Franciscan Communities, Inc

Four of my relatives currently life at University Place, and I could not be happier with the care they are getting and the lovely community in which they live. The staff is professional and friendly, and the place is always clean and well cared for. The dining service is top notch. It is always a pleasure to visit. I know that my loved ones are in good hands, and I am considering living there some day when I retire.

We have lived in a three bedroom garden home at University Place for 16 years. Our facilities are excellent and management takes care of our yard and any problems with dispatch. The dinning service excels and dinner has a country club atmosphere. Our education committee is very active and provides interesting and instructive multimedia presentations. Musical entertainment as well as movies and social events are commonly available. We are located next to an flowered meadow and lake with many walking/bicycle trails sheltered from traffic. A five minute bus ride away is a Big Ten University where we have taken many courses in this attractive midwestern town not far from two big cities. We love it here.

We have lived here for 17 years. Every day we expressed thanks for being able to live here. We are served by assoiates who are helful and always concerned with our well-being. We are fortunat to have an executive director and adminisrators who are exceptionally competent and always concerned about our well-binb. One illustration of this is how well things have run dduring the pandemick. Itiis also illustrated in how well kept UP is phsically. We would ot hesitate to enthusiastically reccomend UP to any potential resident.

We are new residents of University Place as of [date removed]. Prior to our decision to make the move to UP, we visited six times for lunches, dinner, Sunday brunch and special Presentations both with family and friends. Residents, staff and the feel -at-home comport exceeded our expectations of what a Senior Living place would be like. Their slogan ''Living Joyfully'' is very appropriate and we look forward to enjoying our new home.

University Place has been a blessing for our family. My mother has been residing there in an Independent Living apartment for a year and a half. She is 90 years old and change certainly didn't/doesn't come easily. Living alone without additional help is not an option for her. But University Place has safety nets in place and are very cooperative with my siblings and myself as her caregivers which allows her to maintain her sense of independence. As her caregivers we are very familiar with the staff and programs at University Place. The staff is OUTSTANDING and are receptive to the needs and wishes of the residents. They are always professional and friendly.

Everyone that enters University Place is treated like family. My dad was recently in the Health Care Center with COVID19 no visitation was allowed. We were able visit him through the window and the team kept us updated on his situation. He constantly bragged on how good the food was! He also enjoyed the company of the staff members.

I am so thankful for University Place! During COVID the precautions taken and care for my parents (one in independent living, one in assisted living) have been wonderful, as has the daily communications. No - zero! - cases of the virus is extraordinary. Because of UP I don’t need to worry. Thank you to all the staff and management!!

My Mother moved here last year and lives in the Independent Living homes. She couldn't be happier and I see her thriving each and every day. What a blessing this community is and the management and all Staff are overwhelmingly focused, professional and friendly. It is truly a place to call home. Now having witnessed from far away the handling and loving communication they have provided their retirement community about the COVID virus is a credit to the leadership and the support of the staff. I'm impressed and could see myself living here some day.

I have lived in Independent Living at University Place for two years. I have a peaceful and spacious 2-BR apartment on the first floor with a lovely covered patio facing east toward the Celery Bog. The Bog is available any time I want to visit and I walk there daily with other residents. I love the large windows which let in the morning sun. The best thing about our community is the camaraderie experienced by the residents. We are small enough that we know each other well and most participate in activities which benefit all of us. We are a resident-driven facility and take responsibility for the wellbeing of all residents. There is good communication and support between the residents and staff.

I love this community and cannot say enough good things about it. I first started visiting Victory Lakes Independent living when I had clients that had moved there and I was selling there existing homes. The staff was terrific. Now I have first hand knowledge because My Father and Mother in law have just moved in and the whole experience has been delightful. In one week, all the staff knew there names. Even in the dining hall. The staff is quick to take care of anything they need. Our family is thankful that such a wonderful place is available for our parents who in our minds have always deserved nothing but the best. From the moment you walk through the doors to the time you leave you feel like you are part of one big family. I recommend this place highly and hope that one day I will be able to move here and take advantage of the wonderful living experience that Victory Lakes has to offer.

