Independent Living Communities in Brookfield, IL

"I found Sunrise at Fountain Square to be very welcoming. We liked it because the independent living wing was not too large. The marketing director was absolutely wonderful. The facility was quite lovely. What we really noticed was the openness and friendliness of the residents. We went back there three times and each time there would be somebody walking by who would say, "Are you considering Sunrise? You will not regret it. It's the best thing we ever did. We are so happy here." Men would approach my husband and tell him, "Don't hesitate to come here. You're going to like it, and the food is good." It put my husband at ease that other men were very happy there. They had a whole list of things that they offer for activities, a craft club, a men's club, workout room, exercise classes, and people who come in and do entertainment or presentations. They had a woman there who did a lot of the artwork that's displayed in the hall. It really impressed me. We stayed for a meal, and it was very good. It's easy to find your way around there the way they have it laid out."

"Autumn Green at Wright Campus was very comfortable. The apartment was a good size. They had motion sensors in the apartment, so if there's no motion within so many hours, they'll check on you, which is nice. They had a sprinkler system in case of fire. Size-wise, everything was good, and my friend really liked it. The staff was very nice. The dining area seemed very relaxed. It didn't seem like a café; it seemed more like you're having dinner in your dining room. It was a very comfortable setting. They had quite a few activities. There was an outside area, but it was raining that day. We didn't go outside at all. One side of the building is facing the football field at the new Taft High School, so if you're into football, you get front row seats for the games."

"the rooms are wonderful. the meals are terrific. the staff is tremendous. sometimes it does take a bit of time to get to our mother's room, when needed. other than that...it's a great environment and home and everyone is delightful! also, we would love for the cna staff to bring mom to more activities, so that she can engage. she is very solitary, but would love a lecture. if they can go with her a few times, and keep her company, so that she is comfortable, i think she would acclimate."

"I liked Lexington Square of Lombard. It's a multilevel facility. They had five floors, so it was a little different. Some of the other ones had one or two floors, but this one was a little bit bigger. They had a really big atrium in the middle and it was very bright and well-lit. The people kind of hang out around that area on the different floors, so I liked that about it. The dining room was very nice. It was probably one of the nicest dining rooms I saw in terms of how it looked. Their menu looked really good. They had a lot of activities. It was very clean and looked very nice. They had kind of high-end finishes on the different rooms, the hallways, and the multipurpose area. They have studios, one- and two-bedrooms. The staff was very good, very knowledgeable, and very nice. He took a lot of time to show me around. We weren't rushed at all. They have a beauty salon. They have more than one library."

"I have been talking about moving to a retirement community for years. I took a tour of this community and others about a year ago, but decided it was the time to make a move. I have put a deposit on an apartment and will put my condo on the market and finalize the lease on American House in the next few weeks. It is new and both the apartments and facility in general are well planned and laid out. The staff is friendly and informative about the community and what it has to offier. Certainly worth a look if you are considering moving to such a community,"

"My parents have lived in Independent living at the Brookdale Glen Ellyn for 2 years. They have loved it since the day of their arrival. Their surroundings, their apartment, the staff, the meals , the amenities and daily activities keep them active and involved. As their daughter, I feel that my parents are welcomed, appreciated and cared for and this gives me great peace of mind. My sister and I looked at several senior residences and the Brookdale Glen Ellyn was always our first choice."

"My wife is over at the Belmont Village Lincoln Park right now and everything is fine. It's very clean and pretty well-staffed, and the food was good. They had different things going on for different groups, especially for the memory care group, so I was happy with that. The cost is a little expensive. Our interaction with their staff is good. Most of the rooms were studios but they have other styles. They have an exercise room, they have a courtyard, and they have an outdoor area."

"I visited The Clare for myself. They are absolutely fantastic, and if I would go to a senior home, this would definitely be the one, but it’s a little too expensive for me. The amenities there were very good. The food was absolutely delicious, and the top floor was just like a fine dining restaurant and very elegant. It was really beautiful. "

"I did a tour. I like the cleanliness and safety of the rooms. I like the activities and the people. I liked the fact that there were other people (who I knew from this facility that had also moved there), and they liked the place. They had a library. They have the beauty and barber salon. They have medical facility and a chapel. They are not pet friendly. The staff was very nice. They were very accommodating to us who were there. There was no pressure whatsoever to take the place; they were just showing it. The only thing that I didn't like is that it took a very long time because there was three of us, and we all signed up. We had to wait until we were done, and it took several hours."

"I wouldn't feel better putting my grandmother anywhere except here. The facilities are beautiful and the gold coast feel to the lobby makes one feel important. The atmosphere is always fresh and smells good, the staff is extremely understanding and helpful. My grandmother loves it here and because it is local I am able to visit her whenever I feel the need or desire to. I think that when people reach an age at which their life becomes difficult it is important for them to be placed in such an atmosphere as this one. "

"We visited several facilities in the area, looking for the right place for our parents, age 94 and 98. They had lived in their home for 56 years, but it had 4 flights of stairs and was becoming more and more dangerous for them. We were impressed by the compassionate and friendly staff and the engaging and friendly residents as well as by the facility itself. While in their home, Dad had gone to daily Mass until he could no longer drive. He missed that. The chapel in Franciscan Village made it possible for him to renew that daily joy. Because a larger unit was not available when we wanted to move, the Administration at FV offered a smaller unit until the larger one would be available. Further, Franciscan Village has 3 levels of care available--independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing. As it turned out, Dad had a stroke in early March and was moved to Mother Theresa skilled nursing facility. Mom was able to walk to visit him whenever she wanted. It was a blessing. And when he passed a month after his stroke, residents and staff reached out to Mom in any number of ways to help her navigate this tsunami. We're VERY grateful that we found Franciscan Village and moved Mom and Dad when we did. And we're VERY grateful that Franciscan Village is the caring, compassionate place we believed it to be. "

"Generations at Oakton Arms was small, so you get to know everybody, and they have very helpful staff. It's clean and well-kept. My friend's studio apartment has a nice big open area and they were able to have that by not providing a full kitchen. It's just an efficiency kitchen, which is fine because the meals are provided downstairs and she didn't want a full kitchen. So that was a benefit. There's more room for her bedroom, her chairs, and friends that would come over. The dining area was nice. People were spread out. There was lots of room between tables and it wasn't overcrowded. It was a quiet and smaller eating area. There were windows and it just seemed nice. There was also a little private room if your family was with you. The food was very good. Then there's some kind of a movie/show every night, a word game that my friend went to, and some exercise. There's an activity schedule that has two or three things every day. So, I think it's pretty good value."

"Founded by holocaust survivors, Selfhelp Home is one of the better-known nonprofit Jewish assisted living/retirement communities in Chicago. The food is kosher, the residents are almost all Jewish and the staff/resident ratios are high. Despite rather high monthly costs, the facilities are not plush: they're clean, functional, safe, and well-maintained but not luxurious. Well-run Medicaid nursing homes look pretty similar. The money goes largely for staff and there are a lot of them: residents can and do get help at any point of the day with just about any task. The home also offers a wide range of activities ranging from book clubs to field trips. Generally, residents seem to like it. "

"I was impressed. Mother and I liked it very much. Out of the ones I visited, it is the nicest. The price is good. I was impressed with the staff and the cleanliness of the place."