Lyngblomsten

Serving older adults through healthcare, housing, and community-based services.

01/21/2026

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, residents from the Lyngblomsten Apartments assembled care packages for distribution at a local homeless shelter to help serve vulnerable members of our community.

01/19/2026

On this national holiday, let us honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy by being of service to others.

01/16/2026

01/14/2026

On a windy day in St. Paul, residents of The Heritage at Lyngblomsten kept cozy with their painting during a session of Art with Heart, bringing vibrant colors to life during winter's white reign. 🎨❄️

01/13/2026

The halls of the Lynbglomsten Apartments heard the joyful noise of children's voices earlier this week at an Epiphany party. Attendees from a local daycare joined residents for treats and a singalong to celebrate the visitation of the Three Magi.

01/09/2026

Are you an older adult looking for a welcoming, vibrant community for your next home? The Lyngblomsten Apartments, an independent living building for those 62+ with low incomes, has an 864 square-foot, 2-bedroom apartment available in St Paul’s nature-filled Como Park neighborhood. Find personalized support and enriching programs designed to promote dignity, independence, and a fulfilling lifestyle on Lyngblomsten’s Como Park campus. The apartment must be rented by two people who both meet requirements set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). For further information, contact Paula Stauffacher at (651) 632-5396.

01/08/2026

The Winter 2025–2026 edition of “Lyngblomsten Lifestyle” is hot off the press! This edition pays special tribute to our donors, whose generosity helps provide vital services and fosters vibrant aging for older adults. Pick up a copy when you're next on campus or read it online at https://bit.ly/49B0AgG.

01/07/2026

Are you looking for a rewarding career where you'll make a difference in the lives of older adults? Check out opportunities with Lyngblomsten, a senior services nonprofit with campuses in the Como Park neighborhood of St. Paul and in Lino Lakes. Visit https://bit.ly/4qBoFLs to view a list of openings and submit your online application!

01/05/2026

Spring is in the air, even in the middle of winter! Residents of our care center took in a kaleidoscope of colors and fresh floral scents during a flower-arranging activity this afternoon. Only three months to go before they can experience this outdoors! 💐

01/02/2026

✨ Ringing in the New Year at The Heritage at Lyngblomsten! ✨
Our residents enjoyed a cheerful afternoon filled with music, treats, laughter, and heartfelt moments as we gathered to say goodbye to 2025. From festive decorations to heartfelt conversations, the room was full of joy and togetherness. Here’s to a bright and beautiful 2026 and all the wonderful memories yet to come!

Address

1415 Almond Avenue
Saint Paul, MN
55108

Telephone

+16516462941

Website

http://www.lyngblomsten.org/

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From Books to Bricks

In 1903, Anna Quale Fergstad gathered together several Norwegian women to form a literary club. Near the end of that year, Mrs. Fergstad expressed her desire for the club to take up charitable work of some sort. Thinking of a vivid picture of the snug little huts along the coast of Norway that sheltered the wives of fishermen who had lost their lives at sea, she realized that, in America, there were many older people without family or friends to care for them. They were in need of some shelter and care. How splendid and useful an undertaking for their club to give at least a few of these deserving kinsfolk a home in which they could spend their last years.

The idea took form on October 19, 1903, when the group formed an organization, the Lyngblomsten Society, dedicated toward that goal. Mrs. Fergstad was named president. The group selected the name Lyngblomsten to commemorate the national flower of Norway, the lyng.

The organization began to grow by establishing "branches" around the Upper Midwest. On February 17, 1906, they incorporated and began fund raising. In 1911 they bought land midway between Minneapolis and St. Paul. In 1912 construction of the home began at Midway Parkway and Pascal Avenue. The home opened in December of that year with 34 older Norwegians moving in.

The home operated on the concept of residents helping with chores as they were able, and receiving help at the level each person needed—very similar to how our continuing care campus works today. It is important to note, then, that Lyngblomsten did not begin as a “nursing home,” but rather as “assisted living”—a term that didn’t exist until decades later.

The Winds of Change

For several decades, the women, their daughters and granddaughters ran the Lyngblomsten Home through the sponsorship of member branches. But as women entered the workforce and had less time for volunteer work, along with increasing government regulations for board and care being established, it was no longer a feasible method.

In 1960, Lyngblomsten was reincorporated and its grounds and assets were gifted to what was then the St. Paul Conference of the American Lutheran Church. The members of the Board of Directors began coming from the churches (instead of from the branches) and staff were hired to handle the day-to-day operations. The branches were transitioned into the new Lyngblomsten Auxiliary.

Today Lyngblomsten is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and partnered in ministry with Twin Cities-area Christian churches. Lyngblomsten welcomes older adults of all faiths and nationalities.

Growing & Changing

In the early 1960s, the skilled nursing facility was added (a requirement given by the churches as a condition of forming the partnership). The next decade saw the addition of the Lyngblomsten Apartments and the Lyngblomsten Community Senior Center (known today as 2nd Half with Lyngblomsten). With heavy hearts, in 1993 the original building that housed the Lyngblomsten Home for the Aged was demolished to make way for the Heritage Apartments (market rate).

In the 1990s Lyngblomsten began developing community outreach programs (Care Team Ministry and Parish Nurse Ministry, specifically), known today as Home- and Community-Based Services. Work also began on adopting the Swedish model of care, known as “service houses,” a concept that would be modified a decade later, ushering in the neighborhood model of person-centered care. Superior Street Cottages located off campus opened in 1999.

In the early 2000s, major fundraising made way for the massive remodeling of the care center, readying the facility for “neighborhoods” and person-centered care. The shift in how care was provided took several years to fully integrate, but as an early adopter and embracing our call to innovation, Lyngblomsten soon became known as a leader in the Culture Change movement—the terminology used to describe a new era in skilled nursing care.

In 2005, our first transitional care unit opened, serving those who needed a place to recuperate between hospital and home. On the community side, our outreach programs were expanded to help support the growing number of older adults, including the launch of The Gathering. In 2006, with much fanfare, Lyngblomsten celebrated the 100th anniversary of its incorporation.