The Clare

Harold

I visited The Clare recently. I have a sister living there and I was there after chemotherapy bouts in both skilled nursing and assisted living. We now have an independent living unit there. It is quite different from what you have down here. It is a vertical high-rise apartment in downtown Chicago, so it is quite different. The food is very good. The staff is equally good. They have movies, and they will take you to local events like opera, theatre, and the symphony. You can go out the door and access five or six good restaurants. It is something you can't do down here. The food in the assisted living is not their best food, but in independent living it is much better.

Provider Response

SS

The Clare was very nice but a little expensive. The facility was excellent, like a 5-star hotel. They had the medical facilities, a wellness center, and an emergency team that can take you to the hospital or an ambulance. The staff was very well organized. They had a marketing team and staff who helped people. They had a chef and three kinds of places to eat, one being a very formal place, the second a bistro, and the third for coffee and snacks. It's a very large place with 54 floors.

Susan318572

The Clare in Chicago Illinois was beautiful with unbelievable facilities. They have a swimming pool. They have four restaurants in the building and classes every subject from arts to nature subjects. They are very well organized, and they have interesting groups and classes -- just a fabulous place.

Marsi

I visited The Clare for myself. They are absolutely fantastic, and if I would go to a senior home, this would definitely be the one, but it’s a little too expensive for me. The amenities there were very good. The food was absolutely delicious, and the top floor was just like a fine dining restaurant and very elegant. It was really beautiful.

John99001950

We talked to a representative at The Clare, had lunch, and visited a couple of apartments, which were very nice. The dining area was quite good, and they had a garden, which was a place to sit. They have people who can come in, or they have intensive care out of the apartment.

John65786650

It was not difficult at all to enter in The Clare because their occupancy was only 40% or so. So, you could easily get into independent living. But once you were in and you declined to actually go to assisted living and end up to the nursing home facility which were all in the same building. It's pretty difficult because their nursing home does not had enough beds relative to the people who were healthier and don't need nursing facilities in that point in time. The Clare charges a hell of an upfront fee and you would find high quality arts on the wall. So, it's meant for clientele that were at the moment reasonably healthy and want to be near Chicago Symphony, the Arts institute, the History Museum, the Aquarium. So, it's a great location for those who were wealthy enough to enjoy what Chicago has to offer. So, people would go there because it's fancy and if they could afford it and they had that kind of liquid cash, they were setting up for when they get old later. So, they were living in a convenient location, then they don't have to go anywhere if they need assisted care.

commercesd

My great-uncle has lived in Chicago for most of his life. The idea of staying in a nursing home isn't appealing to him, and it was important that we found him a place where he could easily visit his friends and family. We found the Clare at Water Tower assisted living facility in the heart of the city in the downtown area, near the Magnificent Mile. It is easy to get to by public transport, which most of his family uses regularly. The staff is very friendly, attentive and it was clear that they can easily handle the needs of its residents. There were apartment and room options which could easily fit his cherished furniture pieces. Since it is a high-rise building, the views of the city are fantastic. The fitness and aquatic center is as nice as any high-end day spa, which they also have. They show films in the media and entertainment center. The business center is great for busy visitors. My uncle paints, so the creative arts studio was a nice surprise. They offer many events through a partnership with Loyola University Chicago. My great-uncle used to tend a small garden so he really appreciated the fresh food options, like fresh salads and other vegetables available. He is on a strict Diabetic diet and the Clare offers an array of small meals and snacks that looked really well-suited to his needs. We went to quite a few facilities in the area, and The Clare was the best one yet! Definitely 5 stars!