5-Years ago, brothers and I picked out Bethany Retirement Community for the next step in our Senior…read moreMom's life. It is one of the best decisions we've ever made. Mom is so happy at Bethany when we take her out for a family event, within a few hours, she'll ask to go "Home". It's the people at Bethany that make it feel like "Home". Staff are always, friendly, helpful and compassionate.

Prices are 3-4 times cost at move in. Budget accordingly! Afraid to provide review in case they use…read morethis make me move my family member. Most cnas are great (for the most part- there are a couple who don't want to work and complain to nurse lead - most people know who the weak links are. There is a tight/odd relationship there.) Programs are excellent. Some culture and management issues. Leadership issues aside, the facility is nice.

It's time for a recent review for Covenant Home of Chicago. Here goes:…read more When my father decided it was time to sell his apartment building and move to a supportive living situation, Covenant Home came to the fore, as it is part of Chicago Methodist Senior Services. And as Steve Z. commented, searching for an assisted living facility is indeed an education in itself and totally new territory for me. The staff at Covenant helped us navigate the ins and outs of the application process, which as you can imagine, complicated. Financial records, doctors' assessments, TB test, all in the mix. To the building: It was built in 1997, so is relatively new, well-maintained, with a caring (yes, I said that, though I realize that is often just a buzzword in reviews of these types of enterprises.) staff. The meals are tasty and well-balanced. Residents sit 4 to a table with fresh flowers, nice silverware, and always water (so no dehydration, per the reviewer from 5 years ago). (They also have a water cooler w/lemons in the foyer). On Sundays they put white linen tableclothes on the dining tables, which, together with the flowers, makes for a very nice setting. In all, there are about 54 residents, with either studio apartments or 1 bedroom. The floors are all wood and nicely maintained, fresh paint upon move-in, the better to navigate with walkers, etc. The building has Comcast cable available. Residences are equipped with small refrigerator/freezer, a microwave, sink in a little "kitchen" area. Two closets, and ample cabinets in the bathroom. The five floors are built in a square around an atrium, which gives the place a nice airy feeling. All the rooms' windows are outward facing. The bathroom has a level floored shower for safety and there are pull chains all over the place for residents to pull if in distress. There are daily activities for residents, trips to Jewel and Walgreens if you are not mobile enough to go on your own. Filling the day: Evening movies, afternoon coffee in a very cute cafe, balance class, art class, current events, Bible study, word games, bingo, ballroom dancing, tai chi, Sunday worship (Methodist), a Tuesday Mass, manicures, watercolors, culture chats (not sure what that is). An RN is on site most of the time and he or she keeps good track of dispensing medications for all residents. And, if there is a health crisis, Swedish Covenant Hospital is right across the street! This is not a memory care type of place. For that, they have Wesley Place, further east on Foster. Residents have varying ranges of mobility. My father goes to his own medical appointments (right at the corner), takes taxis or walks to close by destinations such as Lincoln Square and the Tre Kroner Restaurant. So, all in all, he was fortunate to secure a studio here. And since I live in Oakland, CA, it's important to feel that he is safe and in good hands. Covenant Home provides that security and care.

My search for an assisted living facility was an education in itself- long story short I decided on…read morethe Covenant Home based on it being close to my own home, and on my gut feeling about the people I spoke with, the director and the assistant director of the facility. It's been a year and four months, and I am happy to say the result has been better than I expected. My mom moved into the Covenant Home in September of 2012. She was 90 at that time, and had been living at the North Shore Retirement Hotel in Evanston. During her 6 years at the North Shore she progressed from being fairly self-sufficient to needing help with some of her daily care, and she had more and more difficulty dealing with things in general, as her memory was getting worse. During her last year at North Shore she was hospitalized twice, she had poor appetite, was losing weight and she was depressed. She also had a couple physical conditions that required some daily attention. We had hired a helper for her and also contracted with the on site home nursing company at the North Shore, but their services were not enough. After she moved into the Covenant Home her appetite began to improve, and it's no longer an issue at all. The chronic problems she was having previously are under control, she is consistently in good spirits, and she has made friends there. Although she was not happy to make this move, she is now quite happy there, and says so. This is a much better outcome than I anticipated and I believe it is due the competency of the staff, the fact the quality of her care is consistent, and an intangible aspect: that the culture there is one of attentive kindness. The care she gets at the Covenant Home is a mix of residential and medical- they take care of making sure she gets her meds, cleaning of her studio apartment, dressing, dining, getting ready for bed, all that. Additionally, they they keep up with any ongoing medical care she needs, they make doctor appointments, and if necessary provide transportation. The are proactive in her care in terms of the medical, hygienic and social aspects. If you feel like hearing more about this I would be happy to correspond. You can send a private message to me through the Yelp system.

