Evergreen Place Assisted Living Champaign, IL

Evergreen has a very caring, loving and compassionate staff. We loved the staff's pleasant smiles-an upbeat place to be. Loved how they included all our family and the special get-togethers. Our Mom loved it there. CJ got her to love bingo even though she said she wouldn't play when she first entered Evergreen. The nursing staff, especially Ruth and Leo, were on top of all of Mom's medical needs. Mom really enjoyed the food and I heard about the special ice-cream every day! A special mention to Ryan who was the "Mr. Fix It" for mom, and at one time or another ran food service, maintenance, did whatever needed taken care of and takes pride in helping all the residents--big heart! Having a blight, cheery and very clean place starts at the top and Jamie, director, made this all happen! A person's life is always changing and Jamie and her staff were there to smoothly meet the daily needs.

Mom spent the last 3 years of her life at Evergreen Place and could not have been happier. All of the staff - administration, nurses and food service were outstanding in every way. Special mention to Jamie, Ryan and Leo. The care she received exceeded our hopeful expectations. Food was wonderful and all the employees were professional, caring and kind. We would absolutely recommend EP to anyone. Chuck & Gloria

Evergreen Place Assisted Living was just one building, so I don't know if both assisted and independent living were in the same building or not. We got a full tour of it. They do the laundry and provide meals. We didn't have food there, but they're pretty proud of their food, their menu, and their options and they do have a lot of options, so that was probably a big plus as far as their place. It was a nice building. The staff was friendly, very cordial and gave us a lot of information. I didn't like the location of that place. It's on a busy road and then behind it, there is some kind of shipping trucks or vans and I thought this wasn't very residential to me, so that was a drawback. The inside of the building was nice enough and there's a pond, so you could sit outside by the pond, and I felt that it was safe enough that my relative could walk around the building, get the exercise that way, so that was a plus. They didn't recommend her going by herself just because of her age, but at least that was an option. They had talked about the activity schedule they have and they set up trips for residents, so they can go shopping together. They provide transportation to doctors' appointments. They had a salon on the grounds, so you could get your hair cut and stuff.

At first sight, it looked like Evergreen Place would be good, but as I went through it and took the tour, I was very disappointed with it. It's more of a hands-on community than the others. They provide three meals a day, and they have transportation to doctors only. My view at Evergreen was going to be a row of loading bays for FedEx depot. The staff assured me it was quite quiet, but they don't build loading bays to sit there and not have activity, so at some point during the day, I'm sure the loading bays are used. Most likely since she said all the business is going on on the other side, that's probably shipping on the other side, and the receiving would be on my side, which means the side I would be living on would be like, at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning, they would be receiving stuff. She says it's quiet, but with semis pulling in and out, I don't see how quiet they can be. I was extremely disappointed in the setup. There was really no walking area except for within their little courtyards. Once you got in, unless you had somebody come to take you out, you can't leave the premises. The staff was very congenial and very friendly.

The Villa is a beautiful facility!! The apartments, activity room, dining room, game room, theater room, etc. are all lovely. The staff at Villa is excellent! All the staff members are very easy to talk to and are interested in your concerns. They treat the residents like family. The round the clock nurses and CNAs are very attentive to the individual needs of the residents. There is always a physician available as well. The kitchen staff is very attentive to the residents likes and dislikes . A very nutritious selection is offered daily at each meal, including fresh fruits and vegetables. The activities that are offered are varied — fun crafts, Bingo, Scrabble, Uno, etc. There are frequently groups that come in and provide music that the residents really enjoy! There are beautiful courtyards, shuffleboard, putting green and areas to sit and enjoy the outdoors. Shopping trips are made available as needed as well as transportation to appointments. There is an on site hair salon that is staffed and available for residents’ use several days each week. Families are welcome to dine with loved ones in the dining room or in the family dining room. My mother has been at Villa since the day it opened. With the new director and the staff that is there it is a wonderful place!! My husband and I can go out of town for days and not worry about Mom because we are confident that she will have the best of care and that we’ll be informed of any changes in her health. Being the only relative here, that is extremely important to me!

Really love this place now! I just want to start off by saying that the owners of the Villa West assisted living facility LISTEN! A couple of months ago, after a meeting with several caretakers (children, husbands/wives of residents), concerns were expressed and immediate action was taken. The Villa West was a very different place the very next week. The previous Executive Director was removed and a new ED, Laura,was hired - she is kind, gentle, with a great personality and always a smile. She is very open to suggestions and conversation. The staff now has a "spring in their step" because they are so happy doing their jobs since the previous ED was no longer in the building. The owners brought back several staff who had previously been fired - they were happy to be back and felt like it was a "family" again at The Villa West. The food is more varied and is improving everyday (now have two choices with the promise of more fresh fruits and vegetables) and the individualized care is top notch. The CNAs and nursing staff are all knowledgeable and quite personable. The level of care that some residents receive at this AL facility is mind-boggling compared to the AL facility my mother was in prior to this one. I can't say enough about the group activities that are offered. They have wonderful craft projects, and great cooking adventures every week. Robin is wonderful with the residents. Bingo is a regular activity with great prizes. There are regular scheduled outings to Walmart, the grocery store and individual transports wherever a resident needs to go. The facility is stunningly beautiful from the bistro, the "yellow room" and the courtyard is adorned with a fountain and beautiful blooming flowers, shuffleboard and a putting green. There is an on site beauty parlor, physical therapy room, activity room and game room. I was coming down from Chicago for at least a couple of days a week just to keep an eye on things but now feel very comfortable knowing that my mom is in great hands when I leave to go home. I would highly recommend the Villa West! The old Executive director is gone - now let's move on and make this place the showcase it can be!

My father was in an assisted living facility for over 3 years before we made the move to the Villa. So we had a good idea about what it is like to be a resident in AL. My initial contact with the director went pretty well. It all sounded wonderful and she made several claims and promises about what life is like at Villa. However, almost immediately after she received the signed papers and initial payment, her tone changed. Things were not as promised in several areas. From the time he was awakened in the morning, to how they handled showers in the evening, promises were not kept. There was a repair needed that went unresolved for his entire 4 month stay and there was no hot water in his apartment for the first two weeks. The food was not good as a general assessment. We had a meal before he moved in and the meal was excellent. We could choose from two entrees and the meal was hot and delicious. I am not sure what happened between enjoying that meal and the time when he moved in, but that all changed. The choices of two entrees were no longer available and the quality was quite disappointing in taste, appearance and temperature. There is a separate “anytime” menu to choose from but its choices were quite limited. In my opinion, the biggest problem we faced was the seeming unprofessionalism of the director. She was at times accusatory, angry and confrontational. It became a place that was filled with tension and stress; not what assisted living should be about. Most of the rest of the staff were competent and kind, but could not work at their fullest because of micro-management from above. I moved my Dad out after 4 months and he is now comfortable, well-fed, and well taken care of in a different facility. Most importantly he is living without unnecessary stress and tension. This was not a decision made lightly as it is a very difficult thing to move someone who is older. But it was the best and only decision.

The Villa was excellent. It was very upscale. The person that assisted us was very nice, very pleasant, and very professional. The dining area looked like a nice upscale restaurant. The residents that I observed appeared happy.