Oakbrook Healthcare Centre

My mother-in-law recently suffered a stroke.. Following the initial hospital stay, we arranged for her to rehabilitate at the Oakbrook Healthcare Centre based on a strong recommendation we had received from the family of a recent resident. We found the facility and rooms to be very comfortable, nicely decorated and impeccably clean. There are two enclosed outdoor patios that are nicely landscaped and an interior bird sanctuary with exotic birds. There are also numerous activities for the residents that change periodically. Any staff that we encountered were very pleasant and attentive. Of particular concern to us was the rehabilitation facilities and staff. The effects of the stroke required both physical and speech therapy. The therapy sessions that she received resulted in amazing results over a relatively short period. When she first entered, she could not stand up on her own and had limited arm movement. She was walking and moving comfortably following two weeks of rehab sessions. Her speech also improved significantly, though it appears that she will have some permanent limitations. We are most grateful to the staff for their diligence and consistent efforts! My wife and I recognize that this is a very tough business that needs to respond to a large variety of special needs that each resident presents. We were very impressed with the facility, the specialized services, and the attentive care that my mother-in-law received. We would highly recommend this facility to anyone that has a loved one in need of this service.

Both my parents were residents here. Both died here. It is still painful but want to share some our family experiences of this place with others. Housekeeping staff is TOPS - the most caring of the lot. Aides are a clicky, sullen bunch (at least in the basement -oh excuse me 'The Garden View' - an enormous euphemism if ever there was one!) We ended up hiring our own personal aide to care for the folks, just to make sure that they were adequately attended. It was sad and Oakbrook refused to acknowledge the staffing problems but would rather blame the residents. More medication and verbal abuse (or abuse by neglect) was the operating philosophy. There must be better institutions out there. Oh, the rooms shown are PRIVATE - NOT the norm, by the way.

I was surprised to read the review that said the staff was caring. The nurses were for the most part very nice and well trained. They are predominantly Filipino, a culture that encourages care for the sick and elderly. The aides, however, are a different story. I spent time in two sections. The first was a residential wing where many patients elderly. They sometimes were confused or unable to explain what they needed. I observed behavior that was emotionally abusive. I was glad that I could move about on my own and not depend on an aide. The second area was another wing they were remodeling into private rooms for short term rehab patients. The rooms are old fashioned and small. There was no shower in either room I used. There is only a call button, not a speaker system where someone answers your call. Phones must be rented and are expensive. The food is adequate, but fruits and vegetables are usually from a can. Physical therapy is in a light filled room. Therapists tend to work on their computers rather than offer to help someone who is not their patient. My therapist was very good. Remember that your doctor will NOT have privileges there unless a member of the staff. I was assigned a doctor who smiled at me every few days, waved his stethoscope in my direction and said I was doing very well. Not true because he never ordered blood tests so my potassium levels dropped to a dangerous low and I experienced supraventricular tacchycardia, necessitating a quick ambulance ride to the ER. Unfortunately for me, the nursing staff did not immediately respond to my frantic whispers of "911, 911," but insisted I was having a panic attack. Finally one aide or nurse said, "I can't get a pulse" and they reluctantly called the ambulance. They truly looked afraid, as if they would be punished for having a patient transferred on their watch. I would not recommend this facility to anyone who couldn't fend for themselves.

This facility provides both short term rehab and long term care and tends to be one of the sought after options in the immediate geographic region. It is located on a main road just a few blocks from highway access, in a primarily business district. The setting has inherent spatial constraints otherwise the facility likely would have expanded its walls. There is some small designated outdoor space that is nicely maintained, comfortable, safe and secure for residents and families to utilize, though again it is small. It is not really possible to go for a quiet walk due to the busyness of location and the distance one would need to traverse in order to get to a residential area. The interior of the facility has been remodeled over time and the common areas are tastefully decorated in a down-to-earth, warm and homelike fashion. There are some smaller sitting areas besides the lobby where residents and families can relax. The rooms are of average size and most are shared, with a few privates available. Both common areas and resident rooms are typically very clean and well maintained. The food, while nothing to rave about, is consistently good, or at least not bad, and quite palatable. The staff, both therapy related and direct care, are consistently kind, patient and attentive to resident needs.