Spring Hills

My mother has lived in Spring Hills Singing Woods for a year and a half. She is a care level 3. What she gets for the extra $500.00 or more, I am not sure, because I constantly have to remind the caregivers to do little things like making sure they check on her and do a walk through not just popping their head in. My mother has Alzheimers and needs extra care. Sometimes she gets it, sometimes she doesn't. The dining room looks good but there have been ongoing problems there since my mother got there. The average wait for food is more than a half an hour. The food is not always warm, and the salads are often cold with the shredded cheese looking melted. I bring in Kroger salad bar for my mom; it taste much better. The menu is decent, but many times does not have good old American food on it, like a turkey dinner, roast beef hotshot, or a plain lasagna. I have yet to see a good old fried chicken dinner. Some of the help is excellent but others are poor and need lessons in customer service skills. Activities are the highlight and get an A grade from me. All in all, my best advice is not to drop your loved off and think the initial impression is what you get. Go and visit as often as you can. You are the advocate your loved one(s) have.

There has been recent staff changes. There is a new facility director and a new director of care. Families of the residents were not notified of the changes until a few weeks later. The food is fair. The nursing staff is competent. Cleaning staff is pleasant. Activities have declined over the past year - possibility due to budget cuts. It is not the most happy place for some residents and it shows. The residents age range varies - so does their cognitive level. Most residents have ambulatory issues. Getting in and out of the dining room can be a challenge as a result.

Concerned about inconsistency of care, "mis-communications", high turn over rate of caregivers and nursing staff, "missing" medications, re-occurring infections.

We toured this community when we were looking into care options for a loved one. I thought this place looked nice overall, but unfortunately it was not somewhere we were able to consider as an option. They considered her a fall risk, and would not accept her in anywhere but their memory care unit, which is not somewhere we thought she could be happy.

Just OK. Nothing compelling

Nice looking property & good activities but was freezing inside! All the residents were wearing sweaters and blankets on laps & some wore knit gloves trying to stay warm. It was 80 degrees outside but felt like 68 degrees inside. Too cold for elderly people who have thin skin.

I have rated the facility based on my overall experience with staff and service. I have mixed feelings on this place because it is my first experience with such a facility and there are some very nice people that work there. Unfortunately, I have not felt the warmth and care they advertise from the directors of this facility. I even had an issue where I called the Facility Director and he promised to sit in on a meeting and not only did he not sit in, the meeting was held outside of his office and he came out of his office and did not even bother to introduce himself or speak to me. I am not sure what I was expecting from this facility that charges a great amount of money but, the truth is, if it would not be such a traumatic event, I would be looking for another facility for my family. Apparently moving an older person is not good for them and causes anxiety and confusion. This is the only reason I still deal with this place. The common areas are well kept and clean. I think more attention is needed to individual rooms.

Mother felt the apt. was much too small, price too high, and did not like that there was no door to the outside. This was the first place she looked at and I'm not sure she even knows what she wants. Thank you to Mary Ellen for the follow up call to me. I think she needs some comparisons to realize what she is looking at and what the concept of assisted living is. Thank you !

very quiet, residents not very engaged with one another, neat and clean, residents do own laundry, committees of residents to make meal choices, etc., friendly employees - color coded attire, large studio was very spacious

Very nice, clean place. Loved speaking with the Director today. The delux was small and the 1 bedroom was not available to see. We walked away thinking about it, but will have to see mother's reaction.

They have a high turn over at this community and it can be hard to get a hold of someone at this community. They lost the activities director for a while and now things are starting to pick up. I would be aware because of staffing that you may not get all of the care that you need. You do have to make sure that you are involved and making sure that your loved one is well taken care of. Sometimes they have agency staff come in and they are not there full time so things tend to get overlooked. I would just make sure that you are actively involved.

when we made the decision to move my parent we chose spring hill lake mary because we felt confidant in the care that was promised. it seems like if its not one thing its another that is going wrong. sometimes its the apartment being broken or how the workers are treating my parent. and i can get over small things but what is really setting me off now is how they are mishandling and manipulating the coronavirus pandemic. they have these set times that you can do a visit through a window but now they limited the hours to weekdays only and from 9 am until 5 pm. HELLO ALOT OF US STILL WORK!!! and when im trying to get help to sort this out i leave message after message and no one is calling me back and the receptionist say i promise i relayed your message and im sorry and i believe them because there the only ones who answer their phones! then to top it all off everyone who worked there that we got comfortable with and we knew has all left or was fired and now we dont know who is taking care of our parents. many fmaily members have spoken about this and alot of us are not happy with it. and the people who are now there are rude and my parent said that they tell *** theyll come back to help but *** sits there and waits until they makes a mess of themself trying to go to the bathroom. i am looking for somewhere else to move **** and i know many others are to.

