It's time for a recent review for Covenant Home of Chicago. Here goes:…read more When my father decided it was time to sell his apartment building and move to a supportive living situation, Covenant Home came to the fore, as it is part of Chicago Methodist Senior Services. And as Steve Z. commented, searching for an assisted living facility is indeed an education in itself and totally new territory for me. The staff at Covenant helped us navigate the ins and outs of the application process, which as you can imagine, complicated. Financial records, doctors' assessments, TB test, all in the mix. To the building: It was built in 1997, so is relatively new, well-maintained, with a caring (yes, I said that, though I realize that is often just a buzzword in reviews of these types of enterprises.) staff. The meals are tasty and well-balanced. Residents sit 4 to a table with fresh flowers, nice silverware, and always water (so no dehydration, per the reviewer from 5 years ago). (They also have a water cooler w/lemons in the foyer). On Sundays they put white linen tableclothes on the dining tables, which, together with the flowers, makes for a very nice setting. In all, there are about 54 residents, with either studio apartments or 1 bedroom. The floors are all wood and nicely maintained, fresh paint upon move-in, the better to navigate with walkers, etc. The building has Comcast cable available. Residences are equipped with small refrigerator/freezer, a microwave, sink in a little "kitchen" area. Two closets, and ample cabinets in the bathroom. The five floors are built in a square around an atrium, which gives the place a nice airy feeling. All the rooms' windows are outward facing. The bathroom has a level floored shower for safety and there are pull chains all over the place for residents to pull if in distress. There are daily activities for residents, trips to Jewel and Walgreens if you are not mobile enough to go on your own. Filling the day: Evening movies, afternoon coffee in a very cute cafe, balance class, art class, current events, Bible study, word games, bingo, ballroom dancing, tai chi, Sunday worship (Methodist), a Tuesday Mass, manicures, watercolors, culture chats (not sure what that is). An RN is on site most of the time and he or she keeps good track of dispensing medications for all residents. And, if there is a health crisis, Swedish Covenant Hospital is right across the street! This is not a memory care type of place. For that, they have Wesley Place, further east on Foster. Residents have varying ranges of mobility. My father goes to his own medical appointments (right at the corner), takes taxis or walks to close by destinations such as Lincoln Square and the Tre Kroner Restaurant. So, all in all, he was fortunate to secure a studio here. And since I live in Oakland, CA, it's important to feel that he is safe and in good hands. Covenant Home provides that security and care.

My search for an assisted living facility was an education in itself- long story short I decided on…read morethe Covenant Home based on it being close to my own home, and on my gut feeling about the people I spoke with, the director and the assistant director of the facility. It's been a year and four months, and I am happy to say the result has been better than I expected. My mom moved into the Covenant Home in September of 2012. She was 90 at that time, and had been living at the North Shore Retirement Hotel in Evanston. During her 6 years at the North Shore she progressed from being fairly self-sufficient to needing help with some of her daily care, and she had more and more difficulty dealing with things in general, as her memory was getting worse. During her last year at North Shore she was hospitalized twice, she had poor appetite, was losing weight and she was depressed. She also had a couple physical conditions that required some daily attention. We had hired a helper for her and also contracted with the on site home nursing company at the North Shore, but their services were not enough. After she moved into the Covenant Home her appetite began to improve, and it's no longer an issue at all. The chronic problems she was having previously are under control, she is consistently in good spirits, and she has made friends there. Although she was not happy to make this move, she is now quite happy there, and says so. This is a much better outcome than I anticipated and I believe it is due the competency of the staff, the fact the quality of her care is consistent, and an intangible aspect: that the culture there is one of attentive kindness. The care she gets at the Covenant Home is a mix of residential and medical- they take care of making sure she gets her meds, cleaning of her studio apartment, dressing, dining, getting ready for bed, all that. Additionally, they they keep up with any ongoing medical care she needs, they make doctor appointments, and if necessary provide transportation. The are proactive in her care in terms of the medical, hygienic and social aspects. If you feel like hearing more about this I would be happy to correspond. You can send a private message to me through the Yelp system.

My father lived here for 3 years. He really enjoyed his time at the Self-Help home. He even had a…read morefriend he knew for many years living at the Self-Help Home. My Gigi also lived there.

