Artis Senior Living of Wilmette — Local services in New Trier Township

I want to say that the nurses that cared for my wife were wonderful and her favorite Care Partner was also. She was there for just short of 6 months. This past October, she was sent to Evanston Hospital for a UTI, which is policy since she was becoming agitated and fighting with the staff and other residents. After 8 days in bed at Evanston Hospital, including some restraint for a couple of days and hardly eating anything, they decided to discharge her back to Artis. She seemed pretty weak to me when the paramedics brought her back and we gave her an Ensure to drink and her Care Partner called for a wheelchair.

Per the suggestion of the Care Partner, I wheeled her to the dining room where there were people working. I gave her some more Ensure and asked them to keep an eye on her. Then I left around 4:30 and called back later to check on her. Around 7:45, I was told she ate a little dinner and seemed OK, and then went to her room to rest. Then, at about 9:15, I got a call from the night nurse that she had passed away in her bed. This was just around 5-6 hours after she was discharged from the hospital. As you can imagine this was quite a shock to me when I got that call. She had just turned 73. Let’s be perfectly clear that I am not pointing the blame for her death on anyone. She went to lay down after dinner and simply died in her sleep, hopefully peacefully and quickly and pain free. Dementia is an ugly disease and she’s in a much better place. Any suffering is over and I miss her terribly. We were together for 27 years, and my heart is broken.

The next day when I called for something I don’t remember, I was told that I could be charged the daily rate for each day her possessions were left in the room. Imagine being told that the day after she passed away. I know it’s somewhere in the paperwork I was given to read before she checked in there, but to be fair, there was 51/2 hours of paperwork to go through and sign, and this was months’ later now, so who would remember every little detail. Plus, I didn’t just pull her out… she passed away in their bed. How cold!

Nevertheless, as upset with this as I was, I drove there and took all her clothing and the few possessions out of her room with the help of the senior person working that day and another employee. I was even helped with loading the things into my car. The only things left were a very nice chair I bought for the room and a small waste basket of garbage. I offered to donate the chair but was told that wasn’t allowed. I could easily have rented a truck for $29 and taken the chair, but was told not to worry about it. I was told they would find someone to give it to by the senior person there that day, so I thanked her and left.

About 2 month’s later, I got a large envelope in the mail which contained 2 things. One was an envelope with a card in it, which I figured was a condolence card, but it wasn’t. It was a card they send out to all the current residents’ families, thanking them and telling that there were new things coming in the year ahead. The other thing was a bill for $1115.68. I called and asked the person in charge of billing what that was for. She said it was for what was left in the room. I told her that it was just the chair I bought and I was told not to worry about it. She said she would talk to the director and get back to me. After more than a week with no callback, I called and was told that the person who told me not to worry about the chair should not have told me that and I owe them the money. If I didn’t pay up it would go to collections and I have never heard anything about it since.

So here’s how I’m feeling about all this. They were very nice when my wife was living there. However after she passes away in their bed, I never even got so much as a condolence card from them, just a bill for something I was not expecting and don’t think I should pay. Whoever reads this can draw their own...

