Good Samaritan Society - International Falls - Northwinds

    2201 Keenan Dr, International Falls, MN, 56649
    4.0 · 3 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousCurrent/former resident
    1.0

    Called scum, refused placement, transferred

    I was appalled when Good Samaritan staff called us "scum," refused SNF placement without explanation, and transferred my spouse 20 miles away amid an insurance/network denial. I do not recommend them - the whole experience caused needless distress for our elderly couple. By contrast LittleFork gave kind, expert, home-like care, excellent therapy, restored dignity, and my partner is visibly happier and improving.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    4.00 · 3 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      3.7
    • Staff

      3.7
    • Meals

      4.0
    • Amenities

      4.0
    • Value

      4.0

    Pros

    • Home-like environment
    • Excellent therapy services
    • Measurable health improvement reported
    • Expert, skilled staff care
    • Caring and supportive staff
    • Residents report happiness and comfort
    • Respect for dignity

    Cons

    • Staff insulted a family member as 'scum'
    • Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) placement refused without explanation
    • Resident transfer to another facility 20 miles away
    • Insurance/network dispute resulting in placement denial
    • Administrative and communication issues around placement
    • Significant distress reported for an elderly couple
    • At least one reviewer does not recommend the facility
    • Alternative facility (LittleFork) rated better by a reviewer

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the provided reviews is mixed, with a majority of comments praising the direct caregiving and therapy while at least one strongly negative review focuses on administrative, placement and interpersonal failures. Positive remarks consistently highlight clinical and day-to-day care: reviewers describe a home-like environment, excellent therapy programs that improve residents' health, and staff who are experienced and effective. Multiple summaries emphasize caring, kind, and supportive staff who preserve residents' comfort, dignity, and happiness. Those positive notes portray a facility where residents respond well to treatment and enjoy a pleasant, reassuring daily environment.

    Care quality and therapeutic services are clear strengths in the reviews. Terms such as "excellent therapy," "improving health," and "expert staff care" appear repeatedly, suggesting effective rehabilitative and hands-on nursing or caregiving. This pattern indicates that, for many residents, clinical outcomes and functional improvements are being achieved. Closely tied to those outcomes are frequent mentions that staff are caring, kind, and supportive — language that points to good bedside manner, resident-centered interactions, and attention to dignity and comfort.

    Staff and interpersonal dynamics show a strong positive trend overall but are not uniform. While several reviewers praise staff compassion and professionalism, one review recounts an extreme negative interpersonal incident in which staff reportedly insulted someone as "scum." That same negative account also describes refusal of a SNF placement without explanation, a forced transfer to another facility 20 miles away, and a subsequent insurance/network dispute that left the family and elderly couple distressed. These particular criticisms raise serious concerns about communication, transparency, and the facility’s handling of admissions, placements, and disputes with payers or networks.

    Facility atmosphere and resident well-being are generally reported positively. The descriptors "home-like," "happy residents," and references to comfort and dignity suggest the environment is welcoming and promotes resident satisfaction. However, the reviews do not provide much detail about specific amenities, dining quality, activity programming, or physical plant conditions beyond the general "home-like" impression, so those areas remain under-documented in the provided summaries.

    Management, policy, and administrative issues are the most notable negative pattern. The negative review centers on placement denial and an apparently unexplained SNF placement refusal, followed by a transfer mandated to a facility 20 miles away and an insurance/network dispute that prevented acceptance. These points indicate potential gaps in communication about admission criteria, network/contract transparency, and escalation pathways when disagreements arise. Because these administrative failures directly affected the residents and family emotionally and logistically, they represent high-severity concerns even if they stem from a single account.

    Notable patterns and takeaways: most reviews praise clinical care, therapy outcomes, and staff compassion, making the facility appear strong in day-to-day caregiving and rehabilitation. Conversely, at least one serious complaint highlights significant administrative failures — rude or abusive staff behavior, refusal of placement without explanation, forced distant transfers, and insurance disputes — that caused distress and led that reviewer to recommend an alternative facility (LittleFork). Prospective residents and families should weigh the generally positive reports of hands-on care against the potential risk of administrative or placement problems. If considering this facility, it would be prudent to ask direct questions about admission/transfer policies, insurance and network participation, communication protocols for disputes, and how the facility handles grievances to reduce the chance of encountering the specific negative issues described.

    Location

    Map showing location of Good Samaritan Society - International Falls - Northwinds

    About Good Samaritan Society - International Falls - Northwinds

    Good Samaritan Society - International Falls - Northwinds sits at 2101 Keenan Drive in International Falls, Minnesota, and you find a lot happening there all the time, day and night, with both staff and services running 24 hours, while office hours land from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm on weekdays, and there are many kinds of care for seniors including independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, nursing home care, and Medicare Certified Home Care, plus plenty of short-term rehab and outpatient therapy options for those needing a bit more help after surgery or in recovery. The place also offers respite care for folks who need a break from caregiving, and has special programs for people dealing with dementia or Alzheimer's-like diseases so they get their own kind of attention and care, aiming for both safety and comfort with therapies and activities that try to fit the person's needs-body, mind, and spirit all included. If you're looking at living options, there are apartments at River's Edge and Northwinds Assisted Living that catch a lot of natural light and come in different layouts, some with full-size kitchens and some with kitchenettes, and all are smoke-free, leaving space for folks to bring their own things and make the place their own, and even studio rooms if you like to keep things simple. Community areas get plenty of use with a dining room, computer center, fitness room, library, gaming space, garden, outdoor patio, and wellness center, and there's a beauty salon and spa on site if that's your style, as well as gardening rooms for those who like digging in the dirt or just sitting with the sunlight. For daily life, they include utilities, internet, cable, meals, housekeeping, building repairs, central heating, air, transportation, and emergency response-so a lot's taken care of for you. Folks get help with daily activities, medication management, rehab, oncology care, personal care, meal programs, and therapy, all rolled into the different care plans available, with weekly spiritual services and various activities hosted so residents can stay busy and connected. There's focus on keeping everyone as independent as possible, letting them choose how their day goes, with different services designed to help each resident stay comfortable and safe without giving up things they enjoy, and it's all tied in with the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. River's Edge Villa serves as a 55+ senior community, and people can find support here not just for long-term needs but also for shorter visits, like when recovering from a hospital stay or while a caregiver takes some time off, and all of it comes with a steady rhythm that makes the place both welcoming and low fuss, trying to be a good spot for folks in every part of their journey.

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