity Hospital offers convenient access to essential amenities for senior living. Nearby physician offices such as Aesthetic Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Fairview Fridley Clinic provide comprehensive medical care. Places of worship like Fridley United Methodist Church and North Heights Lutheran Church offer spiritual support. Pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy are easily accessible for medication needs. Restaurants like Route 47 Pub And Grub and cafes like Starbucks provide dining options close by. Parks such as Silverwood Park and Twin Lake Beach Park offer opportunities for outdoor recreation, while the AMC Coon Rapids 16 theater provides entertainment options. Overall, this area offers a diverse range of services within a short distance, making it a convenient and attractive option for senior living.

Hospitals

• Unity Hospital (0.4 miles)

Physicians

• Aesthetic Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (0.7 miles)
• Fairview Fridley Clinic (1.1 miles)
• Eye Care Center (1.4 miles)
• Northtown Mall (2 miles)
• Eyeklinic of Edinburgh (2.7 miles)
• Fairview Clinics (2.8 miles)
• Cardiovascular Systems (3.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Fridley United Methodist Church (0.9 miles)
• North Heights Lutheran Church (4.4 miles)
• Ephiphany Catholic Church (5.8 miles)
• Elim Church Center (6.3 miles)
• Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (6.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2.7 miles)
• Park Nicollet Clinic (3.4 miles)
• Walgreens (4.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Route 47 Pub And Grub (1 miles)
• Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet (1.3 miles)
• McDonald's (2 miles)
• McDonald's (2.3 miles)
• Cowboy Jack's (2.8 miles)
• Culver's (4.2 miles)
• Arby's (4.2 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (3.7 miles)
• Starbucks (4.6 miles)
• Caribou Coffee (4.7 miles)
• Caribou Coffee (5.3 miles)
• Starbucks (6 miles)

Parks

• Silverwood Park (3.9 miles)
• Pinebrook Park (4.1 miles)
• Twin Lake Beach Park (5.7 miles)
• Snail Lake Regional Park (6.8 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Coon Rapids 16 (3.9 miles)