Overall sentiment in the reviews is broadly positive about the physical environment, amenities, dining, social atmosphere, and many staff interactions, but there is a notable and serious negative outlier concerning care quality and management that warrants attention. Multiple reviewers emphasize the facility’s attractive setting — situated atop a hill with expansive views of Rapid City — and describe a bright, clean, and well-maintained building. Specific facility highlights include a vaulted-ceiling dining area with large windows near the entrance, a large dining room, chapel, library, game room, wellness center, accessible courtyard, elevator, post office boxes, and in-hall washers/dryers. The community size (59 units) and an attached assisted living wing are repeatedly mentioned and contribute to a homey, small-family feel. Several reviewers also noted tasteful decorations (for example, holiday décor), and an overall comfortable, welcoming interior.
Staff and care are a mixed theme across the summaries. A large number of reviews praise staff as friendly, courteous, helpful, and well-trained. Many residents and families report positive interactions, quick staff responses, informative tours, smooth move-ins, and appreciation for staff kindness. Reviewers describe a strong sense of community among residents and staff, purposeful engagement with activities, and conscientious adherence to guidelines (including low reported COVID cases). Conversely, there is at least one serious negative account describing poor quality of care: that reviewer reported rarely seeing staff, multiple hospitalizations (four for the resident), and observation of severe understaffing (only one nurse on duty). That reviewer also cited staff-administrator conflict and alleged misleading charges or cost increases, which ultimately led to relocating their mother to another facility that provided 'excellent care.' These contrasting reports indicate variability in care experiences and raise concerns about consistency of oversight and staffing levels.
Dining, activities, and lifestyle are frequently praised. The food is described as tasty home-cooking with a good dining experience in a large, bright dining room; multiple reviewers singled out lunches and home-cooked meals positively. Activity offerings and opportunities for engagement appear robust: reviewers note active programming, walking and hiking areas, wellness resources, and social opportunities that create a purposeful, engaging lifestyle. Many reviewers commented that residents feel at home, that the atmosphere is welcoming, and that there is meaningful resident-to-resident friendliness contributing to community cohesion.
Management and value present a generally favorable but again somewhat mixed picture. Numerous comments highlight friendly management, competitive pricing, and good perceived value. Tours and move-ins are characterized as informative and smooth. However, the serious negative review introduced allegations of billing issues and conflicts between staff and administration. While most reviewers expressed satisfaction with management and pricing, the allegations of misleading charges and cost increases — even if reported by a single reviewer — are notable and should be verified by prospective residents and families during the tour and contract review.
In summary, Good Samaritan Society - Echo Ridge - The Manor receives consistent praise for its attractive location, clean and well-appointed facilities, generous amenities, social atmosphere, and many caring staff members. Eating and activity programs receive positive mentions as important contributors to residents’ quality of life. At the same time, there is a significant cautionary report describing poor care, understaffing, repeated hospitalizations, and administrative conflict that resulted in a family moving their loved one elsewhere. That report contrasts sharply with the generally positive reviews and suggests variability in staffing or management practices at times. Prospective residents and families should weigh the many positive environment- and community-related attributes against the outlier care concerns by asking targeted questions during tours: inquire about current staffing ratios and nurse coverage, incident reporting and resolution processes, recent changes in fees, and references from current families. Doing so will help clarify whether the positive patterns reported by most reviewers align with current operations and address the serious concerns raised by the negative account.
