Benedictine Living Center in Garrison, ND

Pros

• The staff create a family-like environment and take time to understand individual needs.
• The health and rehab care is excellent and delivered with abundant empathy.
• The facility is run as a home, not a business, and is clean and welcoming.
• The staff are kind, honest, and upfront about the facility.
• The rooms are bright, warm, and inviting, with private and shared options.
• The dining area is intimate and welcoming.
• The environment feels like home, with friendly and accommodating staff.
• There are pleasant common areas and activities, such as spaces to sit, cards and bingo, and a chapel.

Cons

• The facility was poorly staffed on Sunday night, which led to a resident dying from lack of oxygen.
• The family believes the father would still be alive today if staffing had been better.
• There was a long wait for staff to respond to call buttons, even during the weekdays.
• Several patients had to sit in soiled Depends for an extended period.
• Staffing levels were insufficient to meet residents’ needs.
• The reviewer noted that many amenities were not visible or available.

Review

Benedictine Living Center in Garrison is best suited for families seeking a warm, home-like atmosphere where staff take time to learn each resident’s story and needs. It stands out as a place where health and rehabilitation care are solid, delivered with genuine empathy. The building feels clean, the rooms are bright, and the dining area is intimate, with both private and shared living options. In practical terms, the center often comes in at a lower price point than surrounding options, which matters for long-term budgeting. This is not a glossy, hospital-like campus; it operates more like a small, close-knit community that puts personal connection at the center of care.

That said, families should consider alternatives if 24/7 safety and rapid response are non-negotiable. The reviews repeatedly flag staffing gaps that can leave call buttons unanswered for extended periods, especially on weekends. A troubling incident described as a death from lack of oxygen during a Sunday shift underscores the stakes when staffing is thin. Other residents have waited for assistance and, at times, ended up sitting in soiled garments awaiting help. While many experiences highlight kind staff and decent care, this is a facility where staffing levels and consistency can meaningfully alter outcomes.

Where Benedictine wins is precisely in the pros that often carry the day for families with moderate needs: compassionate, personable staff; a genuine home atmosphere; consistently clean surroundings; and a sense that staff know residents as individuals. The rehab and medical care are described as competent, the rooms and dining feel welcoming, and the facility’s lower cost makes ongoing care more feasible than pricier peers. The sense of community, cards and bingo, a chapel, and salon options that appear as time allows, contributes to daily life more than any flashy amenity ever could.

Yet the same strengths are tested by the cons. The most troubling remains the risk from staffing shortages that translate into slow responses and missed calls. For families charting a long-term plan, this represents a real uncertainty: can the center reliably meet needs during nights and weekends? The dementia and oxygen cases highlighted in reviews underscore the requirement for strict, proactive oversight and a robust care plan. The combination of limited high-end amenities and uncertain staffing can leave families uneasy about whether the environment can sustain more intensive medical needs if a resident’s condition worsens.

This can be translated into practical decision-making. Before committing, request a transparent staffing schedule, ask about nurse-to-resident ratios, and observe call-button responsiveness during a visit. Inquire specifically how care is managed for residents with dementia who require oxygen or complex feeding considerations, and verify that nutrition plans are actively monitored. Probe the dining program, activities, and whether additional services can be arranged if needs increase. If assurances aren’t satisfactory, or if the resident requires higher acuity care, be prepared to explore other options and plan a contingency. A trial period or regular family updates can help calibrate expectations and detect early whether the system reliably supports daily needs.

Bottom line: Benedictine Living Center is a solid fit for families seeking a homelike, affordable setting with compassionate staff who treat residents as people first. It is not the best choice for those requiring unwavering, high-frequency staffing, particularly for residents with dementia and oxygen dependence, or for families unable to tolerate even brief call-button delays. For others, the warmth, cleanliness, and active care ethos can offset the occasional staffing hiccup, provided transparent expectations are established from the start. The decisive step is a careful, in-person assessment that confirms staffing reliability, medical oversight, and the alignment of daily routines with the resident’s needs.