It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Yield Sign in Lakeville, MN gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Lakeville, MN is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“I am a current client of this provider Always Best Care comes in to help my”
“I am a current client of this provider Always Best Care comes in to help my dad a shower at night. When the guy came out to interview, he was really good and helpful, but it was just hard to find someone to help with dad been a little bit bigger and heavier. They like the person that they had come out a couple of times. The caregiver is good.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Steve Michaud Park in Lakeville, MN with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local PORTERHOUSE Steak & Seafood Restaurant or visit Lakeville TARDIS, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Lakeville, MN, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Lakeville, MN understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Lakeville, MN 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Tony Donatell has a knack for spotting business opportunities that others might overlook. Over the past two years, he’s transformed an empty storefront next to an Amoco gas station convenience store in Lakeville, Minnesota into The Farmer’s Cellar, an upscale restaurant and cocktail bar with a speakeasy twist.Donatell, 46, is the owner and founder of the Wondrous Collective, a restaurant group that owns 12 businesses, including The Farmer’s Cellar, in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.Donatell opened The Farme...
Tony Donatell has a knack for spotting business opportunities that others might overlook. Over the past two years, he’s transformed an empty storefront next to an Amoco gas station convenience store in Lakeville, Minnesota into The Farmer’s Cellar, an upscale restaurant and cocktail bar with a speakeasy twist.
Donatell, 46, is the owner and founder of the Wondrous Collective, a restaurant group that owns 12 businesses, including The Farmer’s Cellar, in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.
Donatell opened The Farmer’s Cellar in May 2025, and the business — which includes the speakeasy, the convenience store and the gas station itself — brought in almost $5 million in revenue in its first year, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
A gas station convenience store may seem like an unusual choice for an evening out, but The Farmer’s Cellar has a near-constant line of patrons waiting to enter the speakeasy on Friday and Saturday nights, he says.
The Farmer’s Cellar is a popular weekend destination.
Ben Brewer
That’s not something every restaurant can boast amid rising prices and economic pressures. Thirty-seven percent of American diners were eating out less often than they had a year earlier, partially due to cost, a YouGov report from October 2025 found. The consumer price index for eating out has increased by 3.4% year-over-year as of July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For 61% of Americans, eating out feels like more of a “special treat” than a regular occurrence, according to a November report from OpenTable, an online restaurant reservation platform.
“Guests are looking for experiences right now in this tough economy,” Donatell says, and the speakeasy is a unique one that can offer them a “really fun escape from the world.”
Gas stations are familiar territory for Donatell, who “learned the ropes” working at a local gas station chain for several years after college. He purchased his first gas station and convenience store 17 years ago in Eagan, Minnesota.
At first glance, the Eagan store didn’t look promising, he recalls: It was “kind of dark, kind of gross” and located in an isolated area. But it already had a kitchen with built-in fume hoods and cooking equipment, so he decided to take a chance on the property.
Tony Donatell opened The Farmer’s Cellar, a speakeasy bar, inside a gas station convenience store.
Ben Brewer
Business was slow at first, but once Donatell overhauled the convenience store’s menu, food sales “took off,” he says. “Word spread. People started bringing their friends in. People were like, ‘Hey, you gotta check out this gas station. They have the best food in town.’”
Donatell later expanded the Eagan property to include a burger joint, Burgers and Bottles, and a speakeasy called Volstead House. “We basically turned a gas station into a restaurant that happens to sell gas,” he jokes.
In early 2024, he had a chance to replicate his success. A gas station convenience store owner in nearby Lakeville reached out and asked Donatell to help him revive his struggling store by turning an empty storefront next door into a restaurant and bar.
“I came and looked at his kitchen. I looked at the operation. I looked at the neighborhood and just really loved the opportunity,” says Donatell, who rented both properties in November 2024. Over the next six months, he and his team transformed the neighboring storefront into The Farmer’s Cellar.
In true speakeasy fashion, The Farmer’s Cellar has a hidden entrance: a faux soda cooler inside the gas station convenience store, which Donatell renamed The Farmer’s Grandson.
One of Donatell’s favorite parts of owning a speakeasy is watching newcomers try to figure out how to enter. Some people end up “pulling out every cooler door, every shelving unit in the store, trying to figure out where they’re supposed to go,” he says.
The entrance to The Farmer’s Cellar is hidden behind an unassuming cooler door in the gas station convenience store.
Ben Brewer
Once customers enter, the convenience store’s fluorescent lighting and vinyl floors give way to moody chandeliers, smooth leather chairs, an antique wooden bar and even a copper bathtub, which is a nod to the “bathtub gin” brewed during the Prohibition era.
“You really feel like you’re back in the roaring twenties,” Donatell says.
Another key draw is the speakeasy’s “inventive” cocktail menu. Bartenders use centrifuges, dry ice and liquid nitrogen to add a unique twist to classic cocktails like mojitos and gimlets and “put on a fun show,” he says.
To attract customers in today’s economy, “you have to provide an incredible experience,” he adds. “People are enthralled with the idea of discovering something new.”
The Farmer’s Cellar brought in just over $1.7 million in revenue from its opening in May 2025 through April, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. The convenience store brought in about $1.4 million in revenue and the gas station brought in almost $1.9 million in revenue during the same period. The business as a whole has been profitable since the speakeasy opened.
Two of the speakeasy’s most popular cocktails are mojitos and gimlets, according to Donatell.
Ben Brewer
When Donatell first took over, the convenience store was losing at least $10,000 each month, he says. But after the speakeasy opened next door, “those numbers completely flipped,” partially because patrons often purchase snacks at the convenience store while they wait to enter the bar.
Labor is “always the biggest expense” in the hospitality business, according to Donatell: “It takes money to hire great people who take good care of our guests.” Donatell says he’s had to up his menu prices, too. “Unfortunately, it’s part of operating in today’s economic challenges of inflationary pricing.”
Total expenses for the average restaurant — including food and labor, utilities, maintenance, supplies, insurance and credit card processing fees — have risen 36% between 2019 and 2026, according to estimates from the National Restaurant Association, a trade organization and lobbying group. The organization’s research found that restaurant menu prices have also increased by 3.4% between July 2025 and July 2026.
The Farmer’s Cellar primarily serves “light bites” like crab rangoon dip and crispy chicken sliders rather than full meals, says Donatell, who estimates that approximately 70% of their sales come from beverages, including beer, wine, soda and liquor. “That mix, along with high margins on cocktails, allows us to be profitable.”
The Farmer’s Cellar’s immense popularity has benefited the Wondrous Collective as a whole. “As is typical in business, sometimes you have restaurants that aren’t making money — or are losing money — but the immediate success of this one has helped level up our entire hospitality group,” Donatell says.
Right now, he’s working on expanding The Farmer’s Cellar into another adjacent storefront.
“In a few months, we’ll be opening what’s going to be called the Withdrawing Room,” he says, a Victorian-inspired event space that will host private parties and provide overflow seating for the speakeasy on busy nights.
Like The Farmer’s Cellar, Donatell says, it’ll be a place where customers can “come have fun and forget about everything else for a little while.”
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