Assisted Living Communities in Sycamore, IL

"I volunteer for various programming at this community. The staff is always very kind and helpful and the residents seem to really love it. The Heathers is the best senior community I have ever been to. Everything is clean and the staff is very attentive to the needs of the residents. I highly recommend them. "

"I think the staff was friendly and for the mostpart competent. I did like the fact that when you walked in you did not smell "urine." I know that sounds gross but I have found that with other facilities. He was able to take part in activities although he did not always choose to do so. There was an issue with him being taken to the bathroom in a timely manner, however, part of that was his fault as he would wait until the last minute to buzz them. One thing I did like about the facility was that he was able to have a glass of wine. He was also able to go on "field trips." He went to Walmart (his favorite) and went to lunch and dinner. I think that helped the place feel not so much like a prison. His depression issues I think were because of the place. No matter how nice the place is and the people are, it is depressing to be thinking of your life as coming to an end. This is an individual decision for everyone. They did have a social worker who would cooridnate the efforts of the doctors, etc. "

"The Woodlands at Canterfield was beautiful. The apartments were fine, clean, nice, and brand new. We met with several people and they were all very nice and professional. They had a bunch of games going. It's brand new so there were not that many people there yet. We saw people in the lunchroom and it looked very nice. The dining area was beautiful. I didn't eat there. My brother and my mom ate there and they said the food was excellent. We met with several different people and overall everybody was great, but some were better than others."

"Bickford of Aurora was very good. What I liked least was that they didn't concentrate on memory care, but the facility itself was magnificent. They've got nice people. They have memory care, but their concentration is more on assisted living. If I put my uncle in Bickford, he would probably have to be in assisted living. Their memory care is way more expensive. It's over $9000. They're excellent. Everybody I talked to was so supportive. My uncle is Italian. He likes to have a glass of wine. They said, "You bring wine and we'll serve it to him at lunch or dinner." They were willing to accommodate him. It's a brand new place. It's gorgeous. They have a little bistro. They have a big living area. The dining room is more like a restaurant. It was nice. I wouldn't mind living there."

"I toured Clarendale of Algonquin. It's awesome, it has a resort feel and the people are fabulous. I talked to the residents and they were happy. I liked the place a lot. They have a lot of options on accommodations, depending on the level of affordability as well as the need. They have 1 or 2 bedrooms in different square footage. I toured the assisted living part of it and everything is included in terms of meals. They have a game room, a movie theater, a lot of social activities, offsite tours if preferred, and different exercise options. They have a salon on site as well. The staff who assisted me was very, very helpful, and answered all my questions. I called her after the tour to explain that I did not think the facility would meet my mom's needs. I would love to move there myself, but they just didn't have quite the support that she needs right now. "

"My husband moved into Cherryvale Place 3 weeks ago. The nurses are very good. I like the place very much. It's very clean and very nice, and I'm happy with it so far. He has a studio apartment. It's one room with a small kitchenette and then a good-sized bathroom with a walk-in shower and a good-sized bedroom. We supply everything - the furnishings and all that stuff. They have a beauty salon, a patio that's enclosed, and they have a list of activities."

"I have toured many communities and as a healthcare professional, appreciate when the staff is knowledgeable about their residents. You can talk to the CNAs and nurses at Bickford and they actually know the residents inside and out. I am sure they would even know how they take their coffee, favorite color, and call them each by their preferred name. I feel that when I walk into the community to provide home care services, I am treated as a guest as well. I observe the residents having fun, being loved by the staff, and that this community is truely the residents home. Top notch place. "

"My friend has been in Charter Senior Living of Rockford for over a year now. They pretty much meet his needs. They give him extra help if he needs it and be safe if he needs to be watched 24 hours a day. They get to have their personal belongings and take whatever they can. It's very nice and it's private. They have their own space. They seem to be very well equipped on what their needs are. The meal preparation is good; their food is very adequate. They have activities, and it's up to them whether they want to go or not. They have cookouts patio, bingo, bowling, and spiritual things. They have different things like yesterday, the girls from my church came over and sang gospel songs to them."

"My mother is happy at Victory Centre of Bartlett. It's a supportive living community. Initially, she wasn't happy, but I think she just needed a little more time. People assured me it usually takes about three months for the person to settle in, so that's exactly what happened. She's very satisfied with where she is. The people who work there are very caring and attentive to my mother. Everybody knows her by name. Sometimes, I think she could use a little more assistance with her daily living activities. The food is very good. It's very clean. They are very concerned about the spread of germs. Recently, there was a little stomach bug outbreak. They made everybody stay in their room. They brought food to the room. They tried to contain it and they were very successful with their approach. They have games, movies, different crafts that they can do with the people and outings. They have a variety of things to do for the residents."

"I had a tour at Bickford of Rockford. It was a nice place. The staff and their residents were very nice. They wanted me to come there because I am a really outspoken and outgoing guy. All of them were nice people. Their dining room was very nice. "

"Morning Star Village is a great location. My mom is thriving there. She's like her old self. She receives great care. It's very efficient. The move-in was very well managed. They've been very attentive. They helped get her phone connected and dealt with the problem with her newspaper getting covered. They've been 100% gold star. The food service is good. They have activities, especially over the holidays.]'["

"My mom is currently in Franciscan Court. The thing I like most about it is it's family-owned. It's kind of small, so they get to know the residents really well. It was very nice, very clean, and well kept up. They have a nice dining room. They have a courtyard with a little fish pond, a little waterfall in it, and in the back where the residents can sit outside. They have a pretty large, lower-level facility where they have activities, which is also nice. They have special music come in. Sometimes they do bingo. They have some services on Sunday. They have other activities like arts and crafts. During the pandemic, they had to restrict residents to their apartments at certain times, which was difficult. They weren't able to do the activities, but under normal circumstances, they do plan some nice things for the residents. They have their big dinner at lunchtime hour, and it's usually pretty good. The facility is nice."

"I visited Hearthwood Senior Living. They were undergoing renovations, so we could see through that. They have an indoor pool. They have two meals a day. They have a private dining room, a wine cellar, and a bistro. They have happy hours on Wednesdays and Fridays. The two-bedroom that we saw there was nice. We also saw a one-bedroom with a den that was OK, but it was difficult to tell size-wise between the den and the closet. Bathrooms were ADA-compliant and very nice. They have small but usable kitchens. Storage was fine. They had a storage room close to your unit, which was maybe only four by six. They had an in-unit washer and dryer and all the amenities you'd want, beauty salon, exercise room, art room, movie theater, game rooms, lounges, and things like that. It was built on the grounds of a former seminary or convent. One of the stipulations about the purchase of the land is that the chapel had to remain, so you can get to the chapel without having to go outside, and they do transport you to services, Lutheran services, Presbyterian services, and Catholic services. They do services in the chapel. In fact, people who live in the neighborhood come to the chapel for Sunday mass. Another thing about Hearthwood that I really particularly enjoyed is that almost every unit has a balcony."

"I was able to visit Jennings Terrace, and I liked what I saw. I found both the staff and the residents very friendly. I wouldn't call it a luxury place, but it was homey. It had that sense of caring about it, and it was clean. I thought their menu was great, and they had a lot of activities for when people feel better. I didn't try their food, but I looked at their menu. If you don't like that day's food, they have a select number of things you can choose from. They showed me the dining room with an amazing bingo setup. They have a community room and a pool table. They showed me basically respite kind of care, so it's not like I was going to be walking around much at first. I would be kind of limited in my activity, but I was welcomed even as a respite person to join in. They had all kinds of things."