Overall sentiment about Rolling Hills Health & Rehab of Topeka is mixed but leans toward positive for clinical rehabilitation and compassionate frontline caregiving, with recurring operational and administrative concerns that families should be aware of.
Care quality and rehabilitation are the most frequently praised elements. Multiple reviewers specifically highlight hands-on, professional therapy teams and rehabilitation staff who helped residents regain function and return home successfully. Reviews describe therapy personnel as very good, friendly, and instrumental in recovery, and some families report no complaints and say they could not have chosen a better facility for rehab. Several notes indicate short-stay, rehab-focused care is a strength, with attentive nursing and therapy updates during stays. Individual staff members receive strong praise (one named caregiver, Kiki, is singled out), and many reports emphasize that staff reduced family stress through good information-sharing and emotional support.
Staff behavior and communication are areas of sharp contrast in the reviews. Numerous families describe staff as kind, cheerful, compassionate, and attentive, creating a welcoming, family-like atmosphere. At the same time, several reviews document troubling behavior among nursing staff — examples include nurses talking down to residents, arguing or cussing with each other, and instances of rudeness or disorganization. Communication is uneven: some families report professional, timely updates from administration and therapy teams, while others describe poor communication, promises not kept, and a general need to stay on top of care (particularly medications). Staffing shortages are repeatedly noted and linked to delayed responses to call lights and help requests, though reviewers also say the facility is "working on it." This mixture suggests variability across shifts, units, or time periods.
Medication management and clinical safety show up as a significant concern for multiple reviewers. Several summaries cite medication errors, mismedication, and especially untimely insulin administration — to the point where families say they must monitor insulin doses closely. These are serious recurring themes and include accounts of miscues during longer stays, which some described as potential safety risks. Conversely, other reviewers explicitly praise the facility for being on top of meds and rehab, indicating that medication reliability may be inconsistent rather than uniformly poor.
Dining and ancillary services are similarly mixed. Some residents and families praise the food and dining area (food described as very good by a number of reviewers), and mention features like a low-cost family meal option. Others report cold or carb-heavy meals, wrong meals being served, and a pervasive kitchen odor or bad smell in parts of the facility. There are complaints about tipping expectations for food delivery and about extra charges (e.g., beauty shop fees). These financial and service-policy complaints, while not universally reported, contribute to negative experiences for some families.
Facilities, environment, and operations also show variability. Several reviewers appreciate clean spaces, private rooms, and a healthy, safe atmosphere, while others report issues such as bad smells, dirty carpet, an older building in need of updates, and a generally messy or unorganized facility. Administrative concerns are prominent: reviewers mention frequent turnover in leadership (four administrators in three years) and a perception of administrative incompetence or lack of follow-through. Some reviews say the facility has improved compared to two years ago, implying management or culture changes over time, while others describe a toxic workplace or inconsistent leadership.
Patterns: positive comments cluster around rehabilitation outcomes, compassionate frontline staff, and specific strong staff members; negative comments cluster around medication safety (especially insulin timing), unprofessional nursing behavior, inconsistent communication, facility odors/cleanliness, and administrative instability or policy complaints (tipping, extra charges). Taken together, the reviews paint a picture of a facility with clinically effective rehab services and many caring employees, but with notable operational and management-level problems that produce inconsistent resident experiences.
Implications for families: if considering Rolling Hills, expect strong rehabilitation and caring therapists and nurses at many times, but plan to ask specific questions about medication protocols (especially insulin), staffing levels on different shifts, administrative stability, and billing/ancillary charges. During visits, check odors, dining service, and cleanliness; ask for recent staffing and turnover data and speak to therapy leaders about discharge planning. The mixed reports and comments about improvement over time suggest that experiences can vary significantly, so an informed tour and direct questions will help set expectations and reduce risk of the negative issues reported by multiple reviewers.
