Encore Village of Schaumburg

Milanb

Hello all... I have lived here for a little more than three years. After my wife passed away I decided that my large home in Roselle was just too much to take care of. I visited six local senior living facilities. What really sold me on Friendship Village were the many amenities. A swimming pool, gym, great outdoor paths and woods to walk, and even a stocked lake for fishing. A new resident friend caught a four-pound bass last fall. There are fve great places to enjoy my breakfast, lunch or dinner. By my count, on any day, there actually more than 100 items on the various menus! One of my original requirements was that my new home have a life care program (CCRC) and there are several versions to choose from. Finally, everyone that I come in contact with, be it residents, staff or management are friendly and helpful. my daughter and son in law like to visit Because they know they can also enjoy a great dessert with their lunch :)) If you want to be a hermit, it will be hard to do that here. Folks will encourage you to play games, cards, pool and so many other things. Hey, I'm just an 87 year old resident, and not a paid employee, but take it frum me, you would love it here.

Disgruntled999

Do not "buy-in" to any of the residency care programs. We have been waiting nearly 2 years to have our funds refunded after our loved one passed, but the facility has failed to do so. They claim the unit is unoccupied but have not provided any proof nor do they communicate with us or any of the other families. My understanding is that there are 75-100 families in a similar situation with no resolution/expectation of refunds in sight. We don't want anyone else to have their hard earned monies be lost because of poor management and the terrible financial condition of this business. They continue to default in payments to their bondholders. Look elsewhere.

Marline

The purpose of this review is to warn perspective buyers of what our family is going through, and the failure to get closure regarding this very unfortunate situation! It has been almost 2 1/2 years since my mother-in-law has passed away, and our family is still waiting on the money that is owed to us. We were initially promised that we would get the money back from her purchased unit, no longer than 18 months after her passing; however, as we now know, that is a lie! We reached out to Friendship Village several times after her passing to check on the progress of selling her unit, and it was at that time when we found out that the 18-month promise (made by a previous sales associate) was a lie, and in fact the money would not be returned until her exact unit was sold. We are now in monthly contact with the sales team, to try and get updates on the number of showings on her unit, and sales information on other units. We were informed that the number of showings per unit, is not something that is tracked. When we asked how many vacancies there were in the facility, the response was approximately 100, and 90% of those units, the families are still waiting to get their money back. That statistic is shocking! How unethical it is to hold on to people's money for that long. We feel that Friendship Village is in absolutely no hurry to sell the units, when they are making money off of other people's money, particularly because they state to be Not-for-Profit. We are hoping for a resolution soon, but at this point it doesn't look very good for our family.

Kate

Friendship Village of Schaumburg is beautiful. The community is inviting and excellent for active seniors. It's very large so things were pretty spread out and you have to be able to get around. They have everything there, from in-house activities such as classes/lectures and exercises, to shopping outside and engagement with the community (volunteer opportunities). It's like a little village within the city. The place was well kept and clean. The apartments were up to date and well-lit with pretty views. They have three dining areas that serve you everything from fast food-type options to plated meals and a formal setting. The staff was alsio attentive.

Janet

We had an in-person tour of Friendship Village of Schaumburg, and it was very nice. The people seemed more of my cousin's age group. We thought the facility was way too large. They had a salon, an exercise room, and tons of activities. The facility was very clean. It seemed like they had a nice-sized room, but everything was in that one room. So, your bed was in the same room as your couch and TV. People were allowed to bring in their own furniture.

Mario

My mom moved into the Friendship Village of Schaumburg. The service is good but quite expensive for assisted living. She said the food was okay. The upkeep was very good. It's a beautiful place. They have a lot of activities there. You see people getting together and playing cards. They have beautiful grounds and a little lake.

1 son

Make sure you get a lawyer to look over the sale contract. What you are told and what the contract says are totally different. We were told we could get the down payment back in 12 to 18 months. Don't worry what the contract says. It is now 22 months with no refund. Still waiting for our money....

The K

Our mother was there for the last 10 years and passed last year. The property has significantly declined and is in desperate need of repair. What is most concerning is that you put a deposit down for care and you choose the level and co pays and that money is refunded to your loved ones upon your passing and rental of your apartment. My Mothers apartment has been rented for months which they confirmed. A refund should have been on its way as a result which is over 100K. The sales office and HR have made numerous excuses that they cannot provide a refund until others before us get it. Wait in line they say. Marketing also disclosed that they are in financial trouble which is why they cannot provide a refund. So they hold your money until they get their dividends and interest from it for as long as they can. Some families have been waiting for over two years. DO NOT place any funds down at this place and expect a refund upon death. And if you are going to place your loved one here, make sure to hire an attorney. Also note, its a mess and in need of dire repairs. Just walk the campus and see.

