Avera Maryhouse

    717 E Dakota Ave, Pierre, SD, 57501
    4.2 · 5 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    2.0

    Great staff, serious facility problems

    I'm grateful beyond words for the excellent care-OT Amanda, PT Brittney, Nora, and nurses Jane and Lori were consistently kind, skilled, and made a real positive difference in my mom's life. That said, the transitional care unit had serious problems: poor cleanliness, unprofessional/rude staff who sometimes forgot feedings and medications, frequent conflicts with family (even involving an attorney), so proceed with caution.

    Pricing

    Schedule a Tour

    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    4.20 · 5 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      3.0
    • Staff

      3.7
    • Meals

      1.0
    • Amenities

      4.2
    • Value

      4.2

    Pros

    • High-quality nursing care
    • Outstanding occupational therapy (Amanda)
    • Outstanding physical therapy (Brittney)
    • Compassionate staff member Nora
    • Nurses Jane and Lori praised
    • Consistent kindness, knowledge, skills, and empathy among some staff
    • Positive impact on residents' lives
    • Transitional Care Unit receives strong praise
    • Polite staff (reported in some reviews)

    Cons

    • Facility cleanliness issues
    • Unprofessional or rude staff reported
    • Staff forgetting to feed residents
    • Medications sometimes missed or not administered
    • Frequent conflicts between family and staff
    • Attorney involvement/legal disputes
    • Multiple systemic issues reported
    • Inconsistent care and staff performance

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the supplied reviews is strongly mixed, with some reviewers offering high praise for individual clinicians and units while others report serious, potentially dangerous problems. The most consistently positive themes center on direct clinical care from therapists and specific nurses, and the transitional care unit; the most serious negative themes concern hygiene, missed basic care tasks (feeding and medication), poor professionalism from some staff, and escalated conflicts that involved attorneys.

    Care quality: Several reviews describe excellent, even life-changing clinical care. Occupational therapy (Amanda) and physical therapy (Brittney) are singled out by name for being "amazing," and nurses Jane and Lori are specifically described as "incredible". Reviewers used words like "excellent care," "consistent kindness," "knowledge," "skills," and "empathy," and at least one family indicated the care made a positive difference in a resident's life and expressed profound gratitude. At the same time, there are direct allegations of missed basic care tasks — staff forgetting to feed residents and staff failing to provide medications. These are serious safety concerns that contrast sharply with the praise for particular clinicians and suggest variability in care quality across shifts, roles, or units.

    Staff and interpersonal dynamics: The reviews reveal a polarized view of staff behavior. On the positive side, multiple staff members were described as compassionate and polite, leaving a "genuine heartfelt impression." Specific employees (Amanda, Brittney, Nora, Jane, Lori) received enthusiastic praise for their competence and empathy. Conversely, other reviews describe unprofessional and rude staff, frequent arguments between families and staff, and reported communication breakdowns. The presence of both very positive and very negative interpersonal reports points to inconsistency in staff training, culture, supervision, or staffing stability.

    Facilities and environment: One or more reviews explicitly call out an "unclean facility," which is a clear operational concern, especially in a senior care environment where cleanliness affects infection risk and comfort. The transitional care unit, however, is singled out for praise, indicating that some parts of the facility meet high standards while others may not. The combination of a praised unit and reports of poor cleanliness suggests uneven facility-wide performance rather than uniformly good or bad conditions.

    Dining and daily care activities: There is limited direct information about formal dining services or recreational activities in the supplied reviews. However, the allegation that staff forgot to feed residents is a major red flag about daily care routines and oversight. Because feeding and medication administration are fundamental duties, reports of these failures imply potential problems with staffing levels, training, scheduling, or supervision during meal and medication rounds.

    Management, communication, and escalation: Several reviews indicate significant conflict between families and staff, described as "frequent arguments," and at least one mention of "attorney involvement," implying that disagreements have escalated beyond routine complaints. This suggests weaknesses in communication, complaint resolution, and possibly documentation or policy adherence. The combination of missed medications/feeding and adversarial family relationships may reflect systemic failures in management processes, accountability, or staffing that warrant investigation by prospective residents and their families.

    Notable patterns and overall assessment: The dominant pattern is one of contrast and inconsistency. When care is delivered by specific praised clinicians or in the transitional care unit, families report exceptional, compassionate, and effective care. When care falls to other staff or during other shifts, reviewers report significant lapses in safety and professionalism, including missed medications and feeding, poor cleanliness, and conflict requiring legal counsel. This split suggests variability in staff competence or supervision rather than a uniformly high or low standard across the facility.

    Recommendations for prospective residents and families (based on review content): If considering this facility, ask targeted questions about medication administration protocols, feeding and dining supervision, staffing ratios on all shifts, cleanliness and housekeeping schedules, how the facility handles complaints and family concerns, and whether you can meet or observe the specific units and the staff members who will provide direct care. Request references, visit the transitional care unit if that is relevant, and seek clarity on escalation procedures and documentation practices to reduce the risk of the problems reported.

    In summary, these reviews depict a facility with pockets of excellent, compassionate clinical care and named staff who make a very positive difference, alongside serious and recurring operational problems with cleanliness, basic care tasks, professionalism, and family relations. The overall picture is one of uneven performance: very good care is possible, but so are significant lapses. Prospective families should probe the specific concerns raised here and verify consistency across units and shifts before making placement decisions.

    Location

    Map showing location of Avera Maryhouse

    About Avera Maryhouse

    Avera Maryhouse is a long-term care and skilled nursing facility located at 717 E Dakota Ave in Pierre, South Dakota, and it's the kind of place where people can find nursing care, assisted living, memory care, and even independent living options all in one 3-story building, so there's some choice depending on how much help someone needs or wants. The building has space for up to 80 or 82 beds, and folks can choose from private or semi-private rooms, which helps a person have a little quiet or share some company, depending on what fits best. Avera Maryhouse sits on the campus of the Avera Medical Group, so seniors can easily get treatments like cardiac care, surgeries, or women's health services just nearby, and there's even quick access to the Mississippi River and quieter parts of town. Meals and schedules try to fit a person's own way of life, and the place offers programs for physical, emotional, and spiritual support, including two rooms dedicated for hospice care when someone's at the end of life and needs special comfort. The staff at Avera Maryhouse speak English, and the community works with many different state and federal financial aid programs, like SD Medicaid HCBS Waiver, Medicare Savings, VA Aid and Attendance, Property Tax Reduction, and more, which might make care possible for folks with all kinds of budgets. On top of regular nursing care, people can get help with physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and the facility offers respite and adult day care services for those who just need a break or a little extra help for a while. People can join in on arts and crafts, wellness programs, and spiritual activities, and there's a library for reading or relaxing, plus both visitor and resident parking, which is nice for anyone coming to see family. The building allows pets, so people don't have to leave their animals behind, and there's transportation available for getting to appointments or outings. The facility has a focus on keeping people engaged in the community and tries to make life full and supportive, whether a resident needs care because they're older or have a disability, and while not every need or service is spelled out, the aim is always about comfort, support, and treating every person with care.

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