A huge thumbs-up for Selfhelp! From the second you walk in, you feel like you're in a welcoming,…read morehomey environment. The staff are amazing--super friendly and always go above and beyond to make sure the residents are happy and well taken care of. There's no shortage of activities here! Whether it's group outings, arts and crafts, or even some chill yoga, there's always something fun and engaging to do. It's a great way for everyone to stay active, meet new people, and just have a good time. Also, the team really takes the time to make sure each resident gets the personalized attention they need. You can tell that the staff are passionate about what they do, which makes all the difference.

Please don't put your vulnerable loved one in this institution. Dishonesty and non-optimal…read moretreatment exists along well meaning staff. not worth it. keep looking. protect your elders.

I had the misfortune of working here for 12 months and left..... from the first week of employment…read moreI was insulted, degraded, threatened, harassed and had my work and integrity impugned almost daily by my manager in Plant Operations and when myself and several others (including Residents') went to the Executive Director to file our grievances we were all assured that a "thorough investigation" would be conducted however, nothing ever came of it and the this toxic individual still remains employed with Lincolnwood Place and still maintains a hostile work environment for staff, residents' and family members. (I had to rate one star because they won't let you rate any lower!).

The Carrington merits five stars in almost every measure of performance. The rooms are spacious and…read moreare kept spotless by a dedicated housekeeping staff. The physician I usually dine with calls the meals outstanding. I agree. There is a large gym with a decent sized comfortable swimming pool and a large number of physical therapy machines at different levels of skill supported by knowledgeable trainers. Free transportation is provided as far as 12 miles for medical/dental appointments and 8 miles for other trips. My main criticism is the absence of adequate tech assistance. Since there is one tech helper, it can take at least three days before you receive any assistance. While the techie is outstanding, he cannot serve roughly 200 residents. This is not the mid-20th century when most residents were not computer literate. I first thought that imposing a surcharge for access to a techie would work, but then a surcharge would need to be imposed on all activities that a minority of residents use.

Nice apartments, well kept. Nice residents. If looking for full service, this is a good choice…read more Well managed.

I called A Place for Mom looking for a place to put my aunt, she had dementia. I worked with Dovid…read morewho was very nice and helpful. He sent me places to check out, that met the criteria I had, and I did. I ended up choosing another place because I thought it was a better fit. About 6 months later, I realized she needed a place that had higher levels of care available and would accept Medicare if her money ran out ( the place she was at wouldn't) so, I contacted Dovid again. He gave me a new list of places. I checked them out and found one that was as close to perfect for her as I felt I could get. I moved my Aunt there and she loved it. She told me everyday how happy she was that I had found this place for her and how much she loved it. Working with Dovid was a wonderful, no pressure, no cost to me experience. I have recommended A Place For Mom to so many people and they have all been happy with their experience.

My MIL had a great expereince here-shout out to Janice, Denize & Deidre! Really great team -always…read moremade her feel respected and well taken care of. Would recomend!

My 88 yr. old Mom had an accident 2 days after Thanksgiving and broke both wrists and hurt her…read morehead. After 2 days in the hospital she came here for rehab. Mom came home on December 23 and her wrists were in much better shape. Kelly was amazing to work with and the staff were wonderful to Mom. THANK YOU

5-Years ago, brothers and I picked out Bethany Retirement Community for the next step in our Senior…read moreMom's life. It is one of the best decisions we've ever made. Mom is so happy at Bethany when we take her out for a family event, within a few hours, she'll ask to go "Home". It's the people at Bethany that make it feel like "Home". Staff are always, friendly, helpful and compassionate.

Prices are 3-4 times cost at move in. Budget accordingly! Afraid to provide review in case they use…read morethis make me move my family member. Most cnas are great (for the most part- there are a couple who don't want to work and complain to nurse lead - most people know who the weak links are. There is a tight/odd relationship there.) Programs are excellent. Some culture and management issues. Leadership issues aside, the facility is nice.

As Vice-President of Membership of the Francophone Bilingual Toastmasters that has been meeting at…read morethe Breakers for over 5 years, I would like to thank all of the staff and especially, Adam, Chef Extraordinaire. We have had two special events in the last three months and Adam went out of his way to provide very special delicious dinners, table decorations and a beautiful environment. i am sure that one of the reasons that our members are so happy is because we dine in style at every meeting. Thank you so much!

