Brittany Kelley
DRIPPING SPRINGS — Six months after the license revocation of a Wimberley assisted living and memory care facility, Jana Gills, executive director and operator of Lavender Springs Assisted Living Facility, has purchased the property.
Hill Country raised, Gillis entered the assisted living facility realm after spending six years caring for her husband’s grandmother. The director stated that, at the time, there weren’t any assisted living facility centers in Dripping Springs, so they moved his grandmother into a skilled nursing facility.
According to Texas Health and Human Services, a nursing facility “is a special facility or part of a hospital that provides medically necessary professional services from nurses, physical and occupational therapist, speech pathologists and audiologist,” while assisted living facilities “provide individualized health and personal care assistance in a homelike setting, with an emphasis on personal dignity, autonomy, independence and privacy.”
So, in 2015, Gillis purchased 10 acres in Dripping Springs to open up Lavender Springs in 2017.
Lavender Springs is a Type B — where residents need assistance in an emergency — assisted living facility, said manager Elizabeth Simpson, which has 24/7 staff members and focuses on more than medication management.
“We provide medication management, incontinence care, shower assistance, three meals a day — with snacks in between — activities [and] workout plans. We help with providing doctors visits in the facility, so we work closely with an Austin geriatric specialist who comes in once a week and we meet with them about the residents on their lists,” explained Simpson.
Simpson continued to emphasize that assisted living centers allow residents to receive the care that may not be available in bigger communities. They’re able to have specialized and individualized plans to help them live comfortably.
Additionally, Gillis shared that families benefit alongside the residents.
“The kids get to be the kids again and somebody else does all the care. So, just as an example, my dad — because he’s still opting to stay at home — I feel like I’m the caregiver. I’m having to go over there and do his meds, set things up for him. I don’t go over there and just visit or have a meal with him because I have to do a lot for him,” shared Gillis. “[So, the facility] is really nice for the children. Those are probably the people that are most grateful when they move their parents in with us.”
The families can visit for barbecues, to get their nails done, take their parents out for coffee and more, added Simpson.
Being in the assisted living facility industry, both Simpson and Gillis had heard of Symphony of Wimberley before the news of its shutdown was revealed. As previously reported by the News-Dispatch, the Wimberly facility lost its license in November 2025, following concerns of resident wellbeing and safety.
Gillis noted that because Lavender Springs doesn’t provide memory care, residents used to be referred to Symphony of Wimberley, prior to the aforementioned concerns. Then, they began receiving residents that wanted to transfer from the facility to Lavender Springs.
After the closure, Gillis began looking at the Wimberley property right away, since she initially had plans to build another Dripping Springs facility, but halted plans, due to price increases. Although the plans for expansion in its home city are still on the horizon, the director knew that she wanted to purchase the former home of Symphony of Wimberley.
“We knew the demand for great care was definitely there. There’s a huge demand and we’ve had several families from the Wimberley area come all the way to Dripping Springs for that care, so we wanted to make sure that the next location could also still serve Hays County and the Hill Country,” said Gillis.
With an opening date of early June, the facility will now be known as Wildflower Springs and will soon be managed by Simpson, who will move to the new location. It will also still provide memory care services.
There will initially be six beds available, due to state regulations, said Simpson, but eventually all 16 will open up.
“[We were] heartbroken about the previous owners, but we really want to earn our respect and just be a productive member of their community and provide an excellent service for their loved ones. That’s important for us,” Gillis said.
Simpson added that Gillis is both the director and operator, “with a good, long-standing reputation,” which is rare in this industry.
Community members interested in learning more can attend an open house from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at Wildflower Springs, 501 FM 3237, Wimberley.
