The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in Minnesota

Compare the Worst Nursing Homes in Minnesota

Every year, thousands of seniors, their families, and friends are faced with the difficult decision of choosing a skilled nursing facility, either because someone is recuperating after a hospital visit or for end-of-life care. This is usually an issue that arises suddenly, and the decision makers are not equipped with the right knowledge and information to make a good decision. Not knowing how to decide, they turn to others for recommendations. Word of mouth, along with geography, are constantly cited as the most important factors in choosing a skilled nursing facility. Choosing a facility with such limited information can lead to significant problems. Not all skilled nursing facilities are the same and the people that you trust to recommend a facility may not know enough about the facility and the alternatives to be a competent guide.

Providing the type of care that residents of skilled nursing facilities require is very difficult. The range of issues that are being treated is vast and the needs cover both people recuperating and recovering as well as those facing end-of-life issues. Residents require significant help with basic daily activities as well as supplemental needs like oxygen and 24/7 monitoring.

To help people who are facing this difficult situation, we have compiled a list of the worst Minnesota skilled nursing facilities and the the best skilled nursing facilities. (We have also compiled the best and worst nursing homes by city for most cities in the United States, links are shown at the bottom on this page.) The lists are based on data provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (“CMS”) and include information gathered from detailed annual inspections, monthly reporting, complaint histories, deficiency reports and much more.

The list below calls out the worst skilled nursing facilities in Minnesota. For the most part these facilities should be avoided. All the facilities have issues with cleanliness and safety and a large number of the facilities have been flagged by CMS as locations where abuse has either occurred or is highly likely.

Avoiding these facilities may not always be an option either because of geographic, monetary, or occupancy constraints. However, being in a bad nursing home does not mean that the resident will not improve. If you have a loved one in one of these facilities, we encourage you to visit often and to ask that friends and other family visit too. It is well documented that positive outcomes for skilled nursing residents is highly correlated with the number and diversity of people visiting the resident. Being there, getting to know the staff, showing the staff that the resident has people that care about him or her is critical. There may not always be a better option, but your direct involvement can make a difference.

Nursing Home	Rating
Highland Chateau Health and Rehabilitation Center 2319 WEST SEVENTH STREET SAINT PAUL, MN	394.83 /
The Terrace at Crystal LLC 3245 VERA CRUZ AVENUE NORTH CRYSTAL, MN	360.83 /
Bay View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center 1412 WEST FOURTH STREET RED WING, MN	357.83
Bywood East Health Care 3427 CENTRAL AVENUE NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS, MN	335.50
Madonna Towers of Rochester Inc 4001 19TH AVENUE NORTHWEST ROCHESTER, MN	321.67
Rochester East Health Services 501 EIGHTH AVENUE SOUTHEAST ROCHESTER, MN	305.83
Hilltop Healthcare Rehabilitation and Skilled Nurs 2501 RICE LAKE ROAD DULUTH, MN	297.17 /
Edenbrook of St Cloud 1717 UNIVERSITY DRIVE SOUTHEAST SAINT CLOUD, MN	280.83
Victory Health and Rehabilitation Center 512 49TH AVENUE NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, MN	250.83 Rating Not Available
Pine Haven Care Center Inc 210 NORTHWEST 3RD STREET PINE ISLAND, MN	237.67

Nursing Homes with the warning icon () have been flagged by CMS for abuse.

How We Compile Nursing Home Ratings in Minnesota

Every month, we rank all of the skilled nursing facilities in Minnesota. These rankings are based on data provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid measures ("CMS"), including the CMS 5-Star Rating System and the Health Inspection Scores. The list of the Worst Skilled Nursing Facilities in Minnesota is based on the weighted overall health inspection score which is a composite of CMS's three most recent skilled nursing home inspection scores weighted to give the most recent inspection more importance.

The CMS 5-Star Rating System rates skilled nursing facilities from one to five stars, with one star being the lowest and five stars being the highest. The rating system also rates Minnesota nursing homes across five different dimensions including overall rating, health inspection rating, quality measures rating, overall staffing rating, and RN staffing rating (RN is an acronym for Registered Nurse).