Son of deceased Mom

My mother passed away 2 years ago and were still trying to get our earnest money back. Friendship always told us you will get the money back within 18 months, now they say because of Covid we have to wait till that unit is sold. but now they waited 2 years and are remodeling now. Don't believe what they say when signing the papers.

df1363

After 18 months of my mother's passing, they still have not returned our earnest money. They have ripped the apartment apart but will not remodel until all other apartments are sold. Be very careful about what you are signing.

Diana A.

My mother-in-law toured probably 15 residences before choosing Friendship Village. She decided this was the place after just an hour. Within a week of her moving in, she was back to her happy self that I hadn't seen in a very long time! You can be as active and involved as you like here, and she THRIVED! The staff was always friendly and remembered how proud she was of her apartment there, her family and all the new friends she'd made. The amenities at Friendship Village are second-to-none! Not to mention the wonderful food and service. I can openly recommend if your loved one is no longer safe in their home, or just needing much needed socialization, Friendship Village is the place. Great decision.

Linda

The Friendship Village of Schaumburg facility is very large, and the people seemed very active (the ones I've seen). I've eaten there a couple of times, and the food is very good. My friend had an efficiency apartment, but she actually moved away from there because it was very expensive. Her family could no longer afford it. It was too costly, and she had a smaller unit. It was very clean, and people were very friendly. I've also spoken to the staff on the phone; they were friendly and answered my questions. I think the food was excellent. The facility is older and very nice. It's not brand-new, but it's well kept. They're upgrading it all the time. They have a pool and lots of recreation areas. They have a beauty parlor, and they have several different restaurants. It's very nice. There are lots of different activities to choose from, including trips. I think their prices are high, but it's a huge place. I suppose they have a huge overhead to cover for.

priorie

FSV has pros and cons. My friend just left here because of costs and well other issues too. The outdoor facilities are lovely and well maintained. It’s safe overall and they took COVID precautions seriously. The staff has some very dedicated team members and some who are just awful (especially the activities director who does not like the residents or their guests, clearly). Food is just disgusting and unhealthy. I would always bring food over. The coffee is the worst I have ever tasted. They are very cheap in how they care for residents. The Village put in a bar - how dumb and insensitive for this population. I would not live here myself but again it is nice enough.

Esther

I visited Friendship Village in Schaumburg, and I'm still thinking about it. I liked it, but it's very expensive, and there's a lot of stuff that I would have to pay for. It's convenient to where I have to be, though, and they offer almost anything you can think of. The food is very good, and everything is highly rated there. That's probably why it's expensive. It's just so big; they have about 500 people there. You'd better be able to walk, too, because it has acreage and trees around it.

David E.C.

My mother and her sister lived here for 4 years. When we first looked for a senior living center where they could stay together, Friendship Village in Schaumburg, Il. was the only one we found that had 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartments. This was perfect for them. We were very happy with the accommodations and they had a great view on the 3rd floor looking out onto a beautiful, large courtyard. It was great to watch the seasons change every year in the courtyard. The complex is large and provides a great number of activities for them to participate in. They especially liked attending the live stage shows in the theater on the property. Another great benefit was that there is a doctor and dentist office on site, as well as a connected rehab center so many medical services can be taken care of without leaving the complex. We highly recommend Friendship Village for anyone looking for a great place for their senior relatives to live.

Nancy

My relative was in rehab at Briarwood Healthcare Center at Friendship Village. The staff was good, but it was more institutionalized compared to others. The food was very good. I didn't pick that place for memory care because it was very cold and had a hospital or an institutional feeling. It was fine for rehab, but it's like being in a hospital room when you're in memory care.

Den

We went to the independent living facility of Friendship Village of Schaumburg. It offered everything and it looked very appealing on the surface, but we were unimpressed with the inner workings of the place. The person who we dealt with at the start was very friendly. However, we were very unhappy with the way things wound up. They quoted us one price but then they said we needed different accommodations and then they quoted us an outrageous price. It was a horrible experience. They had a workout facility that was incredible, a full-size swimming pool, several dining rooms, and garages. They were all very friendly (except for the social worker).

Provider Response

Daughter with concerns

Friendship Village is a good facility if you want to live in their independent care facility. There is not alot of accomodation for those who have issues with vision, in that activities that accomodate vision issues don't exist. Support can be added for a fee. When my mom moved in we thought a contract was a good idea, allowing her to move to Assisted Living if she needed. the contract says that a resident can be out voted by social workers and doctors and be moved to AL on their request. Because FV does life time contracts the line and decision to move a resident is much sooner than other faciltiles. Once there you have to like or be part of the porgram in that area, or you can just sit in you room. They say a reaidetn can attend all Fv funstioncs, but ifyouare in AL you need to hire caregivers to provide escorts to larger events, or to even just spend one on one time and do activites that fit the residents needs. Consider these extra costs, and look at Assisted Living organizations that actually have programs that address a resident daily sense of purpose and intellectual well being, not just having their meds delivered on time.