I give zero stars. A new resident in their memory care unit was essentially bullied out. Too…read moreregimented and rigid for residents with cognitive decline and no person-centered care at all. Shameful that their ONLY advisement is to prescribe meds so they are not functional since I guess it would be too much work for the staff there. No compassionate care and everything was this resident's fault it seemed. I will not divulge the rest of the sordid details, but I am aghast at the indifference and borderline neglect regarding this community's services. Especially pertaining to a specialized ward such as Memory Care. SHAME!!!!!!

My mother lived at the Admiral for a little over 2 years in the assisted living and memory care…read moreunits. We were sold on the location which was very close to where she was previously living by herself and the proximity to the lake and Andersonville. While she began to settle in OK during the first year in assisted living as her Alzheimer's progressed, so did the care she received. My mother was an incredibly intelligent and social woman. She was a retired college professor and maintained her intellect and curiosity throughout the course of her awful disease. The majority of the staff at The Admiral however, was unsupportive of her desire to understand her care, meet people and engage in the community. They ultimately forced her into memory care too soon where she was locked on the floor and left to sit either alone in her room or parked in front a TV. All she wanted was to continue to engage with people and use her mind and they could not provide that basic care. After several months of rapid decline in memory care the staff kept referring to her as psychotic even though all of her doctors at Northwestern repeatedly agreed that her symptoms were all related to her dementia. The Admiral went against my wishes and had her sent to Saint Mary's Hospital (outside of her network of doctors at NW) where she spent 3 nights alone in the ER and then was involuntary committed to the psychiatric ward where she spent 2 weeks completely catatonic. She never recovered. I was able to finally get her released through no help of the Admiral and had her moved to The Artis Lakeview where she received excellent care alongside Bristol hospice for the last 1.5 weeks of her life. The Admiral may appear on a tour as it did to us a lovely lakeside facility, but when your loved ones actually need real care towards the end of their disease they will accelerate the decline and refuse to provide the grueling care many people need in the last stages of dementia. Do yourself a favor and ask to tour the memory care floor before you move your loved one here. Really look at how the residents are cared for and ask how they stay engaged. It's a tiny floor and you will find them all staring blankly at a TV or hiding in their rooms.

A huge thumbs-up for Selfhelp! From the second you walk in, you feel like you're in a welcoming,…read morehomey environment. The staff are amazing--super friendly and always go above and beyond to make sure the residents are happy and well taken care of. There's no shortage of activities here! Whether it's group outings, arts and crafts, or even some chill yoga, there's always something fun and engaging to do. It's a great way for everyone to stay active, meet new people, and just have a good time. Also, the team really takes the time to make sure each resident gets the personalized attention they need. You can tell that the staff are passionate about what they do, which makes all the difference.

This facility so far excelled the 3 others I was in. The food was superb, the staff and patients…read morewere very supportive and respectful. I really had fun there. Can't recommend it enough

Nice apartments, well kept. Nice residents. If looking for full service, this is a good choice…read more Well managed.

The Carrington merits five stars in almost every measure of performance. The rooms are spacious and…read moreare kept spotless by a dedicated housekeeping staff. The physician I usually dine with calls the meals outstanding. I agree. There is a large gym with a decent sized comfortable swimming pool and a large number of physical therapy machines at different levels of skill supported by knowledgeable trainers. Free transportation is provided as far as 12 miles for medical/dental appointments and 8 miles for other trips. My main criticism is the absence of adequate tech assistance. Since there is one tech helper, it can take at least three days before you receive any assistance. While the techie is outstanding, he cannot serve roughly 200 residents. This is not the mid-20th century when most residents were not computer literate. I first thought that imposing a surcharge for access to a techie would work, but then a surcharge would need to be imposed on all activities that a minority of residents use.

Brookdale Lakeview has provided a safe, appreciative home for my Mom to enjoy as she graciously…read moreages within a new community. This includes her generation and the Boomers. The staff is phenomenal and the residents can be a bit cliquey. Despite this the staff does their best to mingle and mix residents at meals, which is essential for a vision impaired or less able resident. One of my former students, Alex, was able to work as an Art Therapy specialist, and I am grateful to have her among the talented and caring staff.

I have been here 8 months now. People thought I was crazy moving from Florida to Chicago, but the…read morereception I received from the staff here could not have been warmer. Everyone goes above and beyond to be helpful. I can't wait for Covid to be tamed so can get out and see friends, but I can't imagine feeling more at home. I feel very lucky, having picked this place sight unseen.

