St. Joseph Village of Chicago

My first impression of this place was good. Everything seemed in order. The staff was pretty attentive and friendly. I noticed the staff members would check up on my friend every now and then and my friend seemed to like them. One of the nurses came in to serve her lunch and cleaned it up shortly after she was done. Her room was very clean. I noticed one of the residents calling for a nurse and I saw that he was tended to right away. I was quite pleased with that. I would definitely like to visit my friend as soon as I can. This time, I hope to stay a bit longer.

St. Joseph Village of Chicago is located in the convenient Belmont area near that Red Line El stop, which makes it really easy to visit using public transport. That's important to us, because our family all lives close to that region. It is also accessible by car, from every direction. We also like the area for the many shops and restaurants to take our uncle to when we visit. There was quite a variety of apartment layouts to choose from, with spacious studios and several sized bedrooms. They also had lovely garden homes with dens, decks and patios. This was a feature we haven‘t seen too much of in our search. Most of the patio type areas have been in communal situations, so our uncle liked that he could be outside privately if he wanted to. This is also a really nice feature when guests come over. There are opportunities to golf and go fishing, which he also really likes. My uncle liked the business center where he can easily access the Internet, so he wouldn't have to have his own computer. He also liked the barber shop, which we hadn't seen at other facilities. The fitness gym had plenty of options for exercises and classes and instruction available and a hot tub. This community seems to offer the balanced convenience of the city with the tranquility of the country.

Though we ultimately chose another facility for our Alzheimer-stricken mother, this location was a very close second choice. To summarize its appeal, the phrase "comprehensive competence" comes to mind. The overall physical condition of the facility is excellent, though one might be put off by the less-than-picturesque (though relatively safe) neighborhood.

The professionalism and compassion of the staff are readily evident in even a brief visit and the overall layout of the facility supports the air of efficiency without being "clinical". The rooms/apartments are among the most generous in this price range and though St. Joseph's affiliation with The Catholic church is relatively subdued, the large and attractive chapel is one of the more notable physical assets of the property.

Referring again to the layout, we found its main floorplan to be cleverly designed. As a major concern of ours was the possible prospect of having to move our mother again as her physical condition deteriorates, the way in which the assisted living wings were simultaneously connected to, yet separate from, the full-care nursing wings resolved this issue. As a residents'care requirements increase, they need only be moved a few feet to accommodate their physically diminished condition.

While I might reserve recommending this for minimally disabled or earlier stage dementia patients, I believe this to be an extremely desireable for anyone requiring a therapeautic and structured environment with knowledge that care needs will be increasing indefinitely.