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May 2023 by Meredith Jackson
I worked for the Admiral/Kendal for 4 years during re-development (2007)and ultimately helped influence my parents move 8 years ago. I’ve also worked for 4 other National “top senior living management” companies. I encourage everyone to do trial stays at communities to get a feel and understanding for what to expect and what your buying into. The industry is HARD. Most residents and families wait for a crisis and have the expectations that money or a move will fix problems that have been festering for years. Spending down a lifetime of savings and trusting in people is one of the hardest things families can go through. CCRC living provides services and amenities under one roof - the Admiral offers and provides them well but by no means perfect. My parents moved 8 years ago “independently” and progressed to higher needs of skilled care. We have had 5 star staff and 1 star staff experiences from bottom up to top down. If healthcare reform had state/national standards in place private care might have a chance to elevate the experience. You cannot expect one community to create a privatized living and healthcare system that is so far above standards that our government fails to set with minimum wages and insurance regulating. The people willing to do this work are mostly minorities and immigrants that get the least respect. Kendal’s culture and values started as a way to put the highest efforts towards creating an experience of aging that residents and staff could “enjoy” but staffing and resident experience can only thrive when training, support and resident voices are considered more than census and metric reports. Upholding mission driven goals and resident driven needs and wants one would hope would be provided at million dollar costs but It’s not the reality . It’s become clear profit driven culture is overshadowing the original non profit value system. Finding CEO’s who can motivate and lead huge staff volume from Director level to front line care givers who daily pour more love into residential care for wages 95% of the population would not work for is the work of Sainthood. Sales and Marketing getting the highest salaries to promote operations that don’t need to live up to the brochures. Burn out hidden by expensive marketing dollars does not create bottom lines that sustain communities, resident satisfaction or the loving staff that will stay on more than a year or two. The Admiral is no exception but still one of the better options if your family has worked a lifetime to save and is willing to spend it down so the precious years are “enjoyable” and surrounded by residents and staff who everyday choose joy and want to lift up their neighbor.
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February 2023 by Karen Haring
The amenities are great and people appear to be very happy living at the Admiral!!
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November 2021 by Charles Taylor
We have lived here 3 years. Upon retiring we felt it prudent to prepare for possibilities like incapacitation or dementia. Care for such possibilities is guaranteed. The community here is terrific, with great social life and activities, and a first rate administration. We appreciate the Quaker values.
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July 2021 by Leomessi10HD
The place to be is here,,wonderfull home
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May 2021 by Sarah Shirk
Love the culture of this place, rooted in Quaker values but modern, state-of-the art senior care. Facilities are warm and welcoming just like the staff and residents. Cool breezes flowing off Lake Michigan in the summer and beautiful views all year long!
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May 2021 by Gus Noble
As someone who has lived in the neighborhood and worked in the field of aging services for more than 20 years, here’s what I see when I look at the Admiral at the Lake:I see a community built on good, steadfast values.I see authenticity, dignity and quality.I see people who are committed to doing the right things well, every time.I see a long history of dedicated service to seniors in Chicago.I see health and happiness, peace and purpose.I see a terrific record of safety.I see a great place to live, work and have fun.I see time is well spent.
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May 2021 by Laura McKee
My first exposure to the Admiral at the Lake was when friends and parents of friends chose it as their home. My parents & I toured four different options and found The Admiral to be the best option for our family. The residents are amazing, interesting, curious, engaged people whom we love spending time with. Management is very talented and extremely hard working. The nursing staff and caregivers in the Harbors have delivered the best possible care and keep us well informed and involved. What they have accomplished in the pandemic as a team has been truly courageous.
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May 2021 by Jordan Shields
My mother is a resident and loves the Admiral. Her network of friends is deep and dynamic. I can't keep up with her whether it's figure drawing, outdoor art projects, visiting galleries or dinner parties. The culture is for residents to engage with each other in new endeavors that interest them. Her experience reminds me a bit of college - opportunity to explore new interests and make new friends. The Admiral is a warm, open and welcoming environment.
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May 2021 by Jeffs M.
