Blair House is basically a retirement home where you can get support, but as much support as our Mom would need. You can get assistance, but you have to pay extra for almost all of the services. The place was nice, very clean, the residents there seemed very happy, and the room sizes were nice. There seem to be many activities for them, and the residents that were actually there were very friendly. They had an exercise area, a kind of activity center area that's got billiards, or a pool table that was in one area. They had laundry on every floor and they had food available for the residents everywhere, like all day long.
Blair House
Offers Independent Living
25 Reviews
1200 E College Ave, Normal, IL 61761
Call
(800) 385-2527
Reviews of Blair House
Independent Living Reviews for Blair House
February 09, 2022
I visited this facility
October 19, 2021
I visited this facility
The best thing about Blair House is probably the location. The least would be the age of the building. It's an independent living and I toured it in September. It's an older building and needs to be updated. It's probably 35 to 40 years old. The staff is all very helpful and courteous. I think they had a salon, a small exercise room, and a library. It's very close to the local university and close to shopping and things like that.
Provider Response
Thanks for stopping by, John. Our team does an amazing job of creating a welcoming environment for everyone while being a knowledgeable resource. If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to reach out!
September 08, 2021
I visited this facility
My first choice would be Blair House. I like the friendliness of it and the convenience, and I live just down the street from there. So it's in my neighborhood. They don't have a pool, but they have a little park area in the back for just sitting in the sun or taking your dog out. They do allow dogs. I don't know if they allow cats. They may charge twenty-five dollars a month on that.
October 06, 2020
I visited this facility
My overall experience with Blair House is very good. The location is good, it seems that they have a good system organized there for the kinds of things they offer. There's a lot of amenities, and a lot of services they provide for the residents. If she chooses to live in a place like that, mom would have her own patio, her own garden, and she could come and go as she wanted. She will have a lot of freedom, and I think it's a very nice place. They've got a lot of activities, they provide the meals, weekly cleaning and change of linens. They've got a shuttle that will take her around town, and on doctor's appointments so she won't need to drive places.
September 24, 2020
I visited this facility
Blair House was very spread out and hard to navigate. It's a little out of, like the decor, and everything I would say is a little out of date, a little older. I would say there were fewer amenities there, and at Blair House you'd be very much on your own. While we were there, they actually had one positive covid case, and they were all being served in their rooms.
Provider Response
Hi Julie, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on our community. While we are an independent senior living community, our residents do have the option to hire third-party caregivers should they need them. Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions about our community. Thank you
October 04, 2019
I am a friend or relative of a current/past resident
My mother-in-law is enjoying the Blair House. The people seem really nice, and she's enjoying the food. Her apartment is fine. The people who work there all seem very nice. They clean, they cook, and they have activities. The food is good.
May 01, 2019
I visited this facility
Blair House was great. They were waiting for me, took me all over, and showed me apartments. It was a very nice, clean place. They have really good food and the people were really nice. The staff who gave me the tour was great, sat down with me, introduced me to a lot of people. Most people would be happy there. They had a movie theater, a van that takes people places, a singing group, and a chapel. They had a chef who came out to meet me, the food looked good, and all the people seemed happy with it.
Provider Response
Thank you for stopping by Sandy! We loved showing off our wonderful community and introducing you to our residents and team members.
May 14, 2018
I am a friend or relative of a current/past resident
My parents moved into Blair House, and it was positive overall. It's an older building, but the people have been friendly, most of the food was good, and we've dealt with some maintenance issues. My mom enjoyed music from preschoolers, she has seen a couple of movies, and they bring in dogs once a month. They do manicures and that's popular with the ladies. They have trivia questions at lunch sometimes, but I would like to see more music programs. They have games and puzzles. They can use more comfortable chairs in the main activity room. However, we had a fiasco over the fire alarms, and there was no manager onsite.
November 13, 2017
I visited this facility
Blair House looks fine and clean as far as the outside of the place, but it has tight quarters. There's just no way my sister could have afforded it because it's $2,700 for the studio, but you couldn't even fit a bed and another piece of furniture in it, which is ridiculous. The staff was very accommodating.
