Cedar Lake Assisted Living & Memory Care

My loved one is currently a resident at Cedar Lake Assisted Living and Memory Care. I feel some communication is not very well, in regard to some of the procedures and for physical therapy and or how things are going in general.

My sister lives at Cedar Lake and she loves the place. It is an outstanding operation. She says that they provide a lot of great entertainment. I absolutely recommend Cedar Lake.

If I could give it a negative rating, I would. My mother-in-law was in the Memory Care Unit for just under 3 months, and it was not a good experience for her, my husband (her son), or me. She was not properly screened prior to entering, and my information was not relayed from the sales department to the nurses. Therefore it was an inappropriate admission and she had to make a disruption move to another facility in a short amount of time, and her dementia dramatically increased to the point of dying from it a month later. Before entering, we were reassured that the medical staff could prescribe needed psychotropic medication and we found out that this wasn't the case. The staff had very limited therapeutic approaches and could not deal with my mother-in-law in her advanced late stage dementia, finally resulting in us hiring an outside caregiver to assist her in the Memory Care Unit. This place seems to only be able to deal with very quiet, passive dementia. The atmosphere of Cedar Lake's Memory Care Unit was very poor. It isn't homey at all, especially in the evening when the residents sit against a wall with a large table in the middle (that was used by the activities people), watching tv, with maybe some aides also there looking at their phones. It had a very institutional feel. Some staff did not bother to hide their displeasure or anger. I initially was quite impressed to hear that some Cedar Lake staff had been there since the opening, but I found out that that wasn't important and that even agency fill in staff can provide a higher quality of care. There were some staff who were friendly. However, there were some who constantly gave us scowling or angry looks. I can understand being distressed at the thought of being lied to and giving false information in order to gain admission, but even if that was true, the looks were quite unprofessional. And we never misled anyone at Cedar Lake about my mother-in-law. There was no questioning of us or interview with her to provide updated information about her dementia and behavior when she entered Cedar Lake months after the initial screening and the sales person apparently didn't pass along my updated information to the nurses. We had no idea that they would be so unable to cope with her. There was a complaint made by the independent outside caregiver of an aide who roughly transferred my mother-in-law. Medication that was vital and was on an increasing schedule was not properly given. We know this as the bottle was given back to us upon discharge and there were too many left, according to our records. I observed very little interaction, much less warm, friendly interaction between the residents and staff. As for the food, my mother-in-law was on a special diet and my husband observed that it wasn't always followed. The activities were probably the very best part of Cedar Lake's Memory Care Unit. The Activities people were happy, friendly, engaging people who provided appropriate and entertaining activities. And because there is the attached Assisted Living program with special activities, there was some crossover that was good for my mother-in-law. I would not recommend Cedar Lake Memory Care Unit to anyone except possibly for a married couple where one spouse needs Assisted Living and the other Memory Care and they wanted this specific location in Lake Zurich, such as being extremely close to Hawthorn Woods. And in that case, I would warn that just because the person with dementia doesn't have any "behavior problems" now, that doesn't guarantee that he or she won't in the future as the dementia worsens and then the couple would have to move again or split up.

I couldn't have been happier with my choice of Cedar Lake memory care for my mother. The folks that work there are all wonderful and caring - caregivers, nursing staff, reception, etc. There was always a clear channel of communication between myself and the staff in regards to my mother. The on-site amenities are so convenient - hair salon, visiting podiatrist, physical rehab room, etc. I especially appreciated the full activity calendar (games, parties, sing-alongs, arts/crafts, etc.) throughout each day. During the warmer months, my mother enjoyed hanging out in the MC garden area - a private and secured outdoor area with lots of seating, large covered patio, and lots of plants and flowers for her to enjoy. They also foster kittens through a local cat rescue. I have personally seen how these kittens have enhanced the lives of so many of the residents with their ability to give and receive love. My mom loved cats and having these kittens around was priceless and gave her so much joy!

Cedar lake is very clean and everyone we have met are so friendly. My parents are so looking forward to moving in and enjoying everything you have to offer. I like that ot is so easy to get around. Food was wonderful.

LifeLoop is a great perk because I can see pictures of what activities there are for the day! My granny also loves the church services on Sundays and Wednesdays. She has a studio apartment now I think it's 400 square feet, but we are on wait list for a one bedroom. [name removed] is the one who helped us from Cedar Lake, but we have loved everyone on their team! [name removed] is my granny's favorite therapist. We have been very happy with the whole experience.