The place looks nice, has a lot of activities, and has variety in their menus - although sometimes something on the menu isn't available. The staff members are friendly but seem overworked. Communication with staff can be frustrating. A few things about the wellness (nursing/meds) care have been a little bit alarming. I believe this place is best for fairly independent people, because care seems minimal at times. However, if you're mobile, "with it" mentally, and can afford a retirement home rather than assisted living, you probably don't need Spring Hills. Unless you're VERY independent (i.e., have a car, have a friend who visits regularly, etc.) you might be bored - or sad - living there. So overall, I'm not sure I'd recommend Spring Hills or not. It has its strengths, and maybe isn't any worse than other AL facilities. It's certainly not perfect, though.

During the two tours we had prior to choosing this home we saw staff engaging the residents. Once we had moved mom in, and we would “stop by” there was little to no real care; the staff got the residents dressed, in diapers, and pushed them into the recreation room with the others, placed them in front of a TV and left them. It was a sad experience to watch. The staff “barely” spoke English and this made it harder for the elderly to understand. She passed in [date removed], and the body was picked up within 24hrs and transported to the funeral home. However, when we arrived 3 days later to remove items from her room; even the socks she had on at her passing were still on the floor; the room hadn’t been cleaned or straightened. It’s a horrible place to send loved ones. It was too overwhelming to try to have her moved and we didn’t have the funds after being in contract with them.

I would say to be careful about the level of care of the person that you are sending to live at this community. They will indicate that they can handle more than they actually can. Within the beginning of being here our loved one had some injuries so I feel like they are suffering from a lack of quantity and quality in the staffing department. The ones that are there are just overworked. My loved one has now moved because he spent more time in the hospital than in the community.

As a family we made a decision to move our mother to Spring Hills. We visited over ten facilities prior to selecting this one. When I toured and subsequently when my sister toured we were “sold” on the “care”. Our first impression when we went in was that it’s an old building that needs more attention to upkeep but that pales in comparison to what a facility can offer insofar as hands on care, so we listened and learned a lot from the sales woman. We were told how care is managed and it seemed they had the best plan in place for our mom. Since moving in though, little if any of that care has been provided. Mom is never showered on the right days or at the right times, her laundry is stacked, her hair is never shampooed or combed, her hearing aides are often left off of her. It’s a lot of promises and no holding up. We are looking elsewhere because things have not improved. The communicating with nurses is terrible. We are very disappointed.

Only assisted living available. Very pricey for 2 people.

