St. Mark's Living | Assisted Living & Memory Care

    400 15th Ave SW, Austin, MN, 55912
    3.9 · 24 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    3.0

    Good care but staffing concerns

    I have mixed feelings. The nurses, CNAs and therapy team were caring, respectful and excellent with rehab and dementia care - end-of-life support was compassionate and dignified, and the food, activities and many apartments are pleasant. However, understaffing showed: one room went unclean for two weeks, a public restroom was gross, staff responsiveness was inconsistent, and I saw missed/delayed meds and occasional failure to follow doctor's orders. I'd highly recommend it for short-term rehab or memory care when you need skilled, empathetic staff, but be cautious about long-term placement until staffing and nurse training improve.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

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

    Healthcare staffing

    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Transportation arrangement (medical)
    • Transportation to doctors appointments

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Dining room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space

    Community services

    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    3.88 · 24 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      3.4
    • Staff

      3.7
    • Meals

      5.0
    • Amenities

      4.5
    • Value

      3.9

    Pros

    • Excellent nursing staff (frequently praised)
    • Effective care for dementia/memory care residents
    • Strong performance as a short-term rehab option
    • Caring, respectful, and compassionate staff frequently noted
    • Professional nurses and attentive CNAs present
    • Engaging activities and residents who feel involved
    • Comfortable apartments with varying sizes
    • Facility praised for cleanliness by multiple reviewers
    • Veteran-focused services appreciated
    • Positive physical therapy and rehab outcomes reported
    • Long-term residents happy and consider it a home
    • Good food/dining experience noted by some families

    Cons

    • Inconsistent staff responsiveness and availability
    • Reports of missed or delayed pain medications
    • Failure to follow doctor orders in some cases
    • Instances of care decline for more vulnerable residents
    • Occasional unclean rooms and lack of timely housekeeping
    • Understaffing cited as a recurring problem
    • Variable quality between staff members (some good, some poor)
    • Some public areas reported as unsanitary (gross restroom)
    • Allegations of neglect and unhelpful staff in specific cases
    • Potential need for additional nurse training
    • Limited long-term openings/availability
    • Pricing varies by room size (cost variability)

    Summary review

    Overall impression: Reviews for St. Mark's Living | Assisted Living & Memory Care are mixed but lean toward positive for many types of stays, especially short-term rehabilitation and memory care. Numerous reviewers praise the nursing staff, physical therapy, and the facility’s ability to work well with dementia patients. Several families report long-term residency with satisfaction and describe the community as a warm, home-like environment. At the same time, a subset of reviews raises significant concerns about inconsistent care and staffing problems that have led to serious adverse experiences for some residents.

    Care quality and clinical issues: Many reviewers commend the clinical team—nurses, CNAs, and therapists—for providing compassionate, dignified care, including positive accounts of end-of-life care and rehab outcomes. Memory care residents are noted to receive appropriate attention and engagement. However, there are troubling reports of missed or delayed pain medications, failure to follow physician orders, and an asserted decline in care as certain residents became more vulnerable. These reports, although not universal, indicate variability in clinical reliability and point to situations where training, supervision, or staffing levels may be inadequate.

    Staffing, responsiveness, and culture: A dominant theme is the apparent inconsistency of staff responsiveness. Multiple reviews describe caring, respectful, and patient-first staff who know residents well and take time to engage. Yet other reviews describe staff unavailability, unhelpful attitudes, and understaffing. This inconsistency suggests the presence of both strong caregivers and gaps where coverage or oversight is insufficient. Several reviewers explicitly called for improved nurse training and raised concerns significant enough to suggest state regulatory attention in at least one case.

    Facilities, rooms, and housekeeping: Descriptions of the physical facility are generally positive: apartments are described as very nice, comfortable, and available in multiple sizes (with pricing varying by room). Many reviewers found the facility very clean. Contrasting reports, however, describe specific cleanliness lapses—such as a room not cleaned for two weeks and a “gross” public restroom—indicating inconsistent housekeeping standards. Some units are efficiency-style with only a microwave and refrigerator rather than a full stove, which may be important to prospective residents to note.

    Rehab, therapy, and specialized services: St. Mark’s receives consistent praise for its rehab wing and physical therapy services; reviewers commonly state the staff is “wonderful during rehab” and that it is a great short-stay option. Memory care is similarly highlighted as a strength, with several families expressing relief and gratitude for how dementia care needs are handled. The facility’s veteran focus is mentioned positively by at least one reviewer, and multiple families recommend the community for those specific needs.

