Independent Living Communities in Elgin, IL

"I went to Lake Barrington Woods. The lady who met us was very informative and very helpful. She took us on a tour of the facilities. They were very nice, very clean and very modern. We went to one room, which was a two-bedroom and it was very nice. She showed us about eight different floor plans. It seemed like they had a tremendous amount of activities all day. They had a varied menu for the meals. They offer breakfast and dinner every day, seven days a week. They offered a choice of outside parking or inside heated parking. They have a library and a courtyard and a very extensive fitness center. It's very nice and very modern, and the apartment she showed us had a very large kitchen that's well equipped and had large closets. They had a washer and dryer per room. The staff was very helpful, very patient, and very willing to take time for us. The building was very big, and the halls were very long. We did not have any meals, but she gave us a menu for that day and it was very extensive and had lots of choices. All the utilities are included plus they have a deal where you get a button to wear if you need it, so that in case you have an emergency, you just press the button and help comes."

"My mother will be moving into GreenFields of Geneva. We chose it mostly because of the location. It's very close to one of my other siblings. She'll be going to memory care. I like that there was a separate dining area like each area was separate. It looked like a smaller dining space for memory care and the unit itself was in a U-shape. They have nursing staff available 24 hours a day. The staff during the tour was great. She gave us a lot of information, was upfront, and has helped us through this process as we are starting the move. What they had to offer in terms of activities and the availability of physical therapy and speech therapy is five stars. We have to have a doctor prescribe that, but it's nice that it could be onsite."

"Covenant Living at the Holmstad was a beautiful facility. Not only the building itself, but the landscaping was very large and beautiful. There were lots of places for residents to be able to walk. They had gardens and trees. It's the most beautiful place I've seen with a price to match. They request a large deposit and then monthly charges, which could increase yearly. There are no meals at all. The salespeople were extremely nice. It's just we can't afford it."

"We went to Solstice Senior Living at Palatine. They have a very enthusiastic senior director who's in charge of intake. Very nice gentleman. He met with me one-on-one in March, and I brought my mom back to visit in April. We've discussed this individual spot, one-bedroom in the 600-square-foot range, and the pricing was reasonable. It seems like people are happy and comfortable and well taken care of. The staff seem very responsive. There were additional ancillary services on a pay-as-you-go basis and doctors or therapist coming on-site, so there were some pluses. I have a very positive impression of it."

"The Grand at Twin Lakes was beautiful. I loved it. I liked the layout, the design, the brightness, and the attentiveness of the people. They have an indoor pool and a beautiful patio. They have units with a balcony, too, which is lovely. On their lowest level, they have a movie theater that has movie seats and a huge screen and a kitchen where if I wanted to go there and cook meals with my dad or for my family, I could. They also have little rooms that you could have for family gatherings, a library, and a coffee bar where they do happy hour. There were so many people out in their community rooms just sitting and reading. It's just lovely and bright."

"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."

"I did an in-person tour of Clarendale of Addison's independent living. The lady who did the tour was very good and very thorough. I was very impressed with the facility. It was very nice and clean. Everybody I've seen in the independent living part seems to be very much in tune with everything and a very friendly group. All in all, I thought it was a very good experience."

"We toured Monarch Landing. It was excellent. The food was excellent. It was very safe and resort-like. The staff was Incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. They have all levels of care there. I know they just won an award as best in Illinois for skilled care, so that was also a good thing."

"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."

"Brookdale Glen Ellyn was very nice, clean, and well-appointed. The dining facilities looked very nice. The pool and exercise facility were nicely appointed. The room that I was looking at was spacious enough for my needs. Tim, who gave me the tour, was very thorough in his explanation, so I was able to understand all the ins and outs of living there. There were lots of activities to be partaken in, both in the facility and outside the facility."

"I loved StoryPoint Naperville, but my in-laws were not interested. I would have given them a five on everything. I didn't have food. I had hot cocoa there, but I thought they were excellent. The facility itself was very upscale. They had a shuttle that ran regularly that would take you anywhere in a ten-mile radius and with their location, that would be anywhere in the Naperville area, basically. I was impressed that of all the places we went to, this was the easiest to get out and about and around to whatever doctor's visits you needed or anything you wanted or any shopping that you wanted to do. My dad is worried about losing his driver's license and they had the best shuttle. It was a very upscale place and they didn't insist on a crazy entrance fee. If you need to move, they also have assisted living and skilled care onsite. If you would ever need to leave, that gave you some flexibility that the others didn't have. I thought it was an excellent facility and very nicely done. It had excellent staff. I couldn't say enough about it. It was clean and well-organized. I liked it a lot. I liked it because you could get out and about where the others sort of tried to provide everything right there onsite. We looked at independent living. I think one of the downsides there was they didn't have a two-bedroom apartment available that we could see and my in-laws were very interested in a two-bedroom apartment, and they were afraid of it being a smaller thing."

"We chose Lexington Square of Lombard for the location because it's closer to most of us compared to some of the others that I looked at, and they are all very caring people. I like their tenure. Most of the staff has been there for quite some time and that was important to me because my cousin is in memory care, and I wanted to make sure that the staff knew how to deal with memory care. Safety is pretty good. I have to have a passkey to go in and to get out. They don't let just anybody in. The residents aren't able to get on the elevator on their own. I like the fact that the residents all wear a little beeper to page a nurse if need be. She has indicated that the food was very good. I like the variety. She is diabetic, and they are paying attention to that, so I thought that was great. There are things that she doesn't like, but I didn't see anybody complaining. They seem to be keeping her quite busy. They have her up and dressed every day. She's always doing something. The facility is very pleasant, very homey, and very clean. Everybody just seems very comfortable there."

"I toured The Grand Victorian of Sycamore. It was a very welcoming place, very bright, very clean, and had a lot of options. We had a very extensive visit and met a lot of the staff. We learned a lot of things. They were very helpful. The food wasn't the most delicious, but depends on your taste and what's offered that day. It was nicely done. It was a beautiful facility. It was extremely nice."

"I liked Jennings Terrace. I liked how friendly everyone was. They answered a lot of questions. They were very thorough with their information. They were very kind. They give everybody their own space. They give everybody space to eat and a space to exercise and keep their skills up-to-date. It was clean. It looked good. There was an exercise area to keep their mobility. There was a courtyard."