Independent Living Communities in Niles, IL

"The rooms a spacious and well maintained. Food is customized My mother in law has been a resident for over 3 years and enjoys everyday which is filled with activities and fellowship."

"I toured Clarendale Six Corners for my uncle. It's convenient. They seem to care, and that he's going to get the care that he needs. It seemed like a nice place. The staff was very friendly, very informative, and caring. The facility was brand-new. The size of the room was adequate and seemed to have a positive atmosphere."

"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."

"I went to look at The Merion. It was nice, as well as the woman who showed it to me, but it was too expensive for me. The place was beautiful, it had a pool, and I liked the place where it's at. It's a beautiful neighborhood. I didn't want to pay that much money for it, and I didn't want to move to the suburbs. The staff member who gave me the tour was wonderful, she was very accommodating, she called me several times, and she's very nice. It's a gorgeous facility."

"I toured The Breakers at Edgewater Beach. The least that I liked was the distance. It's the location, but other than that, I liked it. The staff was very nice. It's a friendly and warm atmosphere. It's a very nice, open dining room, and it looks like they have a good chef. They have an outside park area where you can walk, and the lake is across Lake Shore Drive, a nice area to walk."

"I have briefly visited other nursing homes and assisted living facilities and I think this is one of the best. My mother visits almost every day, though, and I know that's one way to make sure that your relatives are well taken care of...The staff is always friendly and willing to make accommodations in the residents' schedules for visitors. For all residents, both those on the 8th floor (mainly dementia patients, some rehab) and on the lower floors (mainly in their own apartments with mini-kitchens), there are daily activities. For those who are mobile, there are frequent outings. Book club, story groups, bingo, exercise, ice cream socials...there's also a beautiful roof deck and indoor sitting area on the top floor with many couches and large windows overlooking Lake Michigan. Most residents dine together and food seems decent downstairs from what I've seen. The food on the 8th floor is pretty basic cafeteria style food, not so good. "

"My dad was a resident of Bridgeway of Bensenville. I have no complaints, and everything was great. The staff was very attentive to all of his needs. The food tasted like cafeteria food. It was very bland. It wasn't overcooked. First, we were in a two-bedroom because my mom was alive, but then she passed away there seven days later that we moved in, and then we moved my dad into a studio. Both of them were okay with what they needed. The upkeep needed some work."

"I've been to Brookdale Oak Park several times for events. I actually would move in there now if it wasn't $5000 a month. There's a couple of other people from the senior center that also attend the same events that I do. The staff treats us really well, and we've been invited for various things, food and stuff like that. We can see that the residents are happy there. They intermingle with each other. They get good food in the restaurant. I'm very impressed with the way that things are run there. I don't think the residents have to do anything. I think that's all taken care of for them, aside from keeping their personal stuff arranged and all that. Everything looks clean to me. I've been in rooms, but not when they were occupied with people. They have an art room. They have activities. Sometimes, they have music and some of the residents will get up and dance. It's real cute."

"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."

"My husband is going to go to Belmont Village Lincoln Park. Why we chose that one, was because of their more aggressive approach to involving residents in activities, getting them out of their rooms, making sure they're up and dressed and using their hearing aids and glasses, and staying up and dressed during the day. The person who gave me the tour was very knowledgeable, very helpful, and very thorough. The rooms were quite adequate. They're very nice and brand new. They have closets and drawers. The place is a very nice physical plan, and it is brand new. I like the fact that it had some outdoor space so that residents could be taken outside to get some fresh air. The dining area looked very pleasant, it smelled good, and the people seemed quite content eating there. With regard to activities, they all seemed engaged and involved in group activities when I was there. I don't know what specific activities were, but there was stuff going on in the common room. The atmosphere was very upbeat. It was brand new, so everything just looked very nice and seemed solidly built. On the change of residents, they refreshed the room and repainted it. Everybody seemed very involved and very friendly. Everyone seemed to know all the residents."

"We went to look at Brookdale Lake Shore Drive. I like everything. I like the way it was set up for my brother. The facility was very clean. The people were very friendly. The staff was friendly and explained everything to us. But my sister said it was too far. The dining area was set up good. It was like a restaurant setup. They had a doctor and a nurse on staff. If my brother needed anything, he could push the button, and they would come to him. They have a barbershop and salon. They could go outside, which I like."

"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 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."

"I visited The Clare recently. I have a sister living there and I was there after chemotherapy bouts in both skilled nursing and assisted living. We now have an independent living unit there. It is quite different from what you have down here. It is a vertical high-rise apartment in downtown Chicago, so it is quite different. The food is very good. The staff is equally good. They have movies, and they will take you to local events like opera, theatre, and the symphony. You can go out the door and access five or six good restaurants. It is something you can't do down here. The food in the assisted living is not their best food, but in independent living it is much better."