    Dining and activities: Several reviews mention good food and meaningful activities, with residents reported as engaged and happy to participate. This contributes to impressions of a home-like atmosphere for many residents and families.

    Patterns and recommendations for prospective families: The dominant pattern is one of variability. For families seeking short-term rehab, memory care, or those whose loved ones have a stable care plan and can benefit from active therapy and engaged staff, St. Mark’s often receives high marks and strong recommendations. For prospective residents who are highly vulnerable, have complex medical regimens, or require consistently close oversight, families should exercise caution: ask specific questions about staffing ratios, medication management systems, nurse training and supervision, and housekeeping protocols. Also inquire about room availability and pricing differences by unit type. Finally, because reviews show both exemplary and problematic individual experiences, visiting the community multiple times, meeting the current nursing leadership, and requesting references from recent families can provide a clearer, up-to-date picture of whether St. Mark’s is a good fit.

    Location

    Map showing location of St. Mark's Living | Assisted Living & Memory Care

    About St. Mark's Living | Assisted Living & Memory Care

    St. Mark's Living | Assisted Living & Memory Care sits in Austin, Minnesota, and provides several care options for seniors, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, short-term, and hospice care, and it's managed by Ecumen, an award-winning nonprofit. The community serves elders at every stage, with care plans made by licensed staff, so if someone's living with memory loss like Alzheimer's or dementia, the team recognizes their needs and offers private studio apartments in small, secure neighborhoods, and keeps the safety high with controlled access doors, sprinkler systems, and 24/7 staff specialized in dementia care who always stay on-site to help residents feel safe and supervised, and a secure outdoor garden sits just for Memory Care, giving people a safe way to enjoy time outside. Anyone moving in can get a clear explanation of move-in steps and waiting lists, and a registered nurse will help build a care plan just for them, so everything's personalized, from the help with dressing, grooming, bathing, medication, and meals all the way to activities made to engage the mind and lift the spirit, like arts and crafts, education programs, fitness classes, health events, and social gatherings in the dedicated activities room or out in the garden with the waterfall bubbling away in the background.

    There's a full continuum of living arrangements, so someone starting out in independent or assisted living with a private one- or two-bedroom apartment-complete with kitchens, private bath, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, cable TV, housekeeping, and laundry-can stay in their own home even as their needs change, because St. Mark's offers skilled nursing and therapy on-site, and in fact, they're the only place in Austin with this full range of care, and they welcome veterans and folks using Medicare, Medicaid, or VA benefits, with coverage help if needed. Residents can expect support from personal care assistants for tasks large and small, including walking or wheelchair help, transportation to appointments and outings, and on-site salon and barbershop services, which make daily routines easier. Meals are available in a dining room, and the staff takes all sorts of food needs into account, from gluten-free and pureed to no sugar or low salt options, and they even offer a guest meal service.

    Housekeepers, laundry and dry-cleaning staff, and building maintenance handle everyday upkeep, and apartment units stay accessible with wheelchair-friendly showers, ground floor units, and handrails throughout. Sprinkler systems offer added safety, and there's uncovered and resident parking, fitness facilities, game rooms, lounges with fireplaces, a chapel for reflection, and a "Giving Tree" metallic art piece that brings a sense of welcome to shared spaces. The community encourages families and residents to share stories and tips through its forum, and everyone has access to Wi-Fi and cable, along with housekeeping, so life feels manageable and connected. For those on the rehabilitation side, both short-term and outpatient therapy are available, with skilled nurses, podiatry, pain management, and help with medication, wound care, diabetic and high-acuity needs, so whether someone's moving in for a short recovery or staying long-term due to a chronic illness, the support is right there. Hospice and respite care services welcome people needing comfort and peace, with compassionate staff coordinating with hospice organizations, pain management, and support for emotional and spiritual needs, so folks in every phase of life, and their families, find what they need. All the while, the setting encourages as much independence as possible, and residents can join ongoing activities and programs, use the library or computers, enjoy the gardens, and relax in beautifully furnished gathering spaces or their own comfortable, private apartments.

    About Ecumen

    St. Mark's Living | Assisted Living & Memory Care is managed by Ecumen.

    Founded in 1862 and headquartered in Shoreview, Minnesota, Ecumen is one of America's largest nonprofit senior living organizations. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, they operate over 70 communities across Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Idaho.

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