About 6-9 months after I moved to the Breakers I would have recommended it to any of my friends…read more On my first survey I said you get a bigger bang for your buck. So many things have changed that I would say "see for yourself. Rent a room for a few days and see how things go, visit with residents and make up your mind." At present my comment would probably not be you get a bigger bang for your buck, but you get what you pay for.Last week we got notice of rent increase for the coming year. Rents went up from 8 -12%. I realize things are costing more but this much a spike was a total shock. I would like to know if some of the rental increase will be applied to some of the many problems I have faced. * Meals that are not as good as they used to be--there are fewer choices and for the most part they are simply not as good quality as they used to be. *Getting rid of Sunday brunches so we can again have valid choices for a dinner. *There has always been a situation with the elevators. Only four elevators (no service elevator) for 450 residents. Since I have moved in they have converted some guest rooms to resident rooms. So now we have more residents, more walkers, more wheelchairs, more dogs.... *This building has 33 floors and 4 laundry rooms with each laundry room having 4 washers and 4 driers and very seldom are they all working. *I spotted a cockroach in my apartment my second day here and continue to fight this battle. *Some units have no thermostatic control of the temperature so you are constantly getting up to either turn the unit on or off. *It has a heating/cooling system that can't provide heat and air at the same time. A Chicago Ordinance requires the system to change from cool to heat in November and from heat to cool in May, leaving residents uncomfortable during certain times of the year. *There are no exhaust fans, not even in the bathrooms. *You can always expect something to go wrong, no hot water, no cold water, no water... Give me a break. We had guests in a guest room. They were in their sixties, one was blind and they were on 32nd floor at a time when only two elevators were in operation during their entire stay. And one morning they awakened to no water, ergo no shower no flushing.... In spite of this no consideration was given in their rent. The one thing I will say is that the Breakers is located right by the Lake and in walking distance of anything you may need, Mariano's, Jewel/Osco, several eating places, close to most medical care you may need. Catherine O'Connell

A long overdue update. Mom lived at the Admiral for about 10 months before she became ill. She…read morewas hospitalized and it looked like she would pass away at the hospital. Mom wanted more than anything to get back to the Admiral so she could be near her friends and with staff who knew her. I got her out of the hospital against doctor's advice and took her back to The Admiral where she wanted to be. She went back to the nursing care portion of the facility and was greeted by nursing staff who knew her. Her friends got to visit her. I could bring personal things from her apartment to her room. She passed away after a few days where she wanted to be. If I had to do it over, I'd definitely do it again. Just the same.

I give zero stars. A new resident in their memory care unit was essentially bullied out. Too…read moreregimented and rigid for residents with cognitive decline and no person-centered care at all. Shameful that their ONLY advisement is to prescribe meds so they are not functional since I guess it would be too much work for the staff there. No compassionate care and everything was this resident's fault it seemed. I will not divulge the rest of the sordid details, but I am aghast at the indifference and borderline neglect regarding this community's services. Especially pertaining to a specialized ward such as Memory Care. SHAME!!!!!!

Great Place to work great team also Eric the Director is great .Everyone has a pleasant attitude…read moreand are willing to to work together, Team work makes the best work

Buckingham is What a Nursing Home is Supposed to Be!…read more When it came time to find a nursing home for my father, I was deeply worried that my Dad's new home wouldn't be sufficiently caring, clean, comfortable or professionally operated. So, I researched well over a hundred nursing homes across Chicago and the suburbs. I am so glad that exhaustive search enabled me to find Buckingham Pavilion! Everyone was caring, understanding, patient and attentive to my Dad's needs. This was true of everyone on the team from the receptionists to the nurses, to the escorts, to the maintenance staff. I was never given any reason to worry about my Dad's level or care or comfort. During my many visits, I saw that he, and the other residents, were happy at Buckingham. Also, my Dad's room, the dining room and all the community spaces were always kept clean and the residents' room were significantly more spacious than at other homes. To top it off, one of the owners I frequently checked in with is not only caring, communicative and professional, but a person of great integrity. I could not be more thankful for everything that everyone at Buckingham did for my Dad and my family.