2 Caring Hands IV in Apple Valley, MN

Pros

• The family was very thankful that their loved one was at Two Caring Hands in Lakeville, MN.
• Everyone was very nice.
• All their requests were met.
• They made it a home setting.
• The staff at Two Caring Hands did a great job.
• Two Caring Hands is a place where loved ones are treated like family and cared for.
• Three showers per week were provided as requested.

Cons

• The facility is reportedly plagued by running out of food and safety incidents like a resident pulling a knife and starting a fire.
• The staff are said to be mostly relatives or not speak enough English to communicate effectively.
• A resident allegedly pulled a knife on an employee and started a small fire, with the resident remaining at a different house.
• An employee is claimed to have injured the mother during a lift, breaking her wheelchair and a shelf of dolls.
• The night staff were overheard yelling at and demeaning a resident, with the management seeming indifferent.
• The RN supposedly misrepresented the mother’s condition, leading to hospital admission for sepsis.
• A morbidly obese resident reportedly required a hoyer lift with only one staff, resulting in multiple falls and a cover-up by the owners.
• Another resident died after receiving the wrong medication.
• Transfers allegedly require waiting for one of the sisters or their husbands to come to the house.
• Staff are said to sleep at night and bring boyfriends or random friends to the home.
• Employees are kept for weeks without overtime pay, and communication from the ownership is poor.
• Requests for medical records were met with claims that no records are kept of any services provided.
• Positive reviews are claimed to come from family members who work there.
• The care is described as terrible, with nurses rude and inexperienced and the managers unresponsive.
• The facility is said to have a persistent language barrier, with nurses speaking broken English and spending more time watching TV than assisting residents.
• It is alleged the home lacks staff training, nurse involvement, activities, nutrition, maintenance, and proper medication administration.
• Overall, reviewers strongly discourage placing a loved one there and urge it be shut down.

Review

This community is best suited for families that value a very small, home-like setting and are prepared to take a highly hands-on, vigilant oversight role. The owners' close-knit family structure creates a familiar, intimate atmosphere, which can feel comforting to households seeking a homestead feel rather than a clinical, impersonal facility. However, that same structure carries limited formal safeguards, sparse documented processes, and a reliance on immediate family members to run day-to-day operations. For a resident requiring steady professional oversight, predictable staffing, and robust regulatory compliance, this setting will likely feel fragile and insufficient.

Anyone weighing alternatives should zero in on providers with licensed nursing leadership, consistent English-speaking staff, clear care plans, and verifiable safety record. If a loved one needs regular medical monitoring, complex medication administration, or reliable transfer support, the gaps evident in the current operation become a decisive red flag. Prospective families should compare this home against more formalized assisted living options with certified nurses on site, documented incident reporting, and proactive communication channels. In short, the right choice should reduce risk, not expose a vulnerable adult to avoidable harm.

The principal positives claimed include a truly home-like vibe and a willingness to honor some specific requests, such as accommodating frequency of showers and arranging family visits. One RN with several years of experience was cited in at least one account as contributing a sense of professional expertise, and other postings describe a caring, family-oriented staff culture. Yet these perceived strengths are overwhelmed by recurring, serious red flags: staff who are relatives or who lack clear command of essential communication; episodes of unsafe handling or neglect during transfers; and frequent, high-stakes safety incidents in a setting that appears under-supervised. When combined with reports of poor response to concerns and limited access to medical records, the positive impressions hardly justify exposure to the risks.

The core trade-off, homey atmosphere and flexible caregiving against real and documented safety and care failures, tilts decisively toward caution. The intimate, family-run model can foster warmth and quick, person-centered attention, but it also enables inconsistent staffing, supervisory gaps, and delayed or inadequate medical responsiveness. The risk of medication mistakes, delayed hospital evaluations, and miscommunications about a resident’s condition undermines trust and amplifies anxiety for families. In such a context, any improvement in social interaction or meals fails to offset the potential for serious harm or decline in health.

Before deciding, demand a thorough, proactive verification of licensure status, inspection histories, and current staffing patterns. Ask for recent state inspection reports, any cited deficiencies, and how those deficiencies were corrected. Seek detailed information about on-site nursing presence, daily care plans, medication administration protocols, and incident reporting procedures. Request direct conversations with current residents and their families, observe a shift to gauge responsiveness, and review medical records and care notes for completeness and timeliness. A comparison with nearby facilities that offer licensed nursing staff, better language consistency, and transparent communication will be essential in making a sound, responsible choice.

In sum, this community should be approached with strong safeguards and tempered expectations. For most families, the risks documented in the reviews, staffing instability, communication barriers, potential neglect, and medication concerns, outweigh the appeal of a home-like environment. Alternatives that provide consistent licensed oversight, reliable staffing, and clear accountability will likely offer greater peace of mind and better protection for a loved one’s health and safety. If evaluating this option, proceed only with explicit, verifiable assurances, insist on sight-unseen trial periods, and maintain a ready plan to transition to a higher-regulation setting should concerns resurface.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.5 miles)
• Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute – Apple Valley (2.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.8 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.1 miles)

Cafes

• Caribou Coffee (1.5 miles)
• Starbucks (2.1 miles)
• Panera Bread (2.6 miles)
• Starbucks (2.7 miles)
• Starbucks (3.7 miles)
• Dunn Brothers Coffee (4.2 miles)
• Caribou Coffee (5.8 miles)

Restaurants

• Wendy's (1.6 miles)
• Jersey Mike's (1.9 miles)
• McDonald's (2 miles)
• Taco John's (2 miles)
• Celts Irish Pub and Grill (2 miles)
• Culver's (2.1 miles)
• Culver's (2.4 miles)

Physicians

• Dr Anthony Battaglia (1.7 miles)
• Rosemount Family Physicians (1.9 miles)
• Nystrom & Associates (2.5 miles)
• Sstar-Sports Specific Training & Rehab (3.9 miles)
• Southdale Pediatrics (5.1 miles)
• Fairview Ridges Specialty Care Center (5.3 miles)
• Fairview Ridges Specialty Care Center Park Nicollet Obgyn (5.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Apple Valley Medical Clinic (2.2 miles)
• Fairview Ridges Hospital (5.3 miles)

Theaters

• Jj’s Theatre & Draft House (2.6 miles)
• Emagine Eagan (3.8 miles)

Parks

• Lebanon Hills Regional Park (3.1 miles)
• Bloomfield Park (3.5 miles)
• Foxborough Park (4.1 miles)
• Keller Park (4.3 miles)
• Lac Lavon Park (4.6 miles)
• Greenhaven Park (6.3 miles)
• Central Park (6.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Woodcrest Church (4.2 miles)

Transportation

• Mall of America LRT Station (8.2 miles)