Southern Hills Retirement Community

Tia

My mom will be moving into Southern Hills Retirement Community. I went there twice. The experience was really good, they were very friendly. And the residents seem very happy. And I liked the way that the facility was laid out because it seems to be easy to remember where things are. And the outside garden courtyard area is very big and it's very nice. They had a pub downstairs in the basement, which also doubles as their storm cellar. So that made me quite happy that she had not only a place to go to socialize besides just the dining room or the main common area but a place where they can have get-togethers and play cards and have a couple of drinks and just be safe during the storms because this is Oklahoma. So we do have tornadoes here quite often. Everyone seems helpful. Everyone's willing to sit and answer your questions, and they sort of like working there, which is also a big deal because unhappy employees don't necessarily make for a happy environment. They're in the process of remodeling. They seem to have plenty going on. They were having bingo in the dining hall and they had different holidays and things. But I think also, I like that they have three days a week where they'll -- they've got a little van there where they take the residents who don't drive to shopping, getting whatever items they need, shampoos, whatever, snacks for their apartments. And then the other, they've got two days where you would schedule your doctor's appointments and they take you to the doctor and back. So they have it set up for independent living in a nice way, even if the residents don't drive. It's a really, really budget -friendly place that still offers all the great stuff.

Glenda

I looked at Southern Hills Retirement Community. It was the least expensive, but I didn't like the location. It felt like it was harder to get to for guests and things, and I didn't think the parking was good. The structure seemed to be fine. There wasn't much of an outside area. I met the sales rep, and she was nice.

Reviewer RC#0421a

Southern Hills Retirement Community is a nice place. The people are friendly and everyone gets along. I wish my room had a stove in it, but it doesn't. Maintenance is very good. The dining area is nice and the staff is friendly. We just don't have many activities and the food could be better.

Elaine

My mom moved into the Southern Hills Retirement Community. She's very comfortable there. They have some activities. My mom likes to play cards and bingo. The staff members are excellent. My mom is very pleased with the variety of food and the way it's cooked. The room was very well organized and neat. They have a library, a laundry room, an arts and crafts room, and a room where they play cards. They interact very well with the people who live there.

Al

I visited Southern Hills Retirement Community. It wasn't very nice. It's the least expensive one we had visited and was very modest. They didn't have a stove, just a sink, and a little refrigerator. It's for people with low income. It's not that bad, it's pet friendly, which is nice, but it's a little dated. The staff was friendly. They had a little courtyard, you walk around inside there, but it's just dated and older. At one point, it had very low occupancy. They've improved some but it wasn't really fully occupied. There's a bunch of unoccupied units there, but they're pretty inexpensive. So those on a lower income that still live independently can live there. There was an ambulance there when we visited. We really didn't get the proper introduction and walk around like we normally would because some of the staff was occupied as they took someone to the hospital. The staff members were polite, and they seemed to be nice and engaged. They were just getting by and doing better. They said more people had moved in, but the place has 75 apartments and probably at 60 percent occupancy now. It's a lower income, lower quality, and lower expectation facility. The rooms were moderate, not tiny, but modest. A number of people like it because it's not expensive, but still safe. It's in a relatively safe area of town. I saw a shuttle bus out there that could take people places.

Kristen

My mother-in-law is already settled in Southern Hills Retirement Community. She is not having a good experience, but when we go down to visit and assist her, it's a nice place. So I guess it's all about perception. It's a really great place. They provide meals and they clean. It's a very friendly, wonderful community. The rooms are very clean and in great condition. There are lots of rooms. They have many activities. Sometimes they have outside venues come into the residence so that the residents don't have to leave. They also take them to places. They will take them to the drugstore if they need to and things like that, and then they have a craft room as well. I actually got to sit and have a meal. They are homemade meals, they're big portions, and they get dessert if they like. It's really good food. The staff are really great. I communicate with the property manager often, and it's good. The elevators could be bigger and more updated, but other than, it's a really great place to get around. I've never gotten to do an activity with my mother-in-law, but I've seen people in the classroom having fun. It's a great price. It's very affordable. It's very good.

Dorothy

We toured Southern Hills Retirement Community. I liked it real well. I may have chosen that because everything looked good over there. It was comfortable. The person who took me around was a very nice lady who had a cute little hat on, so that was always cute. She took us to two different apartments, and one had a pretty flower garden outside and was well taken care of, and the other one didn't. She knew all the answers to the questions we asked her. She's just very good at her job. I was looking for a studio room and that's what they showed me. During the tour, there were four ladies playing cards. They told us about things that they have. We saw a courtyard. It looked nice. I was impressed with everything.

