Golden LivingCenter - Hopkins

Pros

• The facility has wonderful staff with talented nurses and an excellent management team.
• Teresa, the Director of Social Services, is professional, knowledgeable, and communicates promptly.
• The care is absolutely excellent, with nurses, therapists, and PCAs treating residents like family.
• The nurse/director and the care team often go above and beyond to support residents and their families.
• On-site services include regular doctor visits, dentistry, and eye care, with smooth coordination of appointments and transport.
• The Transitional Care Unit provides excellent, patient, and caring management and staff.
• Tia and her team create a safe and healthy environment for residents.
• The staff are kind, attentive, and responsive to questions and requests, helping residents maintain dignity and recover.

Cons

• The facility is dated and lacks basic maintenance and upkeep.
• The staff are rude and neglectful toward residents.
• Residents are overmedicated, and staff mock or laugh at them about it.
• Personal belongings frequently go missing or are stolen.
• The billing department misrepresented in-network status and issued large bills.
• Management blocks emails and is unresponsive to concerns.
• Residents' basic needs, such as bathing and dressing, are not consistently met.
• Leadership changes year after year, with poor communication from new directors.

Review

Hopkins Health Services evokes a strong mix of praise and frustration among those who have had contact with it. Several families describe the facility as a place where exceptional care can be found, especially in the hands of a devoted staff and a capable management team. They highlight the professionalism and accessibility of Teresa, the Director of Social Services, whose thorough communications and proactive approach to coordinating care plans, medical services, and social supports stand out as a model of what good care coordination looks like. In these accounts, the care staff - nurses, therapists, and personal care assistants - are portrayed as compassionate and attentive, treating residents with dignity, encouraging them during meals, and tailoring daily routines to family preferences. The environment is often described as clean, organized, and relatively quiet, with social interactions in a comfortable daytime setting and a sense that staff genuinely acts as a family-like presence for residents.

Two reviewers in particular emphasize the strength of the clinical and care team within a transitional and rehab framework. One family member recounts a two-month stay that included physical and occupational therapy, praising the staff for going beyond the call of duty - especially the nurse/director and the broader nursing team - by coordinating care, addressing wound care questions, and helping the family understand the healing process. They note that there are on-site services that extend beyond nursing care, including a team of doctors who visit regularly, a dentist, and an eye doctor, as well as a staff member who helps arrange appointments and manage transportation. This perspective reinforces the view that Hopkins can function as a comprehensive care hub where medical and supportive services come together to support recovery and transition planning.

Another positive strand comes from a family dealing with memory care and transitional care experiences. They describe a trajectory where Hopkins provided effective support during transitions, including a move from hospital discharge back into transitional care and beyond. The accounts speak to the care team's reliability and responsiveness, with staff handling medical questions and social work tasks in a manner that fostered confidence in the healing and discharge process. These reviews frequently mention that the staff communicates with families in a respectful and timely way, and that the overall environment - while not always modern or fancy - produces outcomes that families value, such as improved mood, restored routines, and smoother transitions back into home settings or other living arrangements.

Yet, alongside these affirmations, a substantial set of reviews voices serious concerns that cannot be overlooked. Several critics describe the staff as rude or inattentive, with particular complaints about the quality of meals, cleanliness, and overall attentiveness to basic resident needs. Specific accusations include instances of neglect or restraint, such as patients appearing overmedicated or not receiving timely care, and alarming reports of personal belongings going missing or being mishandled, including clothing, socks, and a winter coat. Some reviewers recount experiences of soiled clothing and a lack of attention to bathing and personal grooming, along with concerns about the appearance of residents, including dirt under nails or hair that does not seem to be washed regularly. These narratives convey a perception that, for some residents, the day-to-day experience at Hopkins Health Services falls short of what families expect for dignity and comfort.

There are particularly troubling accounts of communication breakdowns and administrative shortcomings. In one case, a family recounts a death notification that did not verify the caller's identity, describing an inappropriately blunt delivery. Other criticisms focus on billing and insurance practices, including allegations that the facility misrepresented its in-network status to a hospital and patient, leading to unexpected bills. One family describes repeated assurances that bills would be resolved only to receive invoices later, compounded by difficulty in reaching leadership, with several references to archival turnover and a new executive director who has not returned calls. The sense conveyed is that executive leadership has historically been misaligned with patient and family interests, and that obstacles to direct communication from the owner or top administrators have impeded resolution of concerns and financial matters.

