Augustana Emerald Crest II in Shakopee, MN

Pros

• The care model is unique and tailored for residents.
• Emerald Crest Shakopee served as a loving final home for almost three years.
• Residents are cared for with dignity and affection.
• The clinical staff are caring and communicative.
• The staff treat residents with patience, kindness, and dignity, and maintain open communication with families.
• Pastor Arlen provides meaningful spiritual care and quickly becomes a friend and source of support for residents.
• Pastor Arlen Solem contributes to excellent care across Emerald Crest locations.
• Weekly visits from Pastor Arlen and rotating live music on weekends are appreciated.

Cons

• Management is not that good.
• They never received a callback after paying for the background check.
• The reviewer described Emerald Crest as horrible and warned others not to put their loved ones there.

Review

Augustana Emerald Crest II in Shakopee is best suited for families seeking a memory-care-focused community that embeds dignity, personal connection, and consistent family communication into a progressive care model. This campus-style approach, with three distinct houses that align with increasing levels of dementia care, suits residents who will benefit from a familiar, intimate environment as their needs evolve. It works best for families who value pastoral support, meaningful daily activities, and a setting that feels like a home rather than a clinical facility. Those needing highly integrated medical management or a purely clinical setting may want to consider alternatives.

The strongest selling points are clear and well-supported by long-standing positive feedback. The care model is described as unique and tailored, with staff who treat residents with patience, kindness, and dignity. Families repeatedly note strong lines of communication, with regular updates that help relatives feel connected to their loved one’s day-to-day status. A distinctive spiritual dimension is highlighted through Pastor Arlen, whose involvement is described as comforting and ongoing across Emerald Crest locations. Live music on weekends and rotating activities contribute to an engaging atmosphere, reinforcing a sense of community and belonging for residents.

Another evident strength is the consistency and warmth of caregiving over time. Several families describe years of well-cared-for residency, with stories of smiling, content residents during visits. The environment is repeatedly depicted as “homey,” with attentive dining spaces and comfortable rooms, suggesting a setting where residents can settle in and maintain familiar rituals. The combination of compassionate staff and a structured, progression-based care plan can offset the emotional strain of dementia for families who prioritize stability, regular contact, and meaningful human connection over clinical rigor alone.

Yet, concerns do surface in the reviews, and they warrant careful consideration. One strongly negative voice warns against placing a loved one here, signaling that not every experience aligns with the optimistic case. Another reviewer questions management effectiveness, noting poor follow-through in the application process and a lack of responsiveness to family inquiries. A different account mentions an abrupt acceptance after a background check with no subsequent outreach, hinting at inconsistent administrative processes. Taken together, these voices point to variability in administrative reliability that could color the overall experience, especially for families who rely on timely decisions, transparent handling of transitions, and proactive problem-solving.

Those potential drawbacks do not entirely negate the value of Emerald Crest II, but they do shape the decision framework. The key is aligning expectations with the facility’s strengths: superior, person-centered dementia care, a warm, home-like atmosphere, and frequent, meaningful family updates, balanced against pockets of administrative inconsistency. For families whose priority is a calm, dignified environment with an emphasis on spiritual and social nourishment, the pros often outweigh the cons. For others, especially those whose top priorities include surgical precision in care coordination, rapid administrative responsiveness, and flawless onboarding, the trade-offs may feel too large.

In practical terms, prospective families should probe several specifics before deciding. Ask for recent staff-to-resident ratios by shift and how those figures shift as residents transition between houses. Request detailed pathways for level-of-care changes, including expected timelines and who manages the transition. Inquire about the structure and cadence of family updates, and whether there is a dedicated contact person for scheduled communications. Verify how much autonomy residents retain in daily activities, meals, and social programs, and how cultural or faith-based preferences are honored. Finally, seek fresh references beyond the most positive anecdotes, and consider visiting during different times of day to observe consistency in care and administration. Emerald Crest II is a compelling option for dementia-focused, relationship-driven care, best chosen by families who prize connection, transparency, and a supportive community as the disease progresses, while remaining mindful of the potential for administrative gaps that require proactive engagement.

Pharmacies

• Hy-Vee Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• Chanhassen Center Drug (3.3 miles)
• Guy Research (4.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.1 miles)
• Walgreens (5 miles)

Restaurants

• Pablo's Mexican Restaurant (1.4 miles)
• McDonald's (2.1 miles)
• Cuzzy's Brick House (2.2 miles)
• Tommy's Malt Shop (2.4 miles)
• Shakopee Bowl (2.4 miles)
• Patron (2.5 miles)
• Subway (2.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• St John's Lutheran School (2.3 miles)
• St Marys Of The Purification (4.7 miles)
• Marystown Catholic Church (4.7 miles)
• Grace Church (4.8 miles)
• St Victoria Catholic Church (7.1 miles)
• St Michael Catholic Church (7.9 miles)
• Friendship Church (8 miles)

Physicians

• Valley Family Practice (2.4 miles)
• St Francis Rehabilitative Services (2.7 miles)
• Twin Cities Orthopedics (2.7 miles)
• Allina Crossroads Clinic-Chaska (3.2 miles)
• OBGYN West (3.2 miles)
• Medical Pain Clinics (3.7 miles)
• Mn Otolaryngology (3.7 miles)

Parks

• Firemans Park (2.5 miles)
• Dublin Square Dog Park (2.9 miles)
• Lake Grace Park (3.6 miles)
• Louisville Swamp (4.2 miles)
• Lake Susan Park (4.5 miles)
• Bandimere Heights Park (5.2 miles)
• Lake Ann Park (5.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Chaska Urgent Care (3.9 miles)
• Wedge Industries (4.9 miles)

Transportation

• My Taxi Carver (4 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (5 miles)
• Caribou Coffee (7.4 miles)
• Caribou Coffee (8.9 miles)