Admiral at the Lake

A fancy place to live but very poor service specially in the Harbor Building. Residents are being neglected. Workers need more training on proper care and to care with compassion.

My mother lived at the Admiral for a little over 2 years in the assisted living and memory care units. We were sold on the location which was very close to where she was previously living by herself and the proximity to the lake and Andersonville. While she began to settle in OK during the first year in assisted living as her Alzheimer's progressed, so did the care she received. My mother was an incredibly intelligent and social woman. She was a retired college professor and maintained her intellect and curiosity throughout the course of her awful disease. The majority of the staff at The Admiral however, was unsupportive of her desire to understand her care, meet people and engage in the community. They ultimately forced her into memory care too soon where she was locked on the floor and left to sit either alone in her room or parked in front a TV. All she wanted was to continue to engage with people and use her mind and they could not provide that basic care. After several months of rapid decline in memory care the staff kept referring to her as psychotic even though all of her doctors at Northwestern repeatedly agreed that her symptoms were all related to her dementia. The Admiral went against my wishes and had her sent to Saint Mary's Hospital (outside of her network of doctors at NW) where she spent 3 nights alone in the ER and then was involuntary committed to the psychiatric ward where she spent 2 weeks completely catatonic. She never recovered. I was able to finally get her released through no help of the Admiral and had her moved to The Artis Lakeview where she received excellent care alongside Bristol hospice for the last 1.5 weeks of her life. The Admiral may appear on a tour as it did to us a lovely lakeside facility, but when your loved ones actually need real care towards the end of their disease they will accelerate the decline and refuse to provide the grueling care many people need in the last stages of dementia. Do yourself a favor and ask to tour the memory care floor before you move your loved one here. Really look at how the residents are cared for and ask how they stay engaged. It's a tiny floor and you will find them all staring blankly at a TV or hiding in their rooms.

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 well spent.

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.

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.