In addition to the 5-Star Rating System, CMS provides numerical metrics that summarize:

Health Inspection Domain. The health inspection rating is based on the three most recent standard surveys for each nursing home, results from any complaint investigations during the most recent three-year period, and any repeat revisits needed to verify that required corrections have brought the facility back into compliance. CMS calculates a weighted deficiency score based on points assigned to health deficiencies identified in each active provider’s current health inspection survey and the two prior surveys (including revisits), as well as deficiency findings from the most recent three years of complaint investigations. More recent surveys are weighted more heavily than older surveys: the most recent period (cycle 1) is assigned a weighting factor of 1/2, the previous period (cycle 2) has a weighting factor of 1/3, and the second prior survey (cycle 3) has a weighting factor of 1/6. The weighted time period scores are then summed to create the survey score for each facility.
Staffing Domain. Using multiple reporting methods, CMS calculates the amount of time that the nursing staff spends with residents. This is measured across multiple dimensions, one each for three different levels of nursing, including Registered Nurses (“RNs”), Licensed Practical Nurses (“LPNs”), and Certified Nursing Assistants (“CNAs”), plus one metric that totals all contributions. These metrics are expressed in hours per resident per day. CMS also provides state-level and national averages for the metrics to allow for additional comparisons.
Quality Measures Domain. A set of quality measures (QMs) has been developed from MDS-based indicators to describe the quality of care provided in nursing homes. These measures address a broad range of functioning and health status in multiple care areas. The facility rating for the QM domain is based on performance on a subset of 11 (out of 18) of the QMs. Ratings for the QM domain are calculated using the three most recent quarters for which data are available. This time period specification was selected to increase the number of assessments available for calculating the QM rating, increasing the stability of estimates and reducing the number of facilities that do not have enough data to report QM ratings.
Abuse Flag. Abuse is always a concern in skilled nursing facilities. To highlight the issue, CMS has extracted this feature as its own flag. Facilities with an actual abuse event or where the potential for abuse has been shown for the past two years are flagged. The Health Inspection Score is capped at 2-stars for nursing homes that have been flagged for abuse.

Skilled nursing facilities that are new and do not have at least two surveys completed are not rated by CMS. These facilities may have health inspection scores that can be used to evaluate the facility.

One complication in Minnesota nursing home inspections is the COVID-19 pandemic. Although inspections should be performed every 12 months, COVID has decreased this frequency. While CMS admits that only in “rare cases” do these inspections increase to 15 months, our analysis suggests that this time frame may be even longer. This report shows that the time between inspections is now just under 500 days (more than sixteen months). There are now hundreds of skilled nursing homes in the United States that have not been inspected in more than 24 months. This list shows the skilled nursing homes with the longest period since being inspected. According to the CMS data, these homes have not been inspected since 2018!

Skilled Nursing Home Abuse in Minnesota

Abuse is always going to be an issue with skilled nursing facilities. Skilled nursing facility residents need help with so many basic things and they are suffering, confused, and frustrated. If you are the friend or relative of a nursing home resident, we guarantee that you will be constantly fretting about whether your loved one is receiving proper and timely care. Abuse feels like a violation of your trust, but it happens. CMS actively monitors nursing homes not just for actual abuse but also for indicators that suggest that abuse might be occurring. Homes where abuse has either occurred or might be occurring are flagged. A very high percentage of the worst skilled nursing facilities in Minnesota have been flagged for abuse. We have marked these facilities both on the list of the worst skilled nursing facilities and on the detailed page for each of the facilities.

Skilled Nursing Homes in Minnesota Compared to Nationwide

We have compared Minnesota nursing homes to the nationwide average on several metrics. Minnesota performed better than the national average on several metrics and worse on other metrics.

