Galtier Health Ctr in St. Paul, MN

Pros

• Crystal, the new administrator, is kind and genuine and is actively reforming the facility.
• The staff are pleasant and seem genuinely happy to help.
• The Villas at St. Paul is clean and free of the usual odors.
• Daminen was wonderful, knowledgeable, and caring toward the patients.
• The OT team is good and the nurse practitioners are knowledgeable.
• The staff know residents' names and take care of them.
• My mother is happy there; she feels safe and is well cared for.
• Galtier Villa is a very helpful and kind place.

Cons

• They do not take care of their residents, as shown when welts appeared on my grandma's body and she had to be moved out.
• The place is horrible and the staff don't care.
• Nurses are not knowledgeable and not helpful; it's a building of lazy nursing.
• The place stinks of urine and feces.
• Not only that, the morale is a joke.
• This place is hell on earth.
• This is the worst place a loved one could stay.
• The staff neglect residents and do not promptly respond to call buttons.
• They left residents sitting in their own waste for hours.
• The facility is old, dirty, and understaffed.
• The administration doesn't care and the CNAs are often on their phones.
• The facility should be shut down due to mistreatment and safety concerns.

Review

Galtier Health Center's Villas at St. Paul location is best suited for families willing to take an active, hands-on role in care oversight, and for those who are prepared to navigate the realities of an older, modestly maintained building. The community has shown signs of reform under new leadership, but the day-to-day experience remains uneven. Prospective residents who want a long-term option should be ready to monitor staffing levels, insist on prompt responses to call bells, and engage in ongoing conversations about care plans. This is not a passively managed environment; it rewards families who stay engaged, ask hard questions, and insist on accountability from administrators, nurses, and aides.

Alternatives should be considered for families prioritizing consistently high staffing, rigorous cleanliness, and predictable care routines. Several reviews highlight chronic under-staffing, delayed responses to emergencies, and lapses in hygiene and medication management. Facilities with a longer track record of stable staffing, transparent operations, and proactive family communication will likely offer more dependable day-to-day reliability. If the priority is minimal family mediation and a polished, modern setting, other assisted living or rehab-oriented communities may be more suitable. For memory care or complex medical needs, look for options with dedicated, well-staffed units and clear escalation processes.

The strongest positives here come from pockets of responsive, caring staff and leadership attempting reform. A few administrators and frontline workers are described as genuinely engaged, connected to residents, and attentive to individual needs. When care teams are present and communicative, residents appear safer, more engaged, and better supported. That said, these bright spots are unevenly distributed across shifts and units, making consistency a major concern. The contrast between hopeful leadership efforts and inconsistent daily care creates a volatile environment where a family's experience can flip from hopeful to frustrating in a short span.

The principal cons, however, are deeply disruptive. Repeated reports describe odors of urine, unsanitary conditions, and residents left unattended for long periods. Medication timing and dietary accuracy are flagged as recurring problems, with several accounts of delayed pain relief and incorrect meal plans. Call bells sometimes go unanswered, and staff responsiveness can lag for extended stretches, including during emergencies. The building's age and infrastructure contribute to a sense of wear and tear that affects mood and perceived safety. When combined, these factors create real risk: falls, missed care, and deteriorating resident well-being, despite occasional positive interactions.

Resident experience is decidedly mixed, with a discernible lack of uniformity in how care is delivered. Some residents and families report moments of warmth, respect, and genuine concern from certain staff members, while others describe confrontations, confusion, and a perception that staff are overwhelmed or disengaged. The inconsistency often hinges on staffing patterns and the level of supervision families can provide. In practice, this means that prospective renters who tolerate variability should prepare for proactive advocacy during every shift change, every meal, and every care transition. The facility's strengths - when staff are present and attentive - stand in contrast to the weaknesses that emerge when turnover, understaffing, or miscommunication prevail.

Bottom line: Galtier's Villas at St. Paul is a conditional choice. It can work for families willing to commit to rigorous oversight, who value a dedicated administrator's attention to reform, and who are prepared to navigate a facility that is old but capable of improvement. It is not recommended for families seeking a consistently high level of care with minimal friction, or for those who require predictable, tightly managed operations from intake to discharge. Before choosing, tour multiple times, speak candidly with frontline staff and administration, verify staffing levels on each shift, assess cleanliness and smells, audit call-button responsiveness, and insist on detailed care plans and medication workflows. If these safeguards cannot be secured, alternatives should be pursued without hesitation.

Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, this area offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to the needs of seniors. With several places of worship nearby, including the Cathedral of St Paul and St George Greek Orthodox Church, residents have access to spiritual support and community engagement. Close proximity to hospitals such as St Joseph's Hospital-St Paul and Regions Hospital Burn Center ensures quality healthcare services are readily available. Additionally, a selection of pharmacies, cafes, and restaurants like Cossetta's Italian Market & Pizzeria offer convenience for daily needs. For recreation, parks such as Como Park and Hidden Falls Park provide opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation. The proximity to theaters like AMC Rosedale 14 also offers entertainment options for seniors looking to enjoy a night out. Overall, this part of St. Paul provides a well-rounded living environment with ample resources for senior residents to thrive in.

Places of Worship

• Cathedral of St Paul (0.6 miles)
• St George Greek Orthodox Church (2 miles)
• St Jerome Elementary School (3.2 miles)
• WW Studio (3.6 miles)
• Transfiguration Catholic Church (6.4 miles)

Hospitals

• St Joseph's Hospital-St Paul (0.7 miles)
• Regions Hospital Burn Center (0.8 miles)
• United Hospital Joint Relacement Center (0.9 miles)
• VA Medical Center (5.8 miles)
• University of Minnesota Medical Center - East Bank Campus (5.9 miles)
• St John's Hospital-Maplewood (6.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Cossetta's Italian Market & Pizzeria (0.8 miles)
• Citizen Supper Club (1.2 miles)
• The Bulldog Lowertown (1.2 miles)
• Brew Hall (2.6 miles)
• Taco Bell (2.7 miles)
• Karen Thai food (2.8 miles)
• Burger Time (3.1 miles)

Transportation

• Union Depot (1.3 miles)
• Minnesota State Fair Transit Hub (3.7 miles)
• Concourse A (6.7 miles)
• Delta Sky Club (6.8 miles)
• Concourse C (6.8 miles)
• Concourse D (6.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (3.1 miles)
• Walgreens (3.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• Walgreens (4.3 miles)
• Walgreens (4.5 miles)
• Walgreens (4.6 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Groundswell (2.3 miles)
• Roundtable Cof (4.3 miles)

Physicians

• West Side Community Health Services (2.4 miles)
• Dermatology Consultants P.A. (2.7 miles)
• Parkway Family Physicians (3.7 miles)
• Dakota Medical Solutions (4.3 miles)
• Entira Family Clinics-West St Paul (4.3 miles)
• HealthPartners Health Center for Women Clinic St Paul (4.7 miles)
• HealthPartners Clinic (5 miles)

Parks

• Como Park (2.6 miles)
• Flicek Park (4.2 miles)
• Central Park Playground (4.7 miles)
• Owasso Park (5 miles)
• Acorn Park (5.1 miles)
• Hidden Falls Park (5.2 miles)
• Wabun Picnic Area (5.3 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Rosedale 14 (4.9 miles)
• AMC Inver Grove 16 (6.5 miles)