James

Southern Hills Retirement Community is back off of a busy street. It was quiet. They didn't have covered parking, and they didn't have a lot going forward. That place is more geared to people that get around some and don't require a whole lot of living space. They have three meals, they have a nice dining room, and they have a nice recreation area. You could get out and do crafts or visit with other people. They have a little courtyard thing. It just wasn't for me. The staff who showed me around was very nice. She showed me several different one-bedroom places. But their square footage was so small that I'm just not ready to downsize that much. The staff knew everybody. They didn't have name tags, and she knew the names of all the people that we came across, and I thought that was nice that she even tried to remember people's names and the things that they liked and things that they didn't. She would comment like, 'Mary likes to do these crafts in the craft room making like birdhouses.' However, if you're 55 or whatever the minimum is to move in, you have to leave the grounds to go exercise, and having to leave to go to LaFortune Park to go for a walk to get exercise or go to YMCA to use the treadmill or their workout machines, that kind of stuff, and their small square footage room, I would give them a 3. The staff who showed me around was very friendly. She knew her job, and she did her job well. The place was remodeled and they were starting to get more and more people signing up to live there. It was probably 50% full. Price-wise, without having a lot going on, it was more affordable for me, but I didn't like not having covered parking, I didn't like having to leave the premises to get exercise, and the rooms are just way too small, square footage wise. It's just hard to downsize that much. My living room probably has more square footage than their whole one-bedroom place did. The hallways were clean. One of the rooms needed some maintenance. The other three one-bedroom locations were ready for tenants, and they were nice and clean and ready to go.

Judy

The price at Southern Hills Retirement Community is $1500 and all of my needs will be met. All of the bills are paid, I get 3 meals a day 7 days a week, and they will provide transportation to doctors and shopping if needed. My main concern was finding socialization. Cable and internet would be included in my rent and a lot of the places that I called and inquired about do not include them. A lot of them don't even include 3 meals a day, 7 days a week and this place does. They also provide housekeeping and linen service. They change the sheets on the bed and they have a laundry room that is provided for you for free. They have activities, which is important to me because I'm a people person. They also have a big bus and they can go on outings together. The facilities are all recently updated. They are all painted and have new carpets everywhere. My apartment is not completed yet but everything is there. They said it would be 30 days before I could move in. It's all updated because they tore everything down and rebuilt it on the inside. The place has a big living area with a fireplace that has tables and chairs where they sit around, play games, and talk. It's all carpeted and it has a big door that goes right directly to the outside where they have barbecues and a koi pond. The interior is just beautiful. They even have a basement with a pool table and a bar. I did the tour on Thursday, with Julie, the manager. Yesterday my son went with me so he could see the apartment because he gave the final approval and is my family. He was impressed with it.

Mary Ann

It was raining when we got to Southern Hills Retirement Community, so it was downpouring and trees were whipping around. But we saw the main room around the fireplace, and it was very nice. I chose the room with the bay window because it seemed to be a lot bigger and there is a kitchenette because I'm not planning on cooking, but I would like to have cold drinks in my room and stuff. The two rooms I visited were the same, it's just that one had a balcony, and one had a bay window, so I chose the bay window because it looked a little bit bigger. We didn't eat there, but there seemed to be a few late stragglers, and they were helping them that night at 9:00. One resident greeted us as he went down to the basement and he said, 'Let me show you the basement because that's where all the fun happens.' So it was friendly. The person giving us the tour was very enthusiastic. She gave us what they did for activities and said there is an activity director.

Conan

I visited Southern Hills Retirement Community. The unit I saw was just a room. It didn't really have a kitchenette, but it had a sink. I don't have anything grand to say about it. The staff during the tour was very friendly, knowledgeable, and kind. There's a center courtyard. They had somebody come in who played music. The dining area was cafeteria style.

Stacy

Southern Hills Retirement Community was very nice. The staff was very friendly and the place was clean. Tammy was amazing. She was super knowledgeable, very kind, and answered all of my husband's questions. It was a great value for the price compared to other facilities. They had openings and several rooms to choose from with different options, like having a balcony or a larger room. They can also take them to the doctor's appointments. They have a hair salon in the basement, on-site laundry (that's free), and activities for the seniors. They had a poker night the weekend before, and so everyone was excited about that and talking about how great it was. It makes them feel like they belong. Tammy offered food to my children because they were there as well, so that was very kind of her, while they had coffee and snacks for us. They actually had a pond, so Tammy brought food to feed the fish, and let the kids feed them, which was just very sweet.

Stephanie

My grandmother is at Southern Hills Retirement Community. I like their activities, meals, transportation, and the rooms being located inside of the building. The staff is excellent and she likes the food. They do crafts and bingo, then they have a patio and courtyard.