I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone, what they selling at the interview/orientstion isn’t what’s be practice. This place should be rates 2.9 ⭐️, it’s absolutely worthless, people are reviewing based on what they think goes on at the time they visited. As a former employee I can’ say that’s not the case, that place turn over workers or care partners as they call us faster than McDonald turn over burgers. Care partners are only there for a pay cheque they have no training no experience no inter personal skills, clients/residents are not been taken care of with compassion or dignity or with LOVE! All the care partners do is complain, they spend more time complaining than actually taking care of the residents. They are disgruntled and lack motivation, why? In my opinion from what I’ve seen, care partners are been over worked, washing pots pans front the kitchen. Like seriously? Scrubbing floors, emptying garbage, they have no time to properly take care of the residents. No oral care, no hygiene care, I saw a resident toes look like Wolverine, the residents I’ve worked with on my first day some were stink, pungent. Covered in urine, why are care partners using two depends to put on the residents? It’s too hot!!! Why? They don’t wanna change them regularly that’s why and that’s wrong. There’s no supervision at Artis, no proper structure where care plan should be be, the care partners I’ve witness should be there they have not empathy, not LOVE, no regard for the care of the residents, its no fault of the residents what they are there with there diseases, MY God show some love and patience for the job your doing. I’ve over heard with my own ears care partners telling a resident “you’ll soon die so behave” I literally cried! It’s very sad how they treat the residents not all!! Only speaking on what I’ve seen, the food been served isn’t served with love, no presentation, as if they serving pigs on a far, care partners have too much extra things to do, they have no time to properly care for the residents. I didn’t see any house keeping , no janitor, all that extra work is left on the care partners, why? How then will they be able to attend to the residents properly why they scrubbing pots and emptying garbage 300 feet from the building? They can’t, they are tired and frustrated so they just come to get a pay check and leave all at the expense of the residents. Each resident I’ve worked with was soaked in pee, during dinner and after dinner. , when I asked why? They say don’t worry about it, after dinner they’ll be changed, NO!!! It’s wrong, it’s the mercy of GOD why the residents don’t have bed sores, it breaks by heart to hear a care partners telling telling a resident you are big and lazy like don’t wanna do anything☹️☹️ have some empathy, I had to step in and ask her to leave take a breather I’ll do it, it only took me 5 words—do you trust me Carl? Not his real name! And from there I spoke to him and reassure him what I’m there to do and how we are gonna do it and he did. The care partners response was “ your lucky you doing all that he’s just lazy and don’t wanna do it. No! It’s because your too aggressive and don’t wanna properly do your job that’s why he don’t wanna do it. Artis is a shadow disguise as a angel. From what I’ve seen make me very sad residents need better care , management don’t even go in the residents room from what I’ve been told. My very short time there makes me write this review because care partners aren’t. Trained properly and don’t have a clue how to properly take care of anyone? I wouldn’t recommend ARTIS to anyone There is a problem when people don’t stay and whosever stays just there to bounce around to get a pay cheque, some care partners doesn’t even speak proper English. How are the residents suppose to understand why they saying when not even me can. May GOD bless...

Making the decision to move your loved one into a memory care facility is emotional and challenging. My sisters and I spent a lot of time researching, asking around, and visiting a variety of facilities for our dad, who was 96 years old. After a bad experience at one, we were so relieved to find Artis Senior Living of Wilmette.

Our first contact was with Jason Weibel. We set up an appointment for a visit, where he showed us around the beautiful building and answered all of our many questions. He was kind, patient, and knowledgeable.

After meeting all the friendly staff and seeing the beautiful, clean rooms and building, we decided this was the place for Dad. Everyone was so welcoming and took the time to make sure he had everything he needed. Tracey Reich, the executive director, was wonderful, making sure Dad was comfortable by placing him in a neighborhood where other men resided.

When visiting, we were often greeted by Kayla at the front desk with a big smile and information about the goings-on of the day. She also was very knowledgeable and helpful with questions and concerns, always going above and beyond.

Our dad lived at Artis until he passed. During his time there, we were very impressed with the care he received, how medications were handled, the physical therapy he received, the wide variety of activities that were offered, and the effective communication between everyone involved with Dad's care and our family. If we had any concerns or issues, Tracey was responsive and quickly resolved them, putting our minds at ease.

...and special events? Oh my! For Halloween, the staff created a 1920's speakeasy for residents and their families, complete with decorations, props, and elaborate costumes. We enjoyed music, delicious food and drinks. They even provided China teacups so the cops wouldn't suspect we were drinking banned spirits during prohibition!

For Thanksgiving, families were invited to a beautiful event where Joel Gonzalez, director of culinary services, prepared and served a complete, delicious Thanksgiving dinner. There was pleasant, live music to enjoy while we dined.

When it was time to put Dad in hospice care, he was able to stay at Artis. They had systems in place to transition the care, with the necessary equipment and staff. It was handled with care and sensitivity, as it was when he passed.

My sisters and I are so very grateful that Artis Senior Living of Wilmette was there for us during a most difficult time. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a top quality memory care facility for...