Cycle 1 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies	6.60	Lower
Cycle 1 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies	4.10	Lower
Cycle 2 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies	7.80	Lower
Cycle 2 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies	4.10	Lower
Cycle 3 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies	9.30	Higher
Cycle 3 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies	3.30	Lower
Average Number Of Residents Per Day	57.40	Lower
Reported Nurse Aide Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day	2.35	Higher
Reported Lpn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day	0.67	Lower
Reported Rn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day	1.03	Higher
Reported Licensed Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day	1.70	Higher
Reported Total Nurse Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day	4.06	Higher
Total Number Of Nurse Staff Hours Per Resident Per Day On The Weekend	3.53	Higher
Registered Nurse Hours Per Resident Per Day On The Weekend	0.64	Higher
Reported Physical Therapist Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day	0.08	Higher
Total Nursing Staff Turnover	49.90	Lower
Registered Nurse Turnover	44.80	Lower
Number Of Administrators Who Have Left The Nursing Home	0.70	Lower
Case-mix Rn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day	0.31	Lower
Case-mix Total Nurse Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day	2.97	Lower
Number Of Fines	2.40	Lower
Fine Amount In Dollars	41,590.00	Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Whose Need For Help With Daily Activities Has Increased	13.86	Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Lose Too Much Weight	4.84	Lower
Percentage Of Low Risk Long Stay Residents Who Lose Control Of Their Bowels Or Bladder	49.93	Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents With A Catheter Inserted And Left In Their Bladder	2.84	Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents With A Urinary Tract Infection	2.88	Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Have Depressive Symptoms	4.32	Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Were Physically Restrained	0.06	Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Experiencing One Or More Falls With Major Injury	3.81	Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Pneumococcal Vaccine	95.69	Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Received An Antipsychotic Medication	16.60	Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Pneumococcal Vaccine	88.56	Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Newly Received An Antipsychotic Medication	1.79	Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Whose Ability To Move Independently Worsened	16.03	Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Received An Antianxiety Or Hypnotic Medication	12.29	Lower
Percentage Of High Risk Long Stay Residents With Pressure Ulcers	6.90	Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Seasonal Influenza Vaccine	94.70	Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Made Improvements In Function	77.12	Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Were Assessed And Appropriately Given The Seasonal Influenza Vaccine	77.59	Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Were Rehospitalized After A Nursing Home Admission	20.48	Lower
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Had An Outpatient Emergency Department Visit	13.63	Higher
Number Of Hospitalizations Per 1000 Long-stay Resident Days	1.35	Lower
Number Of Outpatient Emergency Department Visits Per 1000 Long-stay Resident Days	0.96	Lower

FAQs About Nursing Homes in Minnesota

How Many Nursing Homes in Minnesota

There are 349 skilled nursing facilities registered with CMS in Minnesota with a total of 25,836 beds. Average occupancy was 77.49% in August 2023.

Minnesota has 64 homes that are rated as having one star on the CMS 5-Star Rating System. Approximately 21.21 percent of the total number of available skilled nursing beds in Minnesota are in one-star facilities. In Minnesota, occupancy is higher in skilled nursing facilities where the CMS 5-Star Rating is higher than one-star.

How to Report a Nursing Homes in Minnesota

If you run into an issue at a Minnesota nursing home, there are a few steps you can take to make sure the issue is reported. First, speak with the immediate staff. If the problem is not solved, speak with a director or administrator, doctor, or any other employee of a high level.

As required by Medicare and Medicaid, reports and complaints must go through a grievance procedure. Per the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a grievance is “an expression of dissatisfaction (other than an organization determination) with any aspect of the operations, activities, or behavior of a Medicare health plan, or its providers, regardless of whether remedial action is requested”. All grievances must be filed in writing or verbally within 60 days of the event prompting the grievance.

To report a Minnesota nursing home for quality of care, go through a grievance procedure through your Medicare or Medicaid plan. You can also go through the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care-Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIO). These groups serve to help with complaints made regarding the quality of care by Medicare providers. You can also choose to go through both Medicare and a BFCC-QIO.

Worst Nursing Homes in the Largest Minnesota Cities

All of the following nursing homes have been given a Weighted Health Inspection Score by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Every year, nursing homes in Minnesota go through an unannounced inspection performed by independent state examiners. These examiners look at factors such as cleanliness, hazards, and safety to perform the inspection. Points are given to nursing homes based on their deficiency in a certain category. Thus, a higher Weighted All Cycles Score means more problems and lower quality of care.

The list below ranks the homes with the highest (worst) weighted scores. The score is shown next to the facility name. The list also shows the two most recent deficiencies for each of the nursing homes.