Hildegard

Friendship Village of Schaumburg was the one I liked. The whole place was impressive, big, and had a beautiful lobby. The person that took me around and showed me the room was a very nice, friendly lady. I had a good feeling about the place. They had bingo, cards, a ping-pong table, Wii bowling, and a pool. People came in to entertain the patients by singing or just talking. They just had everything there. They served three meals a day. You could drive to doctors if you had a car, but they also had a shuttle that took people to their doctors’ appointments, Wal-Mart, or Walgreens.

Mary370411

We liked Friendship Village. They had activities like bingo, a choir, and a meeting place for church on Sundays.

Anne123124950

Friendship Village was an excellent, modern, and very beautiful facility. The people were great. I liked that they had a lot of options for dining and a wide variety of appealing social activities and amenities, like an excellent fitness center and a pretty unique pool.

AB2

I am currently at Friendship Village of Schaumburg. It's a wonderful and very well-established place. They have an indoor pool, exercise room, and a lot of activities over the course of the day. They have outside speakers that visit. The food is delicious. The people are friendly. Overall, the community is very high-quality in my opinion.

caring daughter116499950

Friendship Village has nice, fairly large apartments. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They have a lot of outdoor space, a swimming pool, two libraries, a game room, and church services. They also have a bus that takes residents shopping.

Not Friendly

A friend has been. at F.V. for several years and the food has gone way down hill. The veg is often served undercooked making it difficult for denture wearers to chew. A cold sandwich and barely warm, watery soup constitutes lunch most days. Often what is listed on the menu is not available. For the high cost of liviing there, residents should get healthy, balanced meals. It is almost impossible to get ahold of staff. No one answers their phone. F. V. is not where i want to spend my retirement years.

Kay42

Friendship Village is great, and they have everything. They have food and several different menus for dinner.

Lynn43

Friendship Village of Schaumburg was unaffordable. The staff was very helpful and very knowledgeable. The apartments were nice. The dining room had a restaurant atmosphere. They had bingo, games, and exercises.

Pat101406150

Friendship Village was very nice although they didn’t have patios on the ground floor, but other than that I liked it. They have a swimming pool, fitness center, spa, and several dining rooms; it’s a big place, but they were a little bit expensive.

Caring96790550

My aunt lived at Friendship Village for quite a long time, and she needed further services so she transferred to another facility. They have lots of choices for the accommodation, and it is spacious and clean. The dining room was OK, they have multiple bedrooms, and the facility looked secured. They have activities I believe according to their calendar.

Tracy9

My mom has been placed at Friendship Village. It is an independent living facility, but they also have assisted living and full care. They even have a lockdown section, but my mom is on the independent side right now with her own apartment. She can come and go as she pleases, but they have a necklace pendant that she can press if she either gets lost or gets hurt on one of their trails. There's a ton of activities, and they take her off-site as well, if she wants to go, but they have a lot of stuff on-site. They have a fitness center. They also have drama and games, like bingo. One of the things that she found the most helpful and she really loved is they have game night, where they do either a family feud or password to speed the residents' minds at work. It's just fun to watch her because she tells you when she gets the answers right. There are people right there if she needs help or if she just wants to visit with other residents. She's not dependent on someone to drive her to a senior community center to go to an event. She just goes downstairs and the events are right there.

Ann86340750

What my friend likes about Friendship Village is that the grounds are quite large, and also the fact that they have two libraries. I think, basically, it's the feeling of spaciousness that he likes about the place. It also seems very clean. The staff who assisted us was very informative. Overall, I would recommend Friendship Village to others.

Caring77463450

Unlike the other places which were more like a nursing home, Friendship Village was more condo-living type. It is continuing care, so my brother can go there whatever stage he needs to be in. Right now, he qualifies for independent living. What stands out to me was that they have all the amenities, like physical therapy and a pool. They did have all sorts of buses that can take you wherever you want to go, like shopping, restaurants, etc. Regarding the staff, they accommodated me really fabulously. The living accommodations were up-to-date and modern. They have accommodations from studios to three-bedrooms and they were all granite, brand-new type or refurbished.

Mary86288450

Friendship Village of Schaumburg is top of the line facility. This has got it all. It has aerobic classes during the day, it has a fitness facility, it has a pool, and it also has a beauty shop. The dining room is also top of the line. Everything was very nice. They were very spacious. The rooms and the facility. They keep the facility really updated and modern. Like I said it’s a very, very top quality. The facility is just expensive and we would not be able to afford it.