Financial and logistical frustrations extend to the everyday operations described by reviewers. Complaints include the perception of inconsistent or unequal care among residents, with some patients receiving more social interaction and attention than others. The complaints also touch on the management of medical notes and doctor visit communications, with some families reporting gaps in information about diagnoses, care plans, and treatment decisions. The repeated mention of director turnover - while noted as having improved in the past in some cases - adds to a concern about stability and continuity at the facility. A recurring theme across several reviews is that while Hopkins Health Services has the potential to deliver high-quality clinical care and compassionate support, systemic issues - ranging from staffing levels and training to administrative processes and accountability - still undermine the experience for many residents and their families.

Taken together, the collection of experiences presents a nuanced portrait. For some, Hopkins Health Services represents a beacon of compassionate, well-coordinated care delivered by skilled professionals who treat residents with dignity, provide robust support during transitions, and mobilize on-site services to address a wide range of needs. For others, it is a place where the care experience is compromised by perceived neglect, communication gaps, inconsistent staffing, and administrative or financial mismanagement that erodes trust and raises questions about accountability. The narratives consistently call for improvements in basic maintenance, reliable communication, and a more transparent approach to billing and care planning, while also highlighting the dedicated individuals who, in various roles, strive to deliver attentive and humane care.

Located in Hopkins, Minnesota, this area provides a variety of amenities for seniors looking to settle in a vibrant community. With several places of worship nearby such as Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church and St Therese of Deephaven, residents can nurture their spiritual needs. A range of dining options including Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, and Hazelwood Food & Drink offer convenient meal choices. Access to pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy ensures easy access to medications and healthcare services. In terms of medical care, prestigious institutions like Children's Hospitals and Clinics are within close proximity. Parks such as Aquila Park and Centennial Lakes Park offer outdoor recreational opportunities for seniors to stay active. Additionally, cafes like Angel Food Bakery & Coffee Bar provide relaxing spaces for socializing with friends. Overall, this area in Hopkins offers a well-rounded community suitable for senior living with various amenities within reach.

Places of Worship

• Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (0.8 miles)
• St Therese of Deephaven (5.7 miles)
• Grace Church (6.5 miles)
• Westminster Presbyterian Church (7.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Taco Bell (1.7 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (2 miles)
• Bunny's Bar & Grill (2.6 miles)
• McDonald's (2.9 miles)
• Hazelwood Food & Drink - St Louis Park (3.5 miles)
• Duke's On 7 (3.7 miles)
• Wooden Hill Brewing (3.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.7 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.4 miles)
• Lunds & Byerlys 50th Street Edina (3.5 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)
• Love Shack (3.8 miles)

Physicians

• Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota's Ear, Nose and Throat (2.2 miles)
• Twin Cities Orthopedics Edina - Crosstown (3.9 miles)
• University of Minnesota Physicians Heart at Fairview Southdale Hospital (4.1 miles)
• CCRM Fertility of Minneapolis (4.1 miles)
• Fairview Southdale Physicians Building (4.1 miles)
• Park Nicollet Clinic (4.6 miles)
• Southdale Pediatrics (4.7 miles)

Hospitals

• Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital (2.3 miles)
• Abbott Northwestern Center For Outpatient Care (3.6 miles)
• Fairview Southdale Hospital (4.1 miles)
• Regency Hospital (6.5 miles)

Parks

• Aquila Park (2.5 miles)
• McGuire Park (2.8 miles)
• Dakota Dog Park (3.7 miles)
• Centennial Lakes Park (4.9 miles)
• Hyland Lake Park Reserve (6.2 miles)
• Parkers Lake Park (6.8 miles)
• Loring Park (7 miles)

Cafes

• Angel Food Bakery & Coffee Bar (2.8 miles)
• Jinx Tea (3.7 miles)
• Starbucks (4.8 miles)
• Spyhouse Coffee (6.2 miles)
• Panera Bread (6.4 miles)
• Dunn Brothers Coffee (6.9 miles)
• Panera Bread (7.4 miles)

Theaters

• 0705 Amc Southdale 16 (4.4 miles)