Southridge Senior Residences in Des Moines, IA

Pros

• The manager Farah is repeatedly described as wonderful, caring, and proactive in resolving issues.
• Abby is noted as thoughtful, professional, and helpful in assisting residents and facilitating transitions.
• The maintenance staff are fast, reliable, and responsive to requests.
• The team communicates well, coordinates access smoothly, and keeps residents informed.
• The complex is described as clean, well-maintained, and safe for seniors.
• Residents and neighbors are described as friendly and supportive, contributing to a welcoming community.
• The staff are easy to work with and genuinely care about residents' welfare.
• Farah and Abby are praised for going above and beyond in helping families and loved ones.
• The overall experience is described as a positive living environment with attentive management.

Cons

• There is a bedbug infestation and no timely action from the management.
• Residents experienced no heat for holidays, with poor maintenance response.
• The washer has been broken for a year, and some areas went three days without cleaning.
• The complex is poorly maintained, with heat not turned on until November and trash rooms locked on weekends.
• UPS packages were stolen from doors, and there are no cameras or help from management.
• The property was dirty, with urine and cigarette smoke odors in common areas.
• There have been multiple changes in management, leading to concerns about consistency of care.

Review

Southridge Senior Residences is best suited for active, social seniors who want a tight-knit community and a visible, hands-on manager to guide day-to-day living. The property leans into neighborly connections, with a track record of friendly residents and a management team that actively engages residents and families. The setting in Des Moines, IA offers accessible apartments and proximity to shops, which supports an independent-living lifestyle within a structured, age-appropriate environment. Those who prize lively social programming and a manager who will bounce between office hours and resident needs will find this community a compelling fit. However, for several residents and families, the decision hinges on tolerating occasional service hiccups and ensuring pest-control and comfort issues are reliably managed over time.

The clearest strength is leadership you can count on. Farah, the property manager, and Abby, her assistant, repeatedly emerge as the linchpins of Southridge’s daily operation. Residents describe Farah as energetic, empathetic, and relentlessly responsive, someone who tracks maintenance requests, communicates progress, and checks in with families. Abby likewise earns praise for being thoughtful, professional, and accessible during the move-in process and afterward. This level of practical, front-line management translates into quick fixes when problems arise, a visible willingness to coordinate access for vendors, and a culture where staff consistently try to keep residents informed and comfortable. In environments where management is the deciding factor for safety and peace of mind, this team stands out.

On the plus side, the community offers well-kept grounds, clean common areas, and apartments that feel ready for occupancy. Reviews repeatedly highlight positive impressions of cleanliness at move-in, tidy exterior upkeep, and the presence of convenient storage. The social fabric is another major plus: residents frequently cite friendly neighbors, accessible social activities, and a sense that neighbors look out for one another. The complex’s size and layout also appear conducive to casual interactions, with several accounts of residents forming meaningful friendships and families feeling welcome when visiting. Even during transitions, the staff’s collaborative approach helps preserve a warm, home-like atmosphere that makes Southridge feel like a true residence rather than a transient rental.

Yet the community is not without significant caveats. A recurring thread across multiple reviews centers on problems that can undermine daily comfort: concerns about bed-bug infestations, heating reliability, and inconsistent maintenance responsiveness during holiday periods or busy times. Some residents report persistent pest issues and lament insufficient or delayed pest control, while others insist there is no infestation at all, signaling a polarized experience that prospective residents must scrutinize. Heating and facility reliability emerge in a similar vein: there are accounts of heat being unavailable for days around holidays and reports of aging systems that require attentive oversight. These tensions are not merely cosmetic; they touch everyday quality of life, from climate control to sanitation and the perceived safety of shared spaces.

Equally consequential are operational hiccups that affect the sense of security and ease of living. Not all residents experience them, but several reviews describe frustrations with communication gaps, limited after-hours access to essential services, and occasional lapses in trash-room and common-area maintenance policies. Community spaces sometimes feel under-equipped, locked rooms, limited lobby furniture, and restrictive access during weekends or after hours contribute to a sense of incompleteness in an otherwise solid property. Package theft and limited camera coverage surface as legitimate concerns in a subset of experiences, underscoring the need for a practical, transparent policy framework and stronger security assurances for residents and visiting family members.

Taken together, the pros and cons create a clear decision framework. For seniors who value proactive, personable management, a welcoming social environment, and the reassurance that maintenance and vendor coordination will be handled promptly, Southridge stands tall. The manager-driven culture offers a tangible compensation for occasional operational gaps, and the overall atmosphere supports independent living with social engagement, nearby amenities, and clear lines of accountability. However, for families whose top priorities include an infallible pest-control record, unwavering heating reliability, robust after-hours service, and consistently transparent communication about issues that affect safety and daily routines, alternatives merit serious consideration. Pros offset some critical concerns when the focus is on human touch and daily responsiveness; cons would require a plan for risk mitigation if choosing this community.

When evaluating against alternatives, visitors should demand concrete assurances: documented pest-control history and current status, heat and boiler performance data, and a clear, accessible after-hours contact path. Observe how fast maintenance requests are resolved during peak times, and ask for recent examples of communication cadence, how updates are delivered, and who initiates them when issues arise. If accommodating a high need for uniform, uninterrupted comfort and forestalling potential disruptions is central to the decision, it may be prudent to explore other properties with stronger 24/7 staffing and more rigorous pest-control protocols. For families prioritizing social immersion, responsive leadership, and a home-like environment with active resident involvement, Southridge offers substantial value and a compelling invitation to make it a true residence rather than simply a place to live.

Restaurants

• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (0.2 miles)
• Taco Bell (0.3 miles)
• IHOP (0.7 miles)
• Jim's Coney Island (2 miles)
• Sam's Fine Food & Eggrolls (2.1 miles)
• Henry J Taco House (2.4 miles)
• Johnny's Italian Steakhouse (2.4 miles)

Physicians

• Radiant Complexions Dermatology Clinics (0.3 miles)
• Eyemart Optical Outlet - South Des Moines (0.6 miles)
• South Glenn Walk In Clinic (1 miles)
• Deanna Boesen, MD (1.3 miles)
• Mercy Clinics (1.3 miles)
• Primary Health Care - BEC Medical (2.4 miles)
• Oral Surgeons PC (2.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• MercyOne Des Moines Behavioral Health (1.3 miles)
• Osco Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• Walgreens (4.4 miles)
• Medicap (4.5 miles)
• Walgreens (5.1 miles)

Parks

• Sayers Park (2.1 miles)
• Water Works Park (2.5 miles)
• Stone Park (2.7 miles)
• Gray's Lake Park (3.5 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (2.4 miles)
• Starbucks (2.5 miles)
• Starbucks (3.8 miles)
• Starbucks (4 miles)
• Caribou Coffee (5 miles)

Transportation

• Des Moines International Airport (DSM) (2.5 miles)
• TSA Checkpoint (2.5 miles)
• Concourse C (2.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Blank Children's Hospital NICU (4.5 miles)
• Methodist Hospital North 6 (4.5 miles)
• UnityPoint Health - Iowa Methodist Medical Center - Emergency Department (4.5 miles)
• Methodist Outpatient Surgery (4.5 miles)
• North 3 - IMMC (4.5 miles)
• Mercy River Hills Surgery Center (4.8 miles)
• Select Specialty Hospital-Des Moines (4.9 miles)