Fleur Heights Care Center in Des Moines, IA

Pros

• Fleur Heights Care Facility is by far the BEST facility in the DM Metro.
• All the staff are second to none - the nurses, rehab staff, the dietitian, the social worker, and everyone.
• The ambiance was healing and quiet, giving residents solace and supporting steady rehab progress.
• The team is the BEST TOGETHER - the number one team.
• Fleur Heights Care Facility is SECOND TO NONE.
• The facility provided an incredible referral for continuing follow-up home care, delivering the best possible outcome.
• Kudos to Fleur Heights; they work miracles.
• Via Health's Iris CCDI is beautiful and very clean.
• The new Memcare living space is lovely, safe, comfortable, and dementia-focused.
• Pictures in place of mirrors over the sink are a game changer.
• The Via Health team is extremely proud of their work and offers the best care and living environment.
• Great place for therapy and rehabilitation after hospital stays.

Cons

• The administration and staff are extremely unprofessional.
• The care provided is minimal and visitors receive little to no assistance.
• The staff ignored a medical emergency, leaving the patient waiting for help for almost two hours.
• The facility is dirty, disgusting, and should be shut down.
• Dried urine on surfaces and neglectful cleaning indicate serious lapses in care.
• The facility over-medicated a relative to the point of danger and failed to address a urinary tract infection, suggesting it should be closed.
• Understaffing causes long delays and poor responsiveness to residents' needs.

Review

Fleur Heights Care Center is best suited for families whose loved ones are transitioning from hospital or outpatient therapy and who can tolerate variability in daily operations in exchange for access to a skilled rehab team and a quiet, clean setting on days when staffing and administration align. When the facility is running smoothly, families report strong nursing and therapy support, solid cleanliness, and a healing ambience that can support meaningful rehabilitation progress. This is the kind of place where attentive therapists, dietitians, and social workers can come together to move a resident forward, particularly for short-term rehab stays.

At the same time, alternates should be strongly considered for families prioritizing consistently reliable daily care, transparent leadership, and consistently prompt responsiveness across all shifts. Several reviews flag persistent gaps in administration, frontline responsiveness, and overall day-to-day reliability. When those gaps surface - delays at the call button, uneven communication from social workers, or forgetfulness about routine needs - the best-reputed rehab gains and the clean ambiance can quickly feel hollow. For residents who require steady, predictable care and a hospital-to-home transition with unwavering staff presence, Fleur Heights may not be the safest bet without careful, ongoing oversight.

The strongest positives in the record center on genuine, capable care from certain staff members and on the rehab-focused environment. There are reports of compassionate nurses, competent therapy teams, and a clean, calm atmosphere that supports recovery and comfort. When families describe staff who listen, attend to needs promptly, and maintain a professional, respectful tone, the facility earns credibility as a place where progress is possible and where relief from acute care can be found. In these moments, the combination of skilled rehab and a supportive environment can make a real difference in a resident's trajectory.

Yet the most troubling themes cut deeper: inconsistent staffing levels, prolonged wait times for assistance, and episodes that suggest basic dignity and meticulousness have drifted. Repeated accounts cite dirty conditions, delayed responses after pressing the call button, and a sense that some staff regard residents and families as inconveniences rather than partners in care. There are specific, harrowing anecdotes about mismanagement around critical moments - care decisions, room assignments, and even end-of-life situations - that undermine trust. Taken together, these patterns imply risk: when the system is under strain, the best-intentioned care can fail to reach the bedside in a timely, respectful way.

The upshot is a facility whose strengths can shine brightly, but whose weaknesses are persistent enough to demand rigorous vigilance. Prospective families should prioritize objective, contemporary confirmations of staffing levels, response times, and incident histories before committing. Tour thoroughly at different times of day, speak with multiple staff members across shifts, and request concrete examples of rehab outcomes, fall prevention measures, and ongoing quality improvement. Verify current state inspection results, recent corrective actions, and how the administration handles complaints. If any of these lines of inquiry reveal systemic gaps, the decision to pursue Fleur Heights should shift toward alternatives with more stable operations and clearer accountability.

In the end, Fleur Heights Care Center warrants cautious engagement. For residents needing high-quality skilled rehab and a peaceful, clean environment - even if that hinges on the right shift and a dependable care team - it can be a viable option, provided there is an explicit plan for ongoing oversight and a willingness to advocate relentlessly for timely, respectful care. For families seeking airtight reliability, transparent governance, and consistent daily responsiveness across all hours, exploring other communities is prudent. The decisive factor is whether a concrete commitment to steady staffing, proactive communication, and uncompromising cleanliness can be secured before enrollment.

This part of Des Moines, Iowa offers convenient access to essential services for seniors, with multiple pharmacies, restaurants, cafes, and healthcare facilities within close proximity. The presence of various dining options and parks provides opportunities for recreational activities and social engagement. In addition, the nearby transportation options make it easy for seniors to navigate the area and access medical appointments. The availability of reputable physicians and hospitals ensures quality healthcare services are readily accessible. Overall, this neighborhood in Des Moines offers a well-rounded community with amenities that cater to the needs of senior residents.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.3 miles)
• MercyOne Des Moines Behavioral Health (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)
• Osco Pharmacy (2.6 miles)
• Walgreens (3.2 miles)
• Medicap (3.3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Burger King (0.3 miles)
• Subway (0.4 miles)
• McDonald's (0.5 miles)
• Old West Mexican (0.5 miles)
• Francies (0.5 miles)
• Skip's (0.6 miles)
• Jimmy John's (0.7 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (0.3 miles)
• Starbucks (0.4 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)
• Starbucks (3.3 miles)
• Caribou Coffee (3.4 miles)
• St Kilda Collective (4.2 miles)

Parks

• Water Works Park (0.4 miles)
• Sayers Park (0.7 miles)
• Gray's Lake Park (2 miles)
• Stone Park (2.6 miles)

Transportation

• Concourse C (0.6 miles)
• Des Moines International Airport (DSM) (0.6 miles)
• TSA Checkpoint (0.6 miles)

Physicians

• Mercy Clinics (1.3 miles)
• Deanna Boesen, MD (1.3 miles)
• Oral Surgeons PC (1.6 miles)
• Eyemart Optical Outlet - South Des Moines (2.3 miles)
• Radiant Complexions Dermatology Clinics (2.5 miles)
• Primary Health Care - BEC Medical (2.9 miles)
• South Glenn Walk In Clinic (3 miles)

Hospitals

• Blank Children's Hospital NICU (3.5 miles)
• Methodist Hospital North 6 (3.5 miles)
• Methodist Outpatient Surgery (3.5 miles)
• UnityPoint Health - Iowa Methodist Medical Center - Emergency Department (3.5 miles)
• North 3 - IMMC (3.5 miles)
• Mercy River Hills Surgery Center (4.1 miles)
• Select Specialty Hospital-Des Moines (4.2 miles)