Maplewood Care Center - Maplewood

Pros

• Maplewood Care Center provides very good care, with staff who communicate well with families and strive to understand residents.
• The center offers roomy shared rooms and a weekly beautician service.
• The nursing staff, aides, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and supporting staff are competent, happy, helpful, and professional.
• The staff are kind, helpful, and caring toward residents and families.
• The facility features spacious rooms and inviting common areas and is well maintained.
• The activities staff work hard to keep residents entertained, with group events and performances like bingo and concerts.
• Jamie advocates for residents and helps secure better accommodations.

Cons

• The building was old and ugly, with no bright colors.
• The rooms were very dirty and residents had to tell staff to clean them.
• The facility was always short-staffed, with nurses taking 30 minutes or more to respond.
• There were very few activities for residents, and some staff didn’t read patient information, leading to medication errors.
• Staff often said they were the only ones working, requiring families to tell them what to do for their loved ones.
• Administrators, social workers, and nurses were accused of caring more about money than the people they serve, with families pressured to pay out of pocket.
• It took a long time to answer call buttons, sometimes leaving residents waiting.
• Residents were not bathed regularly and the place was filthy.
• The third floor was described as horrendous due to understaffing and poor care.

Review

Maplewood Care Center in Maplewood, Minnesota, is best suited for families seeking a cost-conscious option with dependable access to care in a convenient, suburban setting. It works best for residents who need straightforward daily support, short-term rehab or transitional care after a hospital stay, and for those who can tolerate some variability in staffing and oversight. The community often delivers on basic needs when staff are present, and its location plus modest social programming can provide a reasonable bridge between hospital and home. Those who prioritize a lively, high-end environment or require highly specialized medical oversight will likely want alternatives.

On the plus side, several reviews highlight genuine warmth from care teams and workable communication with families when staffing levels permit. The shared rooms can be surprisingly roomy, and the campus supports simple conveniences like a weekly beautician and regular group activities that help residents stay engaged. The setting offers tree-lined grounds and accessible on-site programming, which can contribute to a sense of normalcy and community for residents who tolerate a modest, unpretentious atmosphere. For families prioritizing predictable routines and essential daily care over luxury, Maplewood can deliver a serviceable baseline experience.

Yet significant red flags recur across multiple accounts. The building is repeatedly described as old and unattractive, with rooms that sometimes feel dirty or run down. Staffing consistency is a chronic concern: frequent reports of being short-handed, long waits for call lights, and delays in nurse or aide response. Medically fragile residents encounter troubling lapses around oversight, including incomplete attention to medications and inconsistent doctor presence. There are concrete, troubling anecdotes about poor communication, inappropriate handling of patients, and insufficient supervision that undermine safety and trust. Several reviews also depict a culture where frontline staff are overwhelmed or under-supported, which further stains day-to-day quality of care.

These serious drawbacks often temper the perceived pros, making the overall value proposition ambiguous. The ability to deliver compassionate care and maintain basic safety hinges on staffing levels and accountable administration, and Maplewood’s mixed staffing picture means outcomes can swing widely from shift to shift. For residents with dementia or other complex medical needs, the risk of inconsistent monitoring and delayed responses becomes a decisive factor. In short, the pros, friendlier interactions, some amenities, and accessible location, do not reliably buffer the dominant cons: under-resourcing, cleanliness issues, and communication gaps that affect every aspect of daily life.

Families considering Maplewood should approach with a plan to safeguard loved ones. If this community is chosen, insist on transparent staffing data, including current nurse-to-resident and aide-to-resident ratios, and require a clear protocol for call-light response and medication administration. Demand a thorough, written plan for addressing any behavioral or medical concerns, and regularly verify room cleanliness and laundry services. Touring with a critical eye for cleanliness, odor, and overall environment, as well as probing how evenings and weekends are staffed, can prevent unpleasant surprises. Consider a trial period or staged transition, with a designated family liaison empowered to escalate concerns to administration.

Ultimately Maplewood Care Center presents a pragmatic option for some families, but not all. It earns its place for budget-conscious caregivers who need a convenient, maintainable setting and can commit to vigilant oversight and advocacy. It should be avoided by those who require consistent, high-touch care, strong clinical oversight, and a facility that maintains a high standard of cleanliness and timely responsiveness. For anyone weighing long-term placement, alternatives with stronger staffing discipline, cleaner facilities, and steadier administrative leadership will usually deliver greater peace of mind and more dependable daily life for a loved one.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.2 miles)
• Chili's Grill & Bar (1.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.3 miles)
• White Castle (1.5 miles)
• Golden Corral (1.5 miles)
• The Dog House Bar and Grill (1.6 miles)
• Osaka Sushi and Hibachi (1.7 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• Walgreens (3.8 miles)
• Target Pharmacy (3.8 miles)
• Walgreens (4.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.2 miles)

Physicians

• Healthpartners Clinics (0.4 miles)
• HealthPartners Clinic (1.1 miles)
• Jacobs Carol RN (1.4 miles)
• Page Graydon T MD (1.4 miles)
• Retina Center (1.7 miles)
• Northern Lights Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine (3.2 miles)
• David Thao, MD (4.5 miles)

Parks

• Casey Lake Park (0.8 miles)
• Rotary Park (1 miles)
• Hazelwood Park (1 miles)
• Harvest Park (1.1 miles)
• Legacy Pines Park (1.6 miles)
• Playcrest Park (1.6 miles)
• Flicek Park (1.9 miles)

Hospitals

• St John's Hospital-Maplewood (1.4 miles)
• Regions Hospital Burn Center (5.3 miles)
• St Joseph's Hospital-St Paul (5.8 miles)
• United Hospital Joint Relacement Center (6.4 miles)
• Woodwinds Health Campus-Woodbury (6.5 miles)

Theaters

• Oakdale Cinema Oakdale, Mn (2.7 miles)
• Alamo Drafthouse Woodbury (6.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Jerome Elementary School (3.3 miles)
• Transfiguration Catholic Church (3.4 miles)
• St Mary of the Lake Church (5.1 miles)
• Cathedral of St Paul (6.2 miles)
• Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (6.4 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (5 miles)

Transportation

• Union Depot (5.4 miles)