Beebot

on the surface Friendship Village is a lovely place. The exception if your loved on needs physical therapy or is moved to the Healthcare facility. Aides are for the most part very nice and patient. However, there is not enough staff for the number of patients. Nursing staff is there only to dispense medication. They put all the residents in front of a tv all day long and do nothing to engage those who are still looking for mental stimulation. They confine everyone to a wheelchair so it is easier for them to manuever them. Even folks who started out being able to walk there are quickly put into a wheelchair. There is no attempt to involve them in activity in the other areas of FV. The food is in disgusting. Often served cold with zero flavor. For those patients with mild conginitive impairment there is no effort made to shower these folks if there is even a minimal resistance from the patients. They simply mark their record when the attempt is made to - refused. UTI's run rampant because of this practice in poor hygiene. Medications must be provided by FV resulting in exhorbitant price gouging. Only adjusted when confronted and then magically the prices drop when someone takes them to task. FV as an organization is only interested in making money and does not have the best interest of our aging community in mind. I would definitely not recommend FV - there are plenty of other places that do not require such a huge purchase with no chance of leaving when you discover the true face of FV because your money is non-refundable.

Provider Response

Mary36064950

It was a homey place. They offer meals, housekeeping and transportation. However, there was an entrance fee for you to be admitted.

Mary49

I visited Friendship Village in Schaumburg, IL for my parents-in-law. It's been in the community forever. It's a wonderful facility but one of the reasons why we didn't select it is because it was more expensive and their doctor does not visit there. They have very nice rooms and I don't think they need to improve on anything.

RDP982

All three of the facilities seemed very nice. My Grandparents decided on Friendship Village because they offered to remodel the kitchen in their unit because it was very out of date and my Grandmother loves to cook. Unfortunately after them staying for quite sometime they grew to dislike the place due to lack of activities for my Grandfather is very limited on movement. They are exploring other options, but it seems to be the same story at most of these places. After visiting all of the three above; Sunrise, Friendship Village, and The Devonshire it seems that the employees selling units there promise the world and when the buyers join everything ends up sliding down hill. All three places the staff seemed quite nice, but speaking of where my Grandparents are staying at Friendship Village they have very limited activities for my Grandparents and they are having a hard time with my Grandfather not getting the care that he needs. (limited exercise, bathing assistance and bathroom assistance) They have been in Friendship Village for a year plus.

ernie1_79

The staff is very nice and helpful. The facilities have something for everyone.

Grandmasgirl4

Friendship village varied. Parts of it are very nice and cheerful, with happy residents and lots of sunlight, but when you visited the areas where residents with more severe disabilities lived it quickly became more depressing.On the whole it is a very standard assisted living/nursing facility, the grounds are lovely but besides that there are really no stand out features, the food is bland and very hospital like, the activities normal, and the hallways and corridors are long and confusing. The staff were generally nice, but they have many residents so they couldn't deal with everyone at once.

Gabsmom10

The grounds of the facility were beautiful. There were many flowering bushes and trees and ponds. The residents can even have their own garden space if they choose. The staff at Friendship was always very polite and accomadating. The building is very secure, as everyone has to be buzzed in. The faciltiy has many places for you to visit with your family and do activities such as pool tables and chairs and couches. There is also a place to entertain your family and have a meal. Overall, it is a place that I wouldn't mind having a family member live.

amill

This facillity has the look of a modern hotel, but beware if your person is not independent, they can not figure out how to navigate the place. A small tiny room for $6,200 dollars a month, it is a shame!

Social Wk Care Mngr

This nursing facility is part of the Friendship Village campus, a continuing care retirement community set on a large parcel of land in suburban Schaumburg. The campus is quite aesthetically pleasing and well laid out, offing safe sidewalks and paths to stroll on. The nursing home does accept admissions from the community; however internal campus residents have first-dibs on available beds. Long term care and short-term rehab are provided. Both programs are well regarded in the professional community. The nursing home itself is an older building, and while it does not have much of its own designated outdoor space, residents benefit from the acres of space available on the larger campus. The nursing care building is older and shaped somewhat like a flower with a center nursing station and halls that branch from there. There are some common areas for residents, but most space has a designated use so much of the visiting is done in resident rooms. Rooms are of average size leaving little room for any personal items. Natural light varies depending on room location and some rooms are notably dark. The food is average to above average, with some meals much better than others. Staffing turnover of direct care staff is also about average for this type of facility, not notable better or worse than others of similar type. Most often residents do not have to wait excessively to receive assistance, with the occasional exception of course when staff is very busy. All staff typically provides kind, compassionate and competent care.