Mather Place of Wilmette

I wish I knew this before preparing my grandmother to move into The Mather. We were aware that when an apartment became available she would have to be medically, mentally and financially reviewed before accepted. In January, after nearly 2 years of being on the waitlist, we began this process. We weren’t worried; she swims 5 days a week on her own and is sharp like a whip. Her doctor wrote she had excellent health on her physical in December. We went in multiple times together to see the place and my grandmother met with a nurse. We were shown the exact apartment that was “available for her,” we were shown carpet samples to select from and were given the option to knock down a wall to open up the living room (and were given a bill for it $2500). We completed all of the paperwork and made the initial payment (10% which was $93,000). Then we were given a move in date of March 16th. This to us sealed the deal so we put her condo on the market. LUCKILY, nobody made an offer because 1 MONTH later we were informed that she was denied acceptance. No explanation was available. The worst thing of all is the mental stress of going through this process. It has been very hard on my grandmother to make this mental shift and now she is told she is not accepted without any sort of explanation. It is really shocking to our whole family that the people in charge at The Mather apparently haven't thought about, or just don't care about the disruption and stress that they can cause by not handling things in a professional and sensitive way. It makes you wonder if this is indicative of how they treat their residents that were so blessed to be "approved".

The Mather Wilmette will promise your loved one the world before they sign the lease and move-in but the reality of living there truly doesn't hold up to the sales pitch. The culture is cold and uncaring to the point where the Mather Directors walk by residents and guests without making eye contact or saying hello. If you are in the elevator with a Mather Director, it is like being a ghost. The only kind and caring humans you will find in the building are the fitness staff (included in the rent) and the outside caregivers (who are an additional cost). The residents have opportunities to make suggestions at events like the invitation-only Food Committee but the Mather is focused on one thing and one thing only, cost cutting. Keep in mind the Mather is a for-profit business and so if there is a way to reduce staff, food quality, transportation or activities, they will to save a dollar.

Mather Place of Wilmette looked like a very nice, clean, and attractive place. We had a light lunch there and the food was good. It's an independent living place and you can have a short term caretaker if you've just come back from the hospital or rehab. Their lobby is very pretty. The staff was polite and served well.

Mather Place of Wilmette doesn't have that many people. It's an assisted living, so it looks more like a home than an institution. The people are very friendly, which is what we're looking for. The grounds are gorgeous and very well kept up. The location is convenient for us, it's very easily accessible since it's right off the expressway. My dad is in a one-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen with an electric range, microwave, refrigerator, and dishwasher. Everything has been remodeled in the last fivr years. The carpeting is fresh and clean. It has a very large living room, a good-sized bedroom, and a fairy good-sized bathroom.