Straight answers about life in the house.

The questions families and case managers ask us most, answered the way we would answer them on the phone.

If your question is not here, call us at (651) 366-9972.

Life in the house

Who lives at Avian Care?: Adults who need daily support to live well and would rather do it in a house than an institution. We have five spots, so the mix matters, and we are honest during the tour about whether someone would fit with the people already here.
How many residents are there?: Five, at most. That number is the whole design. It is what lets staff know each person's routines, humor and hard days rather than working from a chart.
What about meals and special diets?: Meals are cooked in the house and eaten at one table, planned around what each person needs: low salt, diabetic, vegetarian, or simply what somebody actually likes. Residents are welcome in the kitchen.
Can residents keep going to their day program or job?: Yes, and we would encourage it. We provide transportation and support for day programs, work, appointments, errands and worship, and we come along when that helps.

Is anyone awake overnight?: Yes. Staff are in the house 24 hours a day, awake overnight, weekends and holidays included. The office phone is answered 9 to 5 Monday through Friday, but the house itself never closes.
Who gives medications?: Staff trained in medication administration, with a registered nurse overseeing medications and health needs and coordinating with each resident's own prescribers. Every dose is recorded.
Can residents keep their own doctors?: Yes. We coordinate with the clinicians a resident already has rather than moving everyone across to ours.

Who pays for it?: Most families never pay out of pocket. Residential care in Minnesota is usually funded through Medical Assistance waiver programs arranged by a county case manager. We also work with long-term care insurance and private pay.
We do not have a case manager yet. What do we do?: Call your county's human services department and ask for a MnCHOICES assessment. That assessment determines which supports someone qualifies for, and not much moves until it happens. Call us too and we will talk you through it.

Do you have an opening right now?: Call and ask. Availability changes and we will give you a straight answer rather than keeping you on a list to look busy.
Can we visit before deciding?: Yes, and more than once. Tours are by appointment, weekends included. We would rather the future resident came at different times of day until the house stops feeling new. You can also ask to visit unannounced.
Can we talk to another family?: Ask us on the tour. With their permission we will connect you. A home that will not do this is telling you something.
How do we check your record?: Look us up on Elder Care IQ, a free database run by a nonprofit. It carries the investigation and survey reports the Minnesota Department of Health publishes on every licensed provider in the state. Search the other homes you are considering while you are there.
Where are you?: 338 Aurora Avenue in Saint Paul. Referrals reach us from across Ramsey County and the wider Twin Cities metro.
I am a case manager. How do I refer someone?: Call us or use the referral form and leave your contact details. We will call back within one business day to walk through it. Please keep client names and health details out of the form and out of email.

Longer answers for the bigger decisions: what to ask on a tour, how funding works in Minnesota, and how to make moving day easier.

A tour is your best tool for judging a home. Here is what to ask, including the questions providers hope you skip.

Most families never pay out of pocket. Here is how funding usually works in Minnesota, in plain language.

A move into a group home goes better slow. What helps in the weeks before, the first night, and the first month.

Call us 9 to 5 on weekdays, or send it through the contact page. We will tell you honestly if another home fits your person better.