Independent Living Communities in Barrington, IL

"I like that Addolorata Villa feels like a family community. I like that the residents were out setting up some of the Christmas decorations and the chef stopped to talk to us and there was a guy who mans the gym area like he's there all day. It's just a nice feature. The staff was very friendly. It was clean. One of the drawbacks is that it's kind of spread out. The atmosphere was very pleasant. I only saw two-bedroom rooms and they looked comfortable."

"The apartment is beautifully appointed and ready to move in. Everyone that mom has encountered has been friendly and caring and that includes staff and residents. They go out of their way to make sure she feels seen and taken care of. She enjoys the dining room because she has very nice meals and gets to meet new people every time she goes. Change is difficult, especially as you get older, but the staff has made mom's transition smooth."

"We liked Grand Victorian of Crystal Lake, and they still keep in touch, which is kind of nice to know how they're doing. It's just that my dad does require some extra care. It's typically supposed to be one person assisting all the time, but he has at least two people assisting right now. I liked the size of the rooms. They're really nice. They made it feel more like an apartment than a room. Their dining room was very nice and well-kept. They had many servers. The food looked good. We did not eat it, but we were touring while they were eating, and it looked like it was very well maintained. Claudia did a great job with the tour and staying in touch. She's very kind, very caring, and took the time to show us everything we needed to see and answer all our questions."

"The Moorings of Arlington Heights has a rehab center there, and that's where my husband was transferred from the hospital. He was there for five weeks and received very good care. The nurse practitioner there was excellent. She was great. She was very knowledgeable and worked with my husband to make sure that his meds were correct and taken at a particular time when he needed them. The certified nurse assistants were also great. Most of them were very well trained and knew what my husband needed help with. It was excellent. No complaints from them. The building was very pleasant and very nice. They have a bird sanctuary in the lobby that you can watch. It's a huge structure and very interesting to watch. Everybody was very friendly. When you walk in, you have to sign in, of course, but then that's for safety. They gave you a badge to wear. The physical therapy and occupational therapy area was excellent. It's very bright, and there's plenty of room to move around. It was a very pleasant place. My husband said that the food wasn't highly seasoned, but then you are making food for a big amount of people. He had several meals that he enjoyed. It's a varied menu. They come every day and ask you what you want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And if you don't want any of the actual choices for that day, they offer sandwiches, burgers or hotdogs, soups or salads. I would recommend The Moorings of Arlington Heights. I met a lot of wonderful caregivers, nurses, and their assistants, and all were very accommodating and concerned about each of their patients. It was great."

"The staff is the friendliest nicest group of people I have ever met. The apartments are gorgeous and the food is fantastic. Stress - free and maintenance free living that’s generally makes you happy. Sedgebrook has such a wonderful environment that I’m convinced that people live longer and happier lives than they would otherwise. Enjoy Sedgebrook when you are young enough to participate in all the activities. Don’t wait!"

"Brookdale Vernon Hills is beautiful. It's an open floor plan, and it's got a swimming pool and a jungle right in the middle of everything. From what I've seen, the cleanliness is fine. They come in once a week and clean the house and wash your linens. The staff members I met were very friendly. The girl, Martha, knew everybody we met by name. She's very knowledgeable. They've got everything. I liked it."

"My dad moved into The Atrium at Oak Crest Residence. The people that work there have been really great. They're friendly. Whenever I had issues or things I needed to bring up, they addressed it right away. So, it's also relaxed. And they're always making sure that my dad is getting involved with stuff. He's not just sitting in his room. So, it feels like a small community. It's not a huge facility, so it feels like everybody knows everybody and they know what's going on. And I can talk to whomever, so I think it's been good. The facility is clean. There's an older part and a newer part, and it's well taken care of. But it's not like fancy or anything. So, it's a very basic place, which is fine. It's what my dad needed. So, if you're looking for something fancier, this isn't the place, but it is a good basic facility. It has a comfortable and laid-back atmosphere."

"I'm at The Oaks at Bartlett. The rooms and the layout are excellent. They are spacious. It has a large bedroom and a comfortable front room. The kitchenette is perfectly laid out for ease of use. The amenities are very comfortable and easy to access from your living quarters and they are top grade. The food is a five-star restaurant quality. The staff is very friendly, accommodating, informative, and a pleasure to work with."

"Apartments are beautifully spaced. Food service is New York City quality! Want or need more- just ask for it. Cleanliness is first-rate. ALL STAFF cannot be better and always very caring and friendly. Enhanced Care is beyond fabulous."

"My grandmother moved to Riverside Residence, and I've never seen her this happy. The staff is excellent and extra friendly, especially Papine. She's been good to us. I was able to try the food myself, and it is very good. It's not a five-star restaurant, but for that type of place, it is way better than anywhere else. We are blown away by this place completely. As I was moving my grandmother in, they had happy hour, and sat her down and gave her a beer. The common areas are beautiful. The TV room is nice. It has a piano, a bar, and a nice big TV. Her room is also very nice. It's exactly the right size for her. The carpet is new. They put on a brand-new barn door in her bathroom. They're even willing to change the tub into a shower for her at no extra cost if that's what she wants. She has a beautiful view of the river, too. They were the cheapest one that I found, and they're the only ones that offer three meals a day. No other place offered that."

"The facilities are well kept with more spacious apartment floorplans than others in a similar location and price point. The activity areas are large and well appointed for the daily activities, entertainment, and educational offerings. Their dining services are great with a wide variety of meals and a weekly Sunday brunch. Most importantly the staff is very friendly and professional. Everyone from the front desk to the available home service care givers get to really know their residents, and even their families. I feel comfortable knowing my father is surrounded by good people."

"Our tour experience with Huntley Springs Retirement Community was excellent. It's basically apartment living where you have your own individual apartment and a key to the door. I felt that the cost was reasonable for what you get, because they include absolutely everything. There's absolutely nothing that you have to pay for other than if you want to do something extra outside of the community. The facilities and the apartments were just beautiful. They have guest apartments, so if you had visitors they could reserve one of those, which I think is amazing. The activities were incredible. They have clubs and nice dining rooms. If you have a dog, you have to be on the first floor, and you have a walk out patio, which was important to me. The only concern that I had was, because it is on a piece of property that is set way back from the main road, everything around them was open. So someday, I know people are going to buy their property and I don't know what's going to be there. I don't want to be looking at the backside of a strip mall someday, but as far as the facility itself, it's very good. They have a workout room and they do chair volleyball and things like that. They have a concierge available 24 hours a day. Overall, I would highly rate the place. If you were someone that was looking to live in an apartment setting, basically that's what it is. Everybody was very friendly and knew each other. Even the maintenance people were very nice."

"Lake Forest is great, it's a buy-in, it's expensive, and the people there are mostly local people. The staff took me around, and I've gone to a couple of their functions -- which were wonderful. They have a swimming pool, and many people would come in and speak there. The dining area was newly remodeled, it's very nice, and the food was very good."

"Brookdale is a very friendly community with nice people. My apartment is spacious and reasonable. I enjoy the meals and chats with the Director of Dining. I would recommend joining the Brookdale community."