First of all, I was very conflicted in writing this review. I really do like some of the staff members and administrators at Spring Hills. [Removed] are both accessible and very polite. The problem is that I have talked to [Removed], whom I usually deal with, probably a good hundred times since my mother has been there. Why? Because what is promised and put into the care plan is not being done. All my concerns are pleasantly addressed but 90% of them are never resolved. As for myself, I am retired and have visited my mother 3 times a week 5-6 hours a day for the last two years and seven months, the entire time she has been at Spring Hills Singing Woods. So I know what I am going to speak about in this review. My mother, [Removed], has Alzheimer's. She is in her sixth year of this terrible disease. She is in the Assisted Living Section at Spring Hills. She does not wander and she is the most pleasant woman you could ever want to meet. Unfortunately, she can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago. She is on a care level 3 and has a fairly simple care plan. My mother is not in a wheel chair and does not have any bowel problems. She DOES need help getting dressed in the morning and at bedtime and assistance to and from meals. Her room is a good long ways from the front entrance and the dining room and since she has Alzheimer's she may not remember the way. Before I get more deeply into care plan issues let me address the most serious concern I have dealt with and that is running out of my mom's medication(s). This has happened at least three times with my mother in the two years and seven months she has been there. This is unacceptable and must NEVER happen as this could cause fatal consequences. It was addressed quickly but only after I brought it to the administrator's attention. Now, for the care plan. I ask for two hour checks to make sure mom is ok, the toilet paper is filled and the room is in order (not too hot, not too cold, room a mess). Mom does not know how to do the temperature controls on the heating and cooling unit in the room. I have come in and the temperature in the room is too hot or too cold. I have come in and it is turned off completely. On mom's unit in her room the button that adjusts the desired temperature does not work right. New employees are not told of this and they adjust it incorrectly or just turn it off. When I ask that it be fixed I was told it was an old unit and there's nothing they could do. I checked the filter and it was caked with dirt. I cleaned it myself. As for the promised two hour checks, many, many times they have turned into into 5-6 hour checks and many are just an aide sticking their head in to say "you ok" and leave. That is NOT what the care plan calls for. They are supposed to do a walk thru to see if the toilet paper is out, and the bathroom or other parts of the room need attention. I have come in to find toilet paper empty and the bathroom a mess. I have asked for the lights to be left on during the day. The room is very low light when the lights are not turned on and my mom's vision is poor. Guess what? I have came in and still do, only to find my mom sitting in the dark. Luckily I leave one light in the corner on for mom all the time. Mom is supposed to get help with dressing in the morning and evening before bed. Many times I have come in and she has had mismatched clothes on, which to me indicates she never got the help she was supposed to get. She is supposed to get help getting into her night gown and put into bed by 7:30 pm. I call at 7:30 and mom is still sitting on her couch and no one has been in to assist her. I have called at 8 pm before and mom is still sitting there, half asleep on the couch when I call. I have put up many signs in the room just to get mom's blinds pulled up every morning so light comes into the room and she doesn't have to sit in the dark. That was a battle that took two years to get done. In the dining room (90% of the time), none of the aides (the girls in red shirts) assist the patrons who need help (people with dementia, people in wheelchairs, or just people who need a coffee refill). How do I know this? Because I have eaten dinner with my mother there for two years and seven months, three times a week. Many times the residents wait 15 -20 minutes before someone will fill their coffee cup when they first come down. Don't expect dirty dishes to be taken off the table during the meal or your loved ones being ask if they are ready for dessert. In over two years coming to dinner with my mom three days a week, have I yet to hear a server come over and ask a resident "is everything ok or can I get you anything else". When I am there, there is always a minimum 20-30 minute wait time between when the resident is done with dinner and a server asking if they want anything for dessert. Don't get me wrong. There are good things. The building is beautiful on the inside and beautifully landscaped on the outside. the girls that sweep the hallways do a great job. The front desk personnel are helpful and friendly. The activity people are great. The chef in the kitchen has addressed some of my issues and is very friendly and helpful when I see her. The administrators are friendly and polite. BUT, and that is a big but, if problems don't get resolved and your loved ones with disabilities don't get the care and compassion they deserve and that they are paying their life savings to get, it is all smoke and mirrors. I can honestly say that there is currently only one aide that works there that I trust to follow the care plan and take good care of my mother. The other good ones have left for jobs that pay a quarter or fifty cents more an hour. Spring Hills needs to offer an incentive or merit raise program so good employees are rewarded and offered pay raises. Otherwise the good ones will continue to leave and seek higher paying employment. I would love to be a part of a training class for new employees and give the perspective of a family member. No charge. If after reading this you wonder why I keep my mother at Spring Hills, it is because moving her would only confuse her and accelerate her decline and I will not do that to my mom at this juncture in her illness. I think at the very least, family members deserve the peace of mind to know there loved one are getting the care that they are promised and paid for. So far I still long too see that day.

My father was admitted to Spring Hills in the fall of 2016, and he was recently denied re-admittance to the facility after a hospitalization, on the grounds that the nursing staff at Spring Hill could not provide proper care for him. This is somewhat understandable, but the manner in which it was carried out was not. The administration at Spring Hill has very poor customer service; no one ever returns phone calls or seems to listen to voicemail messages. They seem to care more about their bottom line than their residents. The support staff, who actually takes care of the residents day to day, was, for the most part, excellent and very helpful. However, the Head Nurse in charge of assessments, [Removed], was abrasive, unsympathetic, and refused to listen to our concerns, and even lied about previous statements she made to our family. Because of these duplicitous actions by the administration, I strongly advise thinking twice about signing up with them. Before you sign the contract and start paying, they are very nice and accommodating, but their true nature reveals itself once they have your money.

The staff at this facility need a course in caring my loved one who needs help with dressing toiletry etc. is left many a day wet and at the mercy of the staff. This shouldn’t happen to her anywhere.