BeeHive Homes of Elk River sits in Elk River, MN, and offers assisted living, independent living, memory care, and nursing home services all in a homelike setting that really does try to feel more like an ordinary house than a facility, so you get these smaller homes, clean and decorated, with landscaped yards and patio spaces to sit outside, and most folks have private rooms with their own bathrooms, cable TV, and sometimes larger rooms for couples as available. Co-owners Marilyn Van Patten and Dennis Chuba have run it since 2017, though the whole BeeHive model itself has roots going back over 27 years, with a big focus on making things personalized, treating everyone like family, and making it as comfortable, warm, and safe as possible, which is why there's always someone on staff 24/7 for support and a registered nurse on call for emergencies, though there's no full-time nurse in the building, but folks can get home health services if needed.
Residents here get help with things like bathing, dressing, feeding, walking or wheelchair support, and taking medications when needed, and the staff takes care of daily housekeeping, laundry, dry cleaning, health monitoring, and will even schedule appointments or provide transport to them, so it really helps folks that need a bit of a hand now and then to still have independence. In the dining room, everyone gets three meals a day cooked right there on-site with dietitian approval, and snacks too, so there's always food that fits dietary needs and tastes good.
Daily activities are a regular thing, about four hours spread throughout the day, from arts and crafts to games like bingo, dominos, and cards, plus group activities like fishing, gardening, quilting, and even some easy exercise for mobility, which keeps people engaged and helps folks make friends, and in the memory care "Memory Cottage," there's extra support for those with memory loss or dementia, in a secure part of the home with staff who are trained to handle those needs. There's also a salon for hair and nails, a fitness center, guest parking, WiFi, game rooms, living areas for everyone to share, and the whole property has safety features like secure door locks, sprinkler systems, handicap adjustments, and an emergency call system in each room.
BeeHive Homes of Elk River admits residents based on a personal assessment, set up care plans to fit each person, and always check up to see if those needs have changed, so folks get the right help all along the way, whether they're staying for the long haul or just needing short-term respite care. There's no strict visiting hours, so families can come anytime, and everyone's encouraged to visit and stay connected. The community accepts long-term care insurance, provides all utilities like phone, cable TV, and internet, and is smoke-free throughout. The home gets about a 4.0 rating from reviews, and while it's not BBB accredited, the business holds an A+ BBB rating. New locations are also being added in other states, so their model seems set on growing for more communities.