May 22, 2017
I visited this facility
Blair House was a nice community, but it was very expensive. The rooms were small, very bland, and weren’t cheery at all. The dining area was nice. The food was good. The cleanliness was fine.
January 11, 2017
I visited this facility
Blair House was very nice, clean, friendly, and very open. It had activities, meals, and very nice apartment style living. The dining area was very nice and big with very nice choices. The place was very clean.
November 07, 2016
I am a friend or relative of a current/past resident
My in-laws are living at Blair House since Nov 2013. They were happy there until recently. Within the past 3 months, there is no longer a manager on the premises in the evening. They need to carry a call button at all times because the emergency pull cords were disconnected. The quality of the food has deteriorated, and the managers do not circulate at meal times anymore. The atmosphere is less friendly.
July 29, 2016
I am a friend or relative of a resident
We moved my mother to Blair House. It’s a very nice and very friendly community. She told me that she didn't know she was going to love it that much. Her room is small but perfect for her. She does not need a lot of space since she spends a lot of her time out in the other areas of the building. She is very pleased with the food, and the dining room is gorgeous.
July 29, 2016
I visited this facility
Blair House is more affordable and more like an apartment building. I didn't get a nursing home feeling. This place seemed like it had younger people who were out in the community area doing things. They had a lot of activities. The only thing that was concerning was their bus which took them to activities, grocery stores, or movies, and it was not handicap accessibleso my dad won't be able to go because he's in a wheelchair. The apartments were really nice and spacious.
June 10, 2016
I visited this facility
Blair House was very nice, but it was not an assisted living place. What they do is they have healthcare that comes in to do the healthcare part, but my mother has long-term health insurance. It’s just not going to work for us. It was very nice; just not what we needed.
May 10, 2016
I visited this facility
I like the idea that they have a community bus at Blair House where they take the residents to functions in the city although they don’t offer transportation to doctor’s appointments as they are an independent community. They also have a medical alert which tracks where the residents are. The staff were very accommodating and very friendly. The rooms were very small, but they don’t have any kitchen.
November 15, 2015
I visited this facility
Blair House was very nice. They took us on a nice tour, sat down with my mom, and tried to answer all of her questions, then invited us to stay for lunch. My mom didn’t want to, but they did make the option available. They were very friendly and followed up with us, so it was nice.
August 31, 2015
I visited this facility
Blair House was very nice. We really liked it; we liked the location of it, and the price was good. We liked a lot of the features, but my friend -- who is looking -- still likes to cook, and they only had a kitchenette; they didn't have a real kitchen. We tasted the food, and it was delicious. We liked Blair House a lot.
July 31, 2015
I visited this facility
Blair House was very nice. It was more limited compared to the other facility I went to, and I know that they do address only a certain range of care, so that was not helpful for us, but it was still a nice facility for those that would be within that care range. It had a friendly atmosphere, and it was clean. It seemed like a happy place. The rooms I saw were adequate.
June 27, 2015
I am a friend or relative of a resident
Blair House is perfect for my mother. The people are friendly, and the apartment is just the right size for her. It was affordable, and they had an apartment on the ground level floor with an outside entrance, so she has her own little patio and a little more privacy and independence. They do offer some entertainment like musical entertainment, she will go down to the lobby to listen to that, and that is about all she really does. The food is good.
March 31, 2015
I visited this facility
I have seen Blair House. It is the same as the other facility in that there was no one my age. It was older and mature in form. The staff is very nice to me. The dining area is fine. I saw the menu, and it looked like the food had a good variety, but we weren't offered a meal.
Provider Response
Hey, thank you for considering Blair House in your search for senior living. While we were not your solution in 2015, we hope you will give us another chance if anything changes.
