Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

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TESTIMONIALS

“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.”

Gloria285054
 In-Home Care Shakopee, MN

How does In-home Senior Care in Shakopee, MN work?

Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's 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 ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

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 Senior Care Shakopee, MN

Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

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.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

Comfort
Comfort

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, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in Shakopee, 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.

Healthy Living
Healthy Living

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.

Independence
Independence

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 an assisted living community. 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.

Cost and Convenience
Cost and Convenience

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 to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be 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 in Shakopee, MN 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.

Empowers Seniors

Affordable Care Plans

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:

Veteran's Benefits
Veteran's Benefits

Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance

Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.

Private Insurance
Private Insurance

Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.

Life Insurance
Life Insurance

Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.


Respite Care Shakopee, MN

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers

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 Shakopee,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.

 Caregivers Shakopee, MN

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced 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:

An assessment of your senior loved one

01

An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home

02

Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs

03

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.

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.

Latest News in Shakopee, MN

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to reintroduce bison on tribal lands in Shakopee

SHAKOPEE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Shakopee will now take part in the reintegration of bison into the Minnesota prairie lands.The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) officially announced its plans to reintroduce bison (pte, pronounced puh-TAY) on its tribal lands in Shakopee. After an extensive planning process to successfully bring the bison back to its lands in a safe and sustainable way, the plan is being put into acti...

SHAKOPEE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Shakopee will now take part in the reintegration of bison into the Minnesota prairie lands.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) officially announced its plans to reintroduce bison (pte, pronounced puh-TAY) on its tribal lands in Shakopee. After an extensive planning process to successfully bring the bison back to its lands in a safe and sustainable way, the plan is being put into action.

In late fall, the SMSC will welcome up to 15 bison from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota. The herd will live on an expansive 165 acres of tribal land in Shakopee, north of the tribe’s current Organics Recycling Facility. Fencing is being installed at the site to ensure protection from any nearby roads.

The act of reintegration has historical and cultural significance for the SMSC. Historically, the SMSC had a reciprocal relationship with nature, including bison, which the Dakota people depended on for food, medicine and materials. However, SMSC said in a news release, bison nearly went extinct due to colonization when bison were removed from the area in an attempt to eradicate Native populations.

"The story of the bison mirrors the story of Dakota peoples in many ways, and both are resilient," said SMSC Chairman Keith Anderson. "Our tribe has restored and revitalized its relationship with our plant relatives over the decades, and we now have the opportunity to revitalize our relationship with our relative, the pte. Reintroducing bison to our homelands will allow us to bring back traditional ceremonies and food and medicine important to our people."

The reintegration comes after a long and extensive mission for the SMSC to restore the wetlands and prairies that were once widespread in Scott County. Overall, the SMSC has restored more than 1,000 acres of prairie over the past 20 years. The bison will roam freely and graze native prairie plants, helping maintain the health of these ecosystems and restoring balance.

The SMSC is not the first to reintegrate bison. Dakota County Parks offer one example of successful reintegration of bison into the prairie lands, having recently welcomed two calves this past May. The SMSC’s land and natural resources department that is overseeing the planning process and is taking note of these other tribes and organizations to ensure a successful reintegration. The SMSC has been completing a safety plan and will be working with local municipalities and public safety agencies to ensure the safety of the herd and its residents.

More information is available here.

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux to welcome up to 15 bison this fall

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will reintroduce pte, or bison, this fall, bringing back what they believe is a sacred species to their tribal acreage in Shakopee after the animal was nearly wiped out more than a century ago by white settlers."What's exciting to me is bringing bison back to the state because at one time they were exterminated like us," said Cyndy Milda, the community's cultural outreach organizer. "We're very close to them — they're our relative."Between 10 to 15 American plai...

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will reintroduce pte, or bison, this fall, bringing back what they believe is a sacred species to their tribal acreage in Shakopee after the animal was nearly wiped out more than a century ago by white settlers.

"What's exciting to me is bringing bison back to the state because at one time they were exterminated like us," said Cyndy Milda, the community's cultural outreach organizer. "We're very close to them — they're our relative."

Between 10 to 15 American plains bison will live on 165 acres near the junction of County Road 83 and Eagle Creek Boulevard.

The pte, pronounced puh-TAY, will graze freely within an enclosure on native prairie plants, part of the 1,000 acres of prairie the tribe has restored in the past two decades.

The animals will help tribal members learn more about their culture, she said.

"The buffalo are resilient; we are resilient as Dakota people," Milda said. "To me, it's just power — power as in our culture and knowledge of who we are."

The animals will come from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe on the Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota. After the Shakopee tribe gave them a grant in 2018, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate wanted to pay them back with bison.