Worst Nursing Homes in Minneapolis

Bywood East Health Care (335.5)

Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services. (2023-03-10)
Assure the security of all personal funds of residents deposited with the facility. (2023-03-07)

Victory Health and Rehabilitation Center (250.833)

Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2023-02-20)
Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason. (2023-02-20)

The Villas at Bryn Mawr LLC (197.167)

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2023-05-23)
Allow resident to participate in the development and implementation of his or her person-centered plan of care. (2023-05-03)

Edenbrook of Edina (178)

Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs. (2023-07-06)
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. (2023-04-30)

Lakehouse Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center (134.5)

Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2022-11-30)
Provide care or services that was trauma informed and/or culturally competent. (2022-11-30)

Providence Place (114)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2023-05-31)
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. (2023-03-31)

Birchwood Care Home (96.833)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2023-03-22)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2023-02-28)

Catholic Eldercare On Main (95.667)

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2023-04-25)
Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use. (2023-03-03)

Benedictine Health Center of Minneapolis (87)

Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances. (2023-02-20)
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations. (2022-11-18)

The Estates at Chateau LLC (69.333)

Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections. (2023-06-30)
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2023-02-03)

Worst Nursing Homes in St. Paul

Worst Nursing Homes in Rochester

Madonna Towers of Rochester Inc (321.667)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2022-08-25)
Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action. (2022-08-25)

Rochester East Health Services (305.833)

Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2023-05-15)
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2023-05-15)

Edenbrook of Rochester (232.5)

Conduct testing and exercise requirements. (2023-06-30)
Implement emergency and standby power systems. (2023-06-01)

Rochester Residence and Care Center (201.333)

Ensure that the facility has sufficient staff members who possess the competencies and skills to meet the behavioral health needs of residents. (2023-05-03)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2023-05-03)

Rochester Health Services West (195)

Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2022-12-05)
Allow residents to self-administer drugs if determined clinically appropriate. (2022-06-02)

Life Care Center of Rochester (138.667)

Ensure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident. (2023-01-20)
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2023-01-20)

Samaritan Bethany Home On Eighth (133)

Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2023-06-16)
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2023-06-16)

Rochester Rehabilitation and Living Center (111.5)

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2023-05-31)
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2023-05-31)

Waterview Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Ctr (102)

Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. (2023-03-10)
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. (2023-03-10)

Birch Healthcare Center (100.167)

Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights. (2023-02-25)
Allow residents to self-administer drugs if determined clinically appropriate. (2023-02-25)

Worst Nursing Homes in Duluth

Hilltop Healthcare Rehabilitation and Skilled Nurs (297.167)

Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system. (2022-12-21)
Have exits that are accessible at all times. (2022-12-21)

Benedictine Health Center (166.333)

Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2023-07-05)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2022-11-02)

Bayshore Residence and Rehab Ctr (138)

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2023-03-28)
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2023-03-28)

Aftenro Home (95.667)

Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential. (2023-01-20)
Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs. (2023-01-20)

Franciscan Health Center (77.833)

Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist. (2023-03-24)
Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2023-02-18)

Viewcrest Health Center (75.667)

Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. (2022-09-14)
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services. (2022-09-14)

The North Shore Estates LLC (55.333)

Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances. (2023-03-31)
Assess the resident completely in a timely manner when first admitted, and then periodically, at least every 12 months. (2023-03-31)

Ecumen Lakeshore (39.333)

Post nurse staffing information every day. (2022-12-08)
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. (2022-07-09)

Worst Nursing Homes in St. Cloud

Worst Skilled Nursing Homes in Other States

See the worst skilled nursing homes in other states:

The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in Minnesota

Compare the Worst Nursing Homes in Minnesota

How We Compile Nursing Home Ratings in Minnesota

Skilled Nursing Home Abuse in Minnesota

Skilled Nursing Homes in Minnesota Compared to Nationwide

FAQs About Nursing Homes in Minnesota

How Many Nursing Homes in Minnesota

How to Report a Nursing Homes in Minnesota

Worst Nursing Homes in the Largest Minnesota Cities

Worst Nursing Homes in Minneapolis

Worst Nursing Homes in St. Paul

Worst Nursing Homes in Rochester

Worst Nursing Homes in Duluth

Worst Nursing Homes in St. Cloud

Worst Skilled Nursing Homes in Other States

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