Southern Hills Specialty Care
Meets baseline Medicare standards with room for improvement. A tour and talking to current residents' families is the best next step.
based on 24 Google reviews
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What this means for your family
Southern Hills is frequently praised for its clean environment and compassionate staff, making it a strong contender for residents requiring general care. However, families of residents with dementia or complex medical needs should be cautious; ensure you have a clear plan for monitoring hygiene and safety, and ask specifically how the facility manages medical emergencies and communication with families.
Google Reviews
Google Reviews
24 reviews on Google“Southern Hills Specialty Care receives highly polarized feedback, with many families praising the compassionate, attentive staff and clean facility environment. However, significant concerns exist regarding the management of residents with complex needs, specifically regarding hygiene, safety monitoring, and communication during medical emergencies or discharge processes.”
Quality Themes
Tap a score for detailsStrengths
- Compassionate and caring nursing staff
- Clean, well-maintained facility
- Strong support during end-of-life care
- Personalized recognition of returning residents
Concerns
- Inadequate hygiene and personal care for residents (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
- Safety and supervision failures for residents with dementia/wandering (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
- Poor communication regarding resident health status and discharge (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
Rating Trends
Tap a year to see what changed
Distribution · 25 analyzed
How They Respond to Reviews
This facility responds to some reviews.
Questions for Your Tour
- 1We've heard wonderful things about how compassionate the nursing staff is; how do you ensure that this level of personalized care is maintained during shift changes?
- 2What specific protocols do you have in place to ensure residents with wandering tendencies or dementia are supervised and kept safe within the facility?
- 3How does the clinical team communicate updates regarding a resident's health status or changes in medication to the family members?
- 4Can you walk us through your process for managing medication administration to ensure everything is handled accurately and timely?
- 5What kind of daily activities or social engagement programs are available to help residents stay active and connected with one another?
- 6In the event of a medical emergency after hours, what is the immediate procedure for notifying the family and coordinating care?
Personalized based on this facility's data
Key Review Excerpts
“The building is always clean and doesn't have that nursing home smell. With their care my mom was gaining back some of”
“The staff treats her with love & compassion. They communicate clearly & regularly with me. Our family has had experience with four other LTC facilities over the last 12 years here in Iowa. Southern Hills is by far the very best we've experienced.”
“His hygiene care was horrible and he slept in his clothes. One on one was mentioned and we were told we would have to pay for that.”
Staffing
Staffing Hours
per resident/day · Medicare 2026Both RN and total nursing hours are below national benchmarks. This can mean less clinical attention per resident, so ask about their staffing plan.
Quality Measures
Quality Measures
Resident outcomes compared with national, state, and local averages · 17 measures
9
measures
3
measures
5
measures
Residents whose bladder or bowel control got worse
Residents with depression symptoms
Highly dependent on how each facility screens and codes depressive symptoms, so it varies widely between facilities.
Residents on antipsychotic medication
Residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Residents needing more daily help over time
Residents who lost too much weight
Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu
Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics
US average from Medicare published data
Inspection History
Medicare Inspection History
3-year lookback · Medicare 2026
Families have filed complaints about Southern Hills Specialty Care, including serious concerns about resident abuse protection and pest control issues. The facility shows recurring problems with fire safety systems, food safety practices, and infection control across multiple surveys. While all identified deficiencies have been corrected according to state records, the pattern of complaints and repeated issues in critical safety areas warrants careful consideration during your visit.
Aug 21, 2025Routine5
Administration Deficiencies
Have a plan that describes the process for conducting QAPI and QAA activities.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies
Have proper medical gas storage and administration areas.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Infection Control Deficiencies
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Aug 21, 2025Complaint1
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Apr 10, 2025Complaint1
Environmental Deficiencies
Make sure there is a pest control program to prevent/deal with mice, insects, or other pests.
Sep 12, 2024Routine4
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Egress Deficiencies
Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Smoke Deficiencies
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
Miscellaneous Deficiencies
Have posted "No-smoking" signs in areas where smoking is not permitted or ashtrays provided where smoking was allowed.
May 2, 2024Routine6
Emergency Preparedness Deficiencies
Develop and maintain an Emergency Preparedness Program (EP).
Smoke Deficiencies
Follow proper procedures when the fire alarm was out of service for more than 4 hours.
Smoke Deficiencies
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
Smoke Deficiencies
Follow proper procedures when the automatic sprinkler systems was out of service for more than 10 hours.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies
Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.
Construction Deficiencies
Use approved construction type or materials.
Dec 12, 2023Complaint1
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Federal Penalties
Fine
Aug 18, 2024
$36,865
State Inspection History
State Inspections
Source: Iowa Dept. of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing
Oct 28, 2025ComplaintClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 0
Sep 16, 2025InspectionClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 0
Aug 21, 2025InspectionClean
Fed violations: 5, State violations: 0
Apr 10, 2025ComplaintClean
Fed violations: 1, State violations: 0
Jan 7, 2025ComplaintClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 0
Sep 27, 2024InspectionClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 0
Sep 12, 2024InspectionClean
Fed violations: 1, State violations: 0
Aug 18, 2024ComplaintClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 0
Ownership & Operations
Who Operates This Facility
Southern Hills Specialty Care
nonprofit
Chain Affiliation
Care Initiatives
43 facilities nationwide
Chain avg rating: 3.0/5 · Rank 24 of 43
Ownership & Management
Owners
Care Initiatives
Owner · Organization
Key personnel
Contact
Get in Touch
Contact this facility directly and verify the details that matter most to your family.
References & Resources
Medicare Care Compare
Official Medicare quality ratings, inspections & staffing data
Google Maps
Photos, directions & neighborhood info
Google Reviews
24 reviews from families & visitors
Official Website
Visit careinitiatives.org
Medicare data downloads
Original nursing home datasets
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