Post-pandemic, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community tribal members have spent more than two years thinking about the best way to bring the animals here, talking with other agencies, tribes and companies about the species and learning best practices, including how to provide water, what kind of fencing to use and which safety protocols to apply, Milda said.

The tribe once relied on bison for food, medicine and materials. Tens of millions of them once lumbered across the plains. That connection to the species faltered when colonization occurred in the 19th and 20th century, a tribal news release said.

Milda said that historically, the Dakota people would follow bison down into river valleys in the winter and the animals would show them where to camp. The bison protected the people, she said, and one would sacrifice itself to provide meat for the tribe.

Both the Dakota people and bison are matriarchal, she said, and it's valuable to watch the mother bison interact with the herd.

"That shows us as Dakota people how we should be behaving," she said.

Bison are known as a keystone species, or one that other plants and animals in the ecosystem depend on. They help maintain the prairie by grazing and wallowing. Grazing helps mow down grasses so there's more space and sunlight for wildflowers and other plants to sprout. Wallowing, or rolling around, exposes mineral soil that helps seeds grow and creates depressions in the soil where watering holes form. The watering holes become breeding habitat for frogs, toads and salamanders.

The animals are good for the land, but their presence also helps people stay focused and act in a positive way, she said.

"We've seen some pretty amazing things on how the pte have helped our people who are struggling in different areas of life," she said.

Both the Red Lake Nation and Prairie Island Indian Community have bison.

Several other groups in Minnesota have acquired bison in recent years, too.

In the metro, both Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in East Bethel and the Belwin Conservancy in Afton have bison herds.

Dakota County also reintroduced bison in the fall of 2022 at Spring Lake Park Reserve in Hastings. There are a dozen animals there now, including four calves, and they're doing great, said Tom Lewanski, Dakota County's natural resources manager.

The south metro county is a member of the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd and received their animals from two state parks: Blue Mounds and Minneopa, who are other partners. The Minnesota Zoo and Oxbow Park in Olmstead County also are part of the conservation herd effort.

Together, the conservation herd has about 150 bison among five locations, said Mary Mallinger, conservation biologist at the Minnesota Zoo. An eventual goal is to have 500 animals.

Mallinger said zoo staff have been working with the Shakopee tribe, which has partnered with the zoo on other conservation projects, as they prepare to host a herd.

"Seeing bison return to the landscape is always a good thing," she said.

Ashley Steevens, park manager at Minneopa State Park, said bison arrived there in 2015. They are self-sufficient and easy to care for, she said, and "pretty gentle" on the ground despite their large size.

The creatures have taught people how parts of nature are intertwined, and they help visitors imagine how Minnesota looked centuries ago, she said.

The park has seen an increase in visitors since the bison came, she said.

"People are really excited about bison," she said.

Bison to roam tribal land near Shakopee this fall

SHAKOPEE, Minn. -- More bison will soon make Scott County home as the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announced Thursday plans to reintroduce the animal on its tribal lands.This fall, the community with welcome a herd of up to 15 bison from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota.The bison will live on a 165-acre plot located southeast of the junction of County Road 83 and Eagle Creek Boulevard in Shakopee.RELATED: ...

SHAKOPEE, Minn. -- More bison will soon make Scott County home as the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announced Thursday plans to reintroduce the animal on its tribal lands.

This fall, the community with welcome a herd of up to 15 bison from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota.

The bison will live on a 165-acre plot located southeast of the junction of County Road 83 and Eagle Creek Boulevard in Shakopee.

RELATED: Bison spread as Native American tribes reclaim stewardship

The SMSC says fencing is being installed at the site, where bison will roam freely within the enclosure and graze native prairie plants.

The Dakota people say they consider pte -- bison -- a relative and want to bring it back to its lands in a "sustainable, safe and ecologically beneficial way."

Bison were violently removed from the area during colonization, the SMSC says.

"Reintroducing bison to our homelands will allow us to bring back traditional ceremonies and food and medicine important to our people," said SMSC Chairman Keith Anderson.

Over the past 20 years, the SMSC has restored over 1,000 acres of prairie, which the bison will help to maintain.

WCCO Staff

The WCCO Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on WCCO.com.

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Canterbury Park sells land in Shakopee for 19,000-seat amphitheater

SHAKOPEE, Minn. -- A massive new entertainment venue is on track to open in the Twin Cities.Canterbury Park in Shakopee just sold a big chunk of its land to develop a 19,000-seat amphitheater.All around Canterbury Park, new construction can be seen popping up as far as the eye can see."Our pallet is 360 acres out here, half of it is our operating business and we've gotten a great start already with nearly a thousand apartment units, our multi-family units, we have a brewery coming this summer, we ha...

SHAKOPEE, Minn. -- A massive new entertainment venue is on track to open in the Twin Cities.

