Gardant Management Solutions

Rooms need to be kept more clean. We had trouble with my father refusing to shower and clean himself. We might be wrong, but we felt they were supposed to be trained in being able to persuade belligerent patients to get clean. That was a primary reason for admitting him into memory care. We were never informed of his status or condition. We had to track a nurse down and ask for updates.

The experience has been very good. Any problems that have popped up was taken care of after a call to the office.

This feedback is based on the past [date removed] that our mother has lived there. The quality of care has varied throughout the past year. Recent turnover of key personnel has rounded this score down. The past 2-3 months the quality of meals has gone down after the departure of the chef. Yes, I would recommend them in spite of my relatively low/average rating. The Executive Director, [name removed], is simply excellent! He is caring, hardworking, hands-on, and empathetic. As such, I can confidently say that he knows areas that need improvement and is doing his best to take action to resolve the present challenges.

There have been some less than nice staff members, and the now gone director was a terror. The common areas are very clean. Her apartment, which supposed to have full maid service once weekly, is too often skipped. The majority of staff are wonderful, but a few spoil it for others. The quality of the food has taken a large step up with the new chef in charge. The horrible director who left killed off most activities, and they have yet to come back, but what they have are nice. The value is excellent

From the executive director to the receptionist at the front desk their staff is very friendly and helpful. They remember names and events to help the resident and family to feel like they matter. The secure locked doors and gated parking lot make my step-mom feel safe. Response time on request for help is the one thing they could improve on. Their relationship working with outside providers for physical and occupational therapy is exceptional.

I moved in in July and I have found this place to be welcoming and happy than where I was before. I play Euchre, and enjoy the meals. Breakfast is my favorite. I really like when the Gemstones come and play for us. I like to sing along with them.

We picked Heritage Woods of Minooka, because it was close to our house, and offered financial assistance. I don't need to recommend it or not. Most people that go there don't have a choice because it's the only place they can get in. My advice is to read every single word of the fine print on any financial paperwork that has to do with Medicaid and get all of your questions answered. Ask different people until you get your questions answered. We had a *mostly* good experience except for the financial office. Also people should be made aware that they do literally zero medical help if the tiniest thing happens they have to call an ambulance and that adds up fast and it's unnecessary drama. Their numbers did not match anything that we got from the financial office and we got nothing but arguments from them no real explanation. We did feel like she was safe, comfortable, and genuinely happy there which was very important but after everything that happened I'm happy I never have to speak to anyone there again

White oaks felt more comfortable and lost similar to apartment living which is what my dad was used to. There are a lot of bright windows and large hallways and don't feel cramped.

Everyone is very friendly and helpful. I can't say that he's happy but he is adjusting in a healthy way. Based on the experience we have had, we would recommend this community to other families.

She loves the socialization of the community. Communication with the director needs to be approved. Also, the food needs to be improved.

This review is for the dementia side of Heritage Woods- I feel like they need more staff and they need to talk to each other more about the residents. I was there all the time so I made sure my moms needs where taken care of. But if I had questions about my mom some staff had no answers so I felt like I had to talk to everyone to find out information. Overall it was a okay place for my mom but you need to stay involved with the care.

What we like the most about Heritage Woods is the friendliness of the staff and the quality of the facility was excellent. The nursing staff was very fast to respond to my concerns.

Staff have all been very helpful. The food is not appealing to the residents. They might need a new chef. There needs to be an activity director that gets people excited about the activities so they would want to participate.

My mom has been having issues getting someone to do her weekly shower due to shortage of staff. She takes her breakfast in her room, but it is not consistently correct. She asks for the same breakfast everyday but things are missing, or only half a cup of coffee and no milk for her cereal. The medical staff from outside the facility are great and the in house Nurse H is wonderful. My mom feels safe but her apartment is too small. She has a bird feeder outside her window which she loves. Considering being wheelchair bound she is doing okay and it is a big adjustment for her. Anne R POA Daughter

Re meals: my wife requires assistance at meals. The food arrives warm, but quickly gets cold long before the meal is complete. They need a readily available microwave to reheat the meal. It's a Catch-22. They don't have the staff to give this cohort the time and attention they need. Increasing staff would increase costs. I've seen meals not eaten at all because the resident is asked if they're "done". If they say yes, it's over, even though that is the least accurate way to determine if they want to continue eating. Re activities: the current population of the facility is composed of late stage patients incapable of engaging in any group or organized activity. They would benefit from one on one attention, but again, they lack the staff. In the afternoon and evening, the residents are often simply lined up in front of a television. More staff would mean higher costs. On the positive side, the staff consistently try to maintain the resident's dignity in any and all interactions.

The staff at The Village are kind, caring and loving. They could improve on the activities by adding more of a variety - especially for the more cognitively impaired residents. I would recommend this facility to others.

We moved my mom into The Village on [date removed]. She felt at home at once. The staff is friendly and helpful. The residents represent all types of people. The food is plentiful and quite good. And the activities, when she first moved in were varied and fun with multiple options every day of the week. Then, about six weeks after moving in, they got a new Executive Director. While he might be highly qualified for his position, his people skills are non-existent. He started his first meeting and greet with the residents telling them that his career has always been in assisted living and all the other residents (two-thirds of the people living there) were "on their own." He started coming down on staff so hard that very quickly a change in their attitude was obvious, especially when his constant threat to then is "do what I say or be fired." And when residents have complaints his response is "you don't like it, then move!" Were he to leave, the happy environment would return.

They have really upgraded the activities. The food could be a bit better but with this economy I am sure it's hard. But overall it's a good place. The staff are very friendly and helpful. They really know their patients very well. I feel my dad is safe and protected.

The management team at Independence Village are truly dedicated to providing the best quality of life for the community. They get to know their residents personally as well as their families. Just great people! Nothing glaring comes to mind regarding improvement needs.

The staff turnover is high. In two plus years there have been about 3-4 nurse administrators. The med techs serve as aids, do laundry , and administer medication. Some are very friendly and some not so much. Turnover rate also high. The facility is currently being painted , cosmetic improvements in the common areas are being made. My Mom's room is large but the bathroom is way too small and the opening is too narrow. Cleaning of the room is fair. The facility has lovely rooms and a new outdoor garden that is beautiful! The recreation director is amazing , there are many activities and trips as well. Upper management is friendly and accommodating. The residents are friendly and interact nicely with each other. I am speaking about the assisted living part not memory care. They seem to have a nice memory care unit - but can't speak for it. Berlin is a great town with lots to do.