Mickey

I toured Southern Hills Retirement Community and I was impressed with it. It was kind of small and the rooms were a little small, but I think there was still room for me. I won't need much room, just to have my computer, TV, and maybe a chair for in case somebody might come to see me sometimes. I was very impressed, especially with the location. It's right down in the middle of where the hospitals are and all the doctors. That was the best part of it. I only got to talk to one of the staff members, Tami. She's the one that showed me around, and she was very courteous; I enjoyed that. I noticed they had a koi pond. I was a fishery biologist and I noticed things like that. They have a koi pond on one side, and I noticed that that side was an extra $20, I guess, so I got a kick out of that. The place was very clean and there wasn't that smell like that of a nursing home. We saw the dining room and there were some people in there. I think they were using it as sort of a game room at the time. We saw everything they had. It was spotless and it was well cared for.

Suzie

The staff at Southern Hills Retirement Community was super helpful and it was very clean and new. They've remodeled everything so the facility is very nice. The only complaint we have is that it's kind of new ownership, there are not many residents, I think there are about 15 residents so the facility wasn't really established yet. It's located in the middle of town.

Provider Response

Mick Kernodle

Rooms at 3 levels were somewhat small, but comfortable and clean. The Staff was great and the location was excellent.

Charles

I found Southern Hills Retirement Community for my mom and she moved-in a couple weeks ago. It's a place to live. They have a dining area, a rec room, laundry, and a little library. They are very friendly and helpful. The food is hit or miss. It's a nicely designed facility. The rooms aside from being all different is pretty much nice, they're reasonably sized, they have a walk-in, stand-in or regular tubs, they got 1 or 2 bedrooms, and they're reasonably priced. It's a nice place. They have an activity program, but because of Covid obviously nobody's doing anything. This one fit our financial and physical needs.

Kenneth

My tour at Southern Hills Retirement Community was alright. The lady that was there was very nice. The cheapest room you could get there wasn't much bigger than the bedroom that I'm sleeping in right now, so it's kind of small. The atmosphere was very congenial. It was a nice place, but it wasn't my kind of place. It's more like a nursing home kind of situation to me. My sister talked to someone, and she seemed to think that I would be getting some kind of money from somewhere, government or VA or something like that, to help with this, and apparently, that's not the case. So we just couldn't afford it. The one studio apartment that I saw was just minuscule to me. The facilities were very nice and clean, and the staff was very professional.

Provider Response

Jeff Willison

We were very excited to find Southern Hills when we did. The Staff has been very helpful. My brother loves the food and friendships he has formed since becoming a member.

Jeff

My brother is in Southern Hills Retirement Community. The place was recently purchased, after which it was shut down and then redone, so everything is virtually brand new inside. I think they divided it all up into brand-new rooms. It has a beautiful entrance. It looks like you're walking into a pretty fancy hotel. There's an area where they go down and watch movies on Friday nights. The cost is very reasonable. We're paying $1350 a month. He gets three meals a day, and there are snacks available 24/7. They clean his room once a week, and he has free cable TV and a free landline telephone. They have somebody on the premises eight-to-ten hours a day, and then they have security 24/7. They've given us so much help since we moved in. He doesn't need anyone to tell him how or when to take his pills or how to do certain things, but even at his age, he didn't know how to use a washing machine, and he has to do his laundry there. They will do it for you, but they want $60 a month. He can do his own, and it's free. He continues to mess with the thermostat setting in his room, up to the point that he sets it to "on" instead of "auto" and then the fan runs all the time, and he doesn't like that. They went in and took control of that; they fixed the unit so he can't mess it up again. They do everything that needs to be done. They just come along and do it. The lady who runs the place has been there for over a month now, and she goes by and visits with him at least once a day. He has never lived on his own before, so she goes by once or sometimes twice a day, visits with him for a few minutes, makes sure everything's all right, and makes sure he's happy and that he's not having any problems. He goes down to the kitchen now. I was there the other day with him, and he was eating with five other people who live there. I am glad that he has made some friends. He's starting to feel good about himself. The staff is very friendly toward him and makes him feel very welcome. The food is excellent, and everybody loves it. I visited him at lunchtime two or three times, and they're having the best stuff. They don't have any activities going yet. This is a pretty brand-new facility. They're just now doing the Friday-night movie thing. They're getting ready to start their shuttle run to town once a week, and they'll also go to dinner or lunch once a week if the people want to do that. They just put in a brand-new koi pond, and the whole patio area is beautiful. They're getting ready to start all of that, but they were just finishing things. When he moved in, they were still working on the big patio, koi-pond area, and all that, and that's all been finished in the last couple of weeks. The value for the money is awesome. We have a lot of friends in Tulsa paying an additional $1500 a month and not getting as nice or as good service as we are. As soon as we saw this one, we put a deposit down immediately and took the room. It's just beautiful.

Provider Response