Canterbury Park in Shakopee just sold a big chunk of its land to develop a 19,000-seat amphitheater.

All around Canterbury Park, new construction can be seen popping up as far as the eye can see.

"Our pallet is 360 acres out here, half of it is our operating business and we've gotten a great start already with nearly a thousand apartment units, our multi-family units, we have a brewery coming this summer, we have a restaurant coming this summer, 28,000 square-foot office building and several development pads ready to go," said Jason Haugen, Canterbury Park's vice president of real estate.

But it's the next project coming to the Canterbury Commons that they hope will attract a lot of eyes, and ears.

"On Friday, we sold 37 acres to Swervo Development...[which] will be constructing a 19,000-seat amphitheater starting here this spring," Haugen said.

Renderings show the plan for the amphitheater, which is part of a larger vision by Canterbury to turn their piece of Shakopee into a destination.

"Live, work, play and stay. And with the amphitheater, it's capital P in terms of the play aspect of the development out here," he said.

MORE: For love of community, Shakopee resident steps in to save beloved bowling alley

And they're not wasting any time, with plans for an encore to the amphitheater project.

"We have 20 acres that will be coming right after this amphitheater that'll be available for development. And we fully intend on constructing or developing an entertainment district out here, so we're gonna really go for it out here," he said.

Construction on that amphitheater is scheduled to start in just a matter of weeks. It's expected to open for its first shows sometime in the summer of 2025.

Allen Henry

Allen Henry is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who joined WCCO as a reporter in August 2022.

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Amazon shutters Shakopee facility, agrees to transfer hundreds of workers

Amazon permanently closed its sort center in Shakopee Friday, with plans to transfer nearly all of the facility’s estimated 680 employees to other nearby Amazon locations.The online retail giant announced plans in January to shut down the Shakopee facility after its lease expired. The sort center, located at 5825 11th Avenue East, is smaller than Amazon’s fulfillment center, which is a...

Amazon permanently closed its sort center in Shakopee Friday, with plans to transfer nearly all of the facility’s estimated 680 employees to other nearby Amazon locations.

The online retail giant announced plans in January to shut down the Shakopee facility after its lease expired. The sort center, located at 5825 11th Avenue East, is smaller than Amazon’s fulfillment center, which is also in Shakopee.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development told Sahan Journal that after Amazon offered employees new positions, 71 workers would be laid off.

“Our Twin Cities team worked hard to accommodate any employee who wished to stay with Amazon,” company spokesperson Steve Kelly said via email. “For employees who chose not to stay with Amazon, several steps were taken to make clear what assistance is available, including a minimum of four weeks’ pay.”

Amazon declined to say exactly how many workers it laid off or transferred. It said translation services are being provided to any employee who requests them.

The Awood Center, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that has helped organize local Amazon workers, said that out of the approximately 680 workers whose jobs were terminated at the Shakopee sort center, 609 will be transferred to other facilities in the area.

Amazon said the decision to close the Shakopee sort center was prompted by changing business needs and an effort to improve the Amazon experience for employees, customers, partners, and drivers.

Some labor rights activists have said Amazon closed the facility in retaliation for workers’ organizing efforts, but Amazon has rejected those claims.

Workers at a number of local Amazon facilities, led by staff of East African heritage, have publicly demanded pay raises while criticizing the company for work quotas and workplace conditions. Workers have also said the company refused to give Muslim employees time off to celebrate the Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr.

The Awood Center, which focuses on supporting workers of East African heritage, described the transfers as a “big win” for Amazon employees. The center helped organize Shakopee sort center workers’ response to the closure.

“The workers spoke out about their concerns regarding transportation challenges to reach distant warehouses, the lack of adequate translation of the required test and materials related to the process of re-employment at other warehouses, among other significant issues,” the Awood Center said in a prepared statement shared with Sahan Journal.

Earlier this year, Kelly said that all employees at the Shakopee facility would be given the opportunity to transfer within the company and that the closure had nothing to do with “reducing headcount.”

Amazon has 10 operations sites in the Twin Cities area, including three other sort centers, that all operate on the same pay scale, according to the company.

Employees who wanted to transfer were required to take tests, according to the Awood Center. A passing test guaranteed a transfer. According to Amazon, the tests focused on workplace safety.

Employees leaving the company after Friday will receive unemployment benefits.

The Awood Center said that as a result of organizing efforts by the Shakopee workers, Amazon hired interpreters to help with the testing and transfer process, and that workers who transfer will not be “forced” to work the graveyard shift.

“These concessions did not come easily,” the Awood Center statement said. “The hard work of organizing with Awood Center helped turn a scary experience into a powerful victory for the voices of the workers.”

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