Avera Prince Of Peace Retirement Community - Oakwood in Sioux Falls, SD

Pros

• Avera POP is described as the best caregiver in the area.
• The PT staff is engaged in seeking recovery and makes efforts to provide residents with interaction.
• The overall facility is of high quality.
• The administrator and director of nursing are nice and committed to improving the facility.
• The reviewer is glad to be a part of the facility's growth.

Cons

• The reviewer described the facility as very unprofessional, with nurses who were rude and lazy and talked badly about residents.
• The social worker was significantly below expectations in setting up a forward plan and presenting options.
• There were delays in answering call buttons, with a resident waiting about 25 minutes for assistance.
• A resident was found asleep on the toilet, unattended.
• A doctor-ordered above-the-knee compression socks were not provided during a one-week stay, despite daily reminders.
• The night shift was described as cruel and mean, with the coordinator described as vicious and protective of staff (and food being refused to residents).
• Admissions staff failed to return calls, and the phone responders did not seem happy to be at work.
• There were reports of staff drinking on shift, including a strong vodka odor and a staff member stumbling in the parking lot.

Review

This community is best suited for families pursuing short-term rehabilitation where active supervision and advocacy from loved ones can be part of the recovery plan. The rehab unit shows genuine engagement from some therapists and a framework aimed at driving improvement, with social interaction built into recovery efforts. For those whose priority is a clearly defined rehab trajectory and measurable movement forward, Avera Prince Of Peace Oakwood can deliver results when the care team aligns. By contrast, anyone seeking reliable, long-term custodial care, with consistently respectful daily nursing and seamless routine support, should evaluate other options. In short, the facility may be a viable rehab-focused choice, but it is unlikely to be the best fit for sustained, everyday care.

The strongest positives revolve around the rehabilitation experience. Several reviewers highlight a recovery-focused posture from the PT staff, who actively pursue progress and seek to keep residents engaged beyond the standard sessions. The overall rehab environment is described as capable, with reasonable standards of organization and program structure that support mobility and activity goals. There are also indications that leadership, when engaged, can respond and push for improvements, which matters in facilities where the care experience hinges on accountability and direction. Taken together, these rehab strengths create a reasonable expectation for families with a trajectory toward independence and functional gains.

Yet, the cons are persistent and consequential. Across multiple accounts, nursing staff are characterized as unprofessional or disengaged, with residents and families reporting rude behavior and poor responsiveness to call bells. There are specific, troubling episodes: patients left unattended or unsafely placed, mismatched or delayed medical orders, and a pattern of under-staffing that leaves families waiting for assistance well beyond acceptable timeframes. Allegations, whether verified or not, of staff intoxication or impaired conduct, as well as routine communication breakdowns, color the long-term care experience with distrust. Night shifts and daily operations emerge as recurring trouble spots, undermining the safety and dignity essential to an elder-care setting.

Do the apparent pros offset the main cons? Not reliably. The rehab program’s strengths can deliver meaningful gains in mobility and confidence, but they do not compensate for the persistent gaps in everyday care, safety, and communication that many families encounter in the long-term environment. The presence of capable therapists and some considerate leaders is offset by repeated warnings about missed calls, neglect during ordinary activities, and inconsistent adherence to medical directives. For families evaluating total ownership of daily quality of life, the contrast between reform-minded rehab services and everyday care lapses is a decisive factor, one that tilts the balance away from choosing this facility as a sustained home.

Families weighing this community should approach with a concrete plan to govern care. Demand a detailed, assigned care team with explicit responsibilities and a schedule you can monitor. Insist on reliable call-button response checks, and observe how quickly staff respond during a live tour or first few visits. Probe fall-prevention measures, medication administration accuracy, and the social work function to coordinate transitions either back home or to another setting. Seek candid input from current residents and families about daily routines, mealtime consistency, activity options, and the tempo of staff interactions. Establish a clear escalation path to administration and, if necessary, to state oversight bodies, so that concerns can be promptly documented and addressed.

Bottom line: Avera Prince Of Peace Oakwood offers a conditional value proposition. For families prioritizing rehabilitation with engaged therapists and a facility framework that supports recovery goals, there is potential value, provided vigilant oversight and active advocacy are in play. For anyone seeking dependable, high-quality long-term care with consistently respectful daily interaction, safer call responsiveness, and steadier staffing, the odds favor looking at alternatives first. This community can serve in a rehab-specific role, but it requires rigorous management of expectations, explicit accountability, and readiness to pivot if long-term care standards do not meet the family’s non-negotiables.

Places of Worship

• Holy Spirit Church (0.2 miles)
• First Reformed Church (1.6 miles)
• Westminster Presbyterian Church (1.8 miles)
• Hillcrest Baptist Church (1.9 miles)

Parks

• Lewis Park (0.9 miles)
• Harmodon Park (1.5 miles)
• Prairie Trail Park (1.6 miles)
• McKennan Park (2.7 miles)
• Yankton Trails Park (2.8 miles)
• Lyon Park (3.3 miles)

Cafes

• Scotters Coffee (1 miles)
• Panera Bread (3 miles)
• Coffea Roasterie (3.1 miles)
• Daily Clean Food and Drink (3.3 miles)
• All Day Cafe (3.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Attic Bar & Grill (1.1 miles)
• Stubbies Bar & Grill (1.2 miles)
• Burger King (1.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.8 miles)
• Tinner's Bar & Grill (2.4 miles)
• Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet (2.9 miles)
• Burger King (2.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.1 miles)
• Lewis Drugs Southeast (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2 miles)
• Caretrends Pharmacy (2.6 miles)
• Avera McKennan Campus Pharmacy (2.6 miles)
• Avera Pharmacy - Sioux Falls - Cliff Avenue (2.6 miles)
• Lewis Drug Stores (2.7 miles)

Physicians

• Boote, Rochelle, Joy, MD (1.6 miles)
• CORE Orthopedics & Sports Medicine of South Dakota (1.9 miles)
• Avera Medical Group Mcgreevy (2.2 miles)
• Dakota Dermatology (2.2 miles)
• Sanford Clinic Family Medicine (2.3 miles)
• Plastic Surgery Associates Of South Dakota (2.4 miles)
• Sanford Pediatric Therapy Services (2.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Prairie States Surgical Center (1.9 miles)
• Boehm Shereck, Lori (3 miles)
• The Body Mind Bridge (3.6 miles)

Theaters

• Century East at Dawley Farm (2.8 miles)