February 10, 2015
I visited this facility
The personnel in Blair House were very forthcoming and very friendly. They were willing to show the facility. The dining area was really nice. They have a nice series of transportation. I would say they have a very high level of sanitation. The rooms are spacious, and it has a bathroom, patio, and kitchenette. It is very convenient to a lot of shopping and a lot of things.
September 22, 2013
I visited this facility
We toured Blair House and had lunch there. The location was convenient for us. It looked good and we liked it. Mom was very comfortable with it and she was so excited in going there. From what I had seen and had talked with my friend and families who had relatives there and had used the facility, it was supposed to be the best and nicest place in town. Also, Chad, the manager of the facility was working with me and he has a great staff. They seemed to be really sincere in getting my mom and aunt be settled in there. Those were the reasons why we chose it.
March 31, 2012
I visited this facility
PRO: The food serve is wonderful, the cook and servers are very friendly. You can take your pets. Trash is very close to rooms for collection Laundry is in good location on each floor. Con: We saw several empty rooms, where people moved out. Having housekeeping weekly they were dirty dirty dirty. I am not a clean freak, never would have shown such filth. Holes in wall from Rug installers, that was before last person moved in. There community room for dancing,etc was glooming and on dark side. The chapel room more of the same. THE ANSWER NEXT YEAR OWNERS are going to paint and up grade. NEXT YEAR!!!!!ONE LAST CON PRICE is $5,300 for 2 people. That is too high for us.
November 15, 2011
I am a friend or relative of resident
My father has been living at the Blair House for a little over a year. He has adjusted very well. He has a group of buddies that he plays cards with. He is also a veteran and is receiving money from the VA to help pay for his rent. They have someone there that helped him through the process. Warning: It takes the VA quite a while to send the first check. It took us 5 months. Well worth the wait though. I'd recommend Blair House to anyone looking for a retirement community.
Costs for Blair House
Services and Amenities of Blair House
Costs
- Fee Structure Extra: Included In Rent: Basic Cable, Electric, Gas, Sewer, Water
- Independent Living Starting At: $2150/month
Room and housing options
- 1-bedroom apartments
- 2-bedroom apartments
- Studio Apartments
- Housing Extra: Handicap Barrier Free Units Available, Individual Climate Control, Safety Rails In Bathroom, Telephone Hookup, Walk In Tub
Dining options
- In Room Kitchenette
- Dining Room Shared Meals
- Dining Extra: Private Dining Room, Resident Kitchen
Features
- Beauty Barber Shop
- Computer Room
- Resident Transportation
- Hiking Trails
- Tv Room
- Garden And Patio
- Resident Parking
- Features Extra: Laundry Room For Use, Chapel, Library, Locked Mailboxes, Elevator, Parking: Covered, Private
Cleaning services
- Laundry For Linens
- Housekeeping
Technology and entertainment
- Cable In Rooms
- Technology Extra: Wi Fi In Common Areas
Activities
- Offsite Activities
- Fitness Room
- Activities Extra: Billiard Lounge, Activity Room
Financial guidance
- Va Benefits Consultation
Guest services
- Guest Parking
- Guests At Mealtime
- Overnight Guests
General
- Minimum Age: 55
- Pets: Most Pets Allowed
About Blair House
Blair House is located in Normal, IL, providing a vibrant backdrop for your new life as a valued member of our caring community.
From pleasant housekeepers, to attentive servers at mealtime and helpful maintenance technicians who are there when you need them, this community is the new extension of your family. We take pleasure in getting to know each of our residents and look out for their comfort and happiness. Our chefs prepare three delicious meals each day, served in our beautiful dining room. We provide housekeeping, linen services, fun and stimulating activities, off-site excursions, transportation to your personal appointments and a variety of classes and programs. Our warm, comfortable community and our friendly staff and residents will welcome you. We look forward to making your life easier any way we can.
So come to Blair House for a visit...and stay!
*We understand that each individual is unique and that needs may change over time. Holiday Retirement does not provide any health care services. However, residents are welcome to receive services from any outside home health care provider of their choice to help them continue enjoying life at our community.
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