I would highly recommend them.It's just a great community. It's personable and welcoming. We picked this community, because it was close to my home, and smaller.

The staff are very friendly. I would tell other families, to consider Cedar Lake. It's a smaller community and they have plenty of options for activities. My mom loves the food !!

Don't believe a word they are telling you. Management are a complete joke. Don't give them any money up front they will steal it from you. Take my advise I have been at a few of these places. this is by far the shadiest by far. Go somewhere else for your loved ones.

My husband was a fall risk, and they knew that going in. But they don't allow any alarms to monitor for falls, and they don't watch the residents enough. They wouldn't put any pads on the floor or bed. He fell out of bed and out of his wheelchair. They didn't get him up to walk. Every time he fell, they sent him to the ER, and nothing was wrong with him. After a couple of weeks, I pulled him out of there. The staff were really crabby and hardly spoke English. Some were wonderful, but the majority were crabby. I have him in a different facility now that is wonderful. It's much more secure and I feel much more satisfied there.

The facility was always clean. The staff was always very friendly and very helpful. Mom participated in activities. It is worth the money, considering that they provide a lot. They worked with each person individually. They accommodated needs as needed. They will work with your family on the cost. They always keep you in the loop. It's a good team to work with, from the top all the way to the bottom.

We are delighted to have found Cedar Lake for mom seven months ago. Mom had a very poor experience with her previous AL community and we were forced to uproot her at age 92. The staff at Cedar Lake went above and beyond to make her feel welcome. We are so impressed with the kindness and dedication of the people who work there, without exception. It's such a warm, caring, cheerful place. The aides are thoughtful and so helpful, very conscientious. The nursing staff is phenomenal, really on top of things. Such a relief to have a nurse present 24 hours daily. The director of activities is an absolute treasure! Such a wonderful rapport with everyone. The dining staff is exemplary providing both delicious and nutritious meals. And we can't say enough about the concierges who have been invaluable in helping us help mom. Mom's needs have just progressed to memory care and it is such a relief to see her able to stay and thrive at Cedar Lake. The peace of mind is priceless.

Bright and open residences. Easy access to amenities for the residents. Friendly staff, nice social activities.

My husband and I met with [name removed] yesterday to discuss the possibility of my mother becoming a resident at Cedar Lake. After a candid and thorough conversation with [name removed], it was determined that my mother would probably not be a good fit for the community due to her advanced stage of dementia and her mobility limitations. I cannot thank [name removed] enough for his candor and empathetic approach. I cannot imagine anything worse than being sold and deceived into placing my mom into a community that would not be appropriate for her. He was so very helpful to us and giving of his time. He’s a real asset to Cedar Lake. You’re lucky to have him! And by the way, from what we saw of the community, it’s lovely.

My loved one has been there for three months, and they didn't want to go. Now that they are there, they are very happy to be here. Everyone is very kind and friendly to each other. The food is very repetitive; however, they are working with the residents to try and change this.

When we entered the memory care area, it was busy! Residents were playing a dice game around a large table, others were watching a movie nearby and staff was visibly envolved. The shared bdrm room affords each resident privacy. [name removed] answered all my questions regarding medications, emergencies, activi, and transportation satisfactorily. We scheduled an assessment for [date removed]

You will get out of cedar what you put in. the activities and social scene at the facility were really good prior to covid. I would recommend this facility to others.

Mom moved to Cedar Lake about three months ago. Mom had lived in her own home for many years and was very reluctant to move out of her home even though she knew the time was coming. We talked with the staff at Cedar Lake for over a year about Mom moving there. The staff was very helpful to us during this process. We never felt pressured to make a decision and truly felt that the staff cared about Mom and about Mom’s well-being. The staff at Cedar Lake have really impressed us as they work hard at making Mom feel comfortable, safe, and welcomed. The staff communicates and works well with us as we partner to provide the best care for Mom. Mom thinks of many of the people on her Care Team as her friends as the team members have shown a real interest in getting to know Mom. Mom is getting wonderful care as the Care Team is able to bring together various resources. We truly are thankful knowing that Mom still has a lot independence in her lovely apartment, while 24-hour help is available to her (and us) when it is needed.