I have been looking for a place mom for quite awhile and hitting a lot of brick walls. I was very…read moredisappointed mostly due to cost, not everyone can afford today's senior care costs. I got a response to my email from Breaker's at Edgewater. I was very familiar with the area as I grew up there and went to school there. George contacted me right of way and was very responsive to all my questions, he was very easy to talk to, very laid back a no pressure type guy. He invited me to just come by and take a look at what they have to offer; he explained he wants whoever goes to his building to be happy there and fit in, so they never have to leave. It's very traumatizing for the elderly to have to relocate. After visiting with him and going for a tour, I was very impressed with everything I saw, from the moment I walked in, I felt my mom would be happy there. It is a beautiful place with many things to offer, from a library, to a gym, movies, pool many activities and even religious services. Two dining floors and parking in the building it's a very big place. From everything I had already seen, I couldn't even come close to Breaker's offerings and it in today's market I think they have the best game in town. Also, they offer a little extra if needed with medication and or personal assistance. Therapy and medical services are also available to anyone without ever leaving the building. Pull cords are within each unit in multiple places to alert the front desk in case of emergency. Also before a new member moves in, they totally refresh the apartment. Paint the entire unit, change the carpeting, and replace any kitchen appliances that may be in need of replacing, even change the baseboard trim around the carpeted areas. I would definitely encourage anyone looking for a very nice affordable place to stop by, and take a look I think it will be worth your time. I'm glad to have gone there and I saw something that is rare to find in today's world, very sincere people willing to work with you and actually help your family, to get something accomplished.

What a disappointment. There appears to be a well known public nuisance which I was not informed…read moreabout. Hot roding along Lakee Shore drive is overwhekming during the early a.m. hours. There apparently is no screening of potential residence and no follow up during their stay. A woman next door is floridly psochotic. She chases people and threatens them. I notified a manager but nothing was done. Soo what does this poor person do? She tries to cut a toe off in her bathtub. Emergency was notified, the person hospitalized, and she has been absent for some time. I have a noise problem in my unit. Despite multiple attemts to get help, no one has come up to investigate. When I do get a guard to come up, it is so de layed that the noise is temporarily gone. As an aside, why in this type of building do they allow bare floors. The shrill sound of the person moving chairs occurs at all hours. The food is wretched. I am not saying this as a matter of taste, but from a health point of view. Food is served cold so it definitely is not being held at the require d safe temperature. The servings of protein are miniscule. My last blood work showed objective evidence of not enough protein. Aldo my triglycerides were up do to the fats in the meals. I must mention the staff. So many of them are kind, but others should a complete indifference to the help you need. So many here express their dissatisfaction so it's not just me. Choose your facility wisely though I didn't. Why give them even 2 stars? The view is just great.

This place is the worse. I had back surgery and was taken here. They took me in a room off of the…read morecommunity room. I was on my back stuck in the bed while I pushed the nurses bell and they would reset it. No One every came to my room all night. There were mice boxes all in the room and you saw the mice and heard the all night. They never ever came to check and see if I have to use the bathroom. Terrible Terrible

My brother was here in 2010. They had him constantly being checked by doctors, so they could bill…read moreMedicare. One time he waited from 10 am till 2:30 for a doctor's appointment. The doctor didn't even check him, it was just information taking. One night dinner was noodles with pepper on them and probably coated with margarine. Cups of Kool Aid were on people's trays. My brother was so out of it when he came from the hospital, Balmoral had him sign all sorts of papers, stuff he couldn't comprehend. We found out when I tried to move him that, they had him sign for 2 months. So we had to tough out the second month. Barry T.wouldn't send the info to the next nursing home, so we couldn't move to another nursing home. They repeatedly tried to change his medications, we had to run to my brother's psychiatrist to get a letter to inform them not do this. They would have broken him down. I truly feared that my brother would ever get out of this place. This is a place where you are nothing but a source of revenue. There is nowhere soft to sit, furniture looks like something thrown out in an alley. But someone who works there has a late model Mercedes Benz.

Was a patient there a few years ago. Awful people! I asked…read morefor water a couple times, when finally someone came in & told me this wasn't a hotel! Thankfully I wasn't too sick & left the next day. I feel sorry for the very sick who have to be there & be taken care of by these cold, uncaring nurses

My father was a patient there, the nursing staff was terrible to him. They did not manage his pain,…read morehe would call me at home wanting me to call the nurses because they ignored him. he would call me crying, telling me that the night nurses told him he "didnt need any pain medicine". He had to go back to the hospital after his surgery, the nurses did not watch him well. He died. This hospital should close, they say their mission is "compassionate care", it is not. The nursing director is rude and uncaring, it makes sense that the nurses are as well.