Superb care. My mom has lived in independent living for 10 years. Recently moved to an assisted living apartment. Assistance and help have been superb from housekeeping staff, to admin, social workers, care givers and nursing. Highly recommended
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April 2021 by Gus Noble
As someone who has lived in the neighborhood and worked in the field of aging services for more than 20 years, here’s what I see when I look at the Admiral at the Lake:
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April 2021 by Samantha Victor
I'm a current staff member here and this facility is amazing! The facility is breath taking, but the Residents and Staff are what make this place amazing. Great place to work and a great place to live!
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April 2021 by Samantha Victor Alvarado
I'm a current staff member here and this facility is amazing! The facility is breathtaking, but the Residents and Staff are what makes this place even more of a home than it already is. A great place to work and a great place to live!
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April 2021 by Edgar Alvarado
Great staff and a very nice facility.
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April 2021 by nora palanck
VERY POORLY MANAGED! I DO NOT recommend.
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February 2021 by Mike Grossenbacher
My mom’s name is Kathy. She’s 72 years old. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, at age 66. In 2016 she moved with her dog Midnight to the Admiral. The age-in-place concept appealed to us at the time. My family's experience at the Admiral was not good. I felt the community was badly managed, siloed and did not have the resources to support my mother and make her time there fulfilling.Initially my mother lived in the Independent Living part of the community, but when she began to slip cognitively, the Admiral began suggesting I move her to Assisted Living. Most of these communities have three main levels of care. A person with dementia – especially one who is younger and physically healthy – may not fit neatly into one of these levels of care. For three years I felt like I was in crisis mode and, in my experience, I usually only heard from the Admiral when there was a problem. I tried to work proactively with the Admiral, but I never felt like they were on our side, or knew my mother very well.After years of frustrating experiences, in late July 2020 the Admiral issued an involuntary termination of my mother after a doctor who sees residents in the community sent her to a hospital. I was blindsided by this. This was done partly in response to her exhibiting common dementia behaviors like trying to leave her Assisted Living floor to go outside for a walk after dark. These types of behaviors are not the person with dementia’s fault and they can’t be corrected. Nevertheless, my mother was sent to Weiss Hospital where the plan was to give her a psychiatric evaluation.The Admiral sent me my mother's involuntary termination notice via email, directing me to contact their attorney with any questions. My mother's lawyer told me that her calls to the Admiral's attorney were not returned. Calls to the City of Chicago's Long Term Care Ombudsman also went unreturned. I felt I couldn't return her to the Admiral and she was in a hospital, tied in restraints to her bed at times. She had stopped eating. I had to scramble to secure her a place in another community. It was a nightmare I would wish on no one.Although the Admiral has Memory Care, for reasons they did not share with me, they apparently chose to involuntarily terminate her residency rather than work with me on moving her to a higher level of care in the community, something I was already considering doing.Because this happened during COVID, my mother had to quarantine in her 10 x 12 room in the new community for two weeks, confused and scared. I’ll never know what effect this expulsion from her home had on her cognition. Since moving five months ago, her decline has progressed significantly.I wrote the Admiral's Board of Directors about our experience. The Board chair confirmed they’d received my letter and later followed up to inform me that they had a few meetings with Admiral staff and "reflected" on it. That was that. They never contacted me to have any kind of discussion about our experience.If you consider the Admiral, visit the Harbors (Assisted Living and Memory Care) floors. Even if you or your loved one does not currently have dementia, that could change. Ask how the floors are staffed. Ask about what specific services are provided for their different levels of care. Not all people with dementia are sedentary. If your loved one is still active and likes to be engaged, look into how much money you may have to spend on private hourly companion care, which the Admiral does not provide. We were spending $8,000/month on private care, in addition to my mother's rent.My advice regarding these communities is to look past the brochures and the fancy restaurants. I hugely regret moving my mother to the Admiral, and to date I'm not sure any of her neighbors know what even happened to her, something I find immensely sad. An ambulance was called, and she never returned. I'll never forgive myself for encouraging her to move there. I hope no other family experiences what we did.