I have lived here in an independent apartment for one year and it is like being on vacation. The staff is always very friendly and helpful. When my family visits they always are amazed at how the food is. One of the reasons I moved here was so that my daughter would not have to take off work to take me to doctor;s appointments, the Village Lakes bus and thoughtful drivers take me to the appointment and pick me up when it is over. The same service is available for shopping. For entertainment we have movies, outings and one of the most popular activities ----Bingo.

We choose Addollorata Villa because it offered our Mom a continuum of care we believed was best. We have seen firsthand the Addolorata staff show extreme compassion to their patients and residents. They have been extremely attentive to our mother's needs and kept our family updated along the way. The spiritual environment is a comfort for her and our family. We highly recommend the community of Addolorata Villa.

We choose Addollorata Villa because it offered our Mom a continuum of care we believed was best. We have seen firsthand the Addolorata staff show extreme compassion to their patients and residents. They have been extremely attentive to our mother's needs and kept our family updated along the way. The spiritual environment is a comfort for her and our family. We highly recommend the community of Addolorata Villa.

I toured here. They were nice but it was very costly. They pretty much told us that we needed $250k for my mom to move in. The administrator was very nice, experienced, and knowledgeable about the facility and what they had to offer. Everything was top notch and the rooms were very nice. She was really upfront about the money, and it was understandable, but it was just too much for us. The facility was very clean and the staff was very friendly. I was able to see the restaurant and it seemed to be very nice, almost like it was built for VIPs. It didn't fit our needs but if you have the money for it then it would be a nice place to live.

Recently renovated and beautifully maintained facility. Independent living to skilled nursing care offered. Friendly staff as well as residents. Beautiful Catholic atmosphere.

Three years ago, our folks resisted the idea of residing in an Independent Living facility. Our step-dad lived an "independent" life in their community in Texas, our mom did not. She gave up driving years before their move south. She was at the mercy of her husband and/or our older sister if she wanted to go anywhere. After a while, she stopped asking and going. Mom became a prisoner in her own home. That’s when we thought it was time for them to come home, closer to the rest of her bigger family. We wanted to find a safe, “no-worries” environment where the folks could live out a purposeful life, getting them back to being socially active together...all in one place. Enter Victory Lakes. We were first impressed by the beautiful grounds, then meeting the friendly, helpful staff. VL offered “graduated care,” which was HUGE, meaning our folks wouldn’t have to “move” to another facility when their health-care needed more attention. We were sold! An apartment with a BEAUTIFUL view was found, then the promise of a new adventure was to begin. Life had another plan. Our step-dad left us soon after their arrival when a late diagnosis left my mom to start a new life on her own, in this new place. But she was never alone. The residents and the staff were WONDERFUL, helping our mom feel very comfortable in her new surroundings. Mom met friends easily. She became involved in the NUMEROUS activities and groups. There were many games to be played, movies to be watched. The library was a common meeting place as well as the dining room where many GREAT meals were always offered. And then there’s the good times to be had at the Pub. Mom’s social calendar was always FULL (her choice)! We often joked about getting her a GPS so we’d know where to find her! Families are always encouraged to join any of the activities. We didn’t have to be asked twice. My sister and I became fixtures at VL ourselves. Recently, our Mom was suddenly taken from us, too early for her years. God had another plan for her. In the 3 short years of her stay at VL, it proved to be one of the BEST times for her and us...to be part of a much bigger family. Mom’s friends remain our family ties to VL. I plan to keep my volunteer status there as well. Before she left us all, Mom was ALIVE during her short stay at VL. I know her end story would have been written differently if she stayed in Texas. Victory Lakes was HOME, indeed, for the latter years she had here on Earth. Thank you for her smile and our memories!

In [Removed] my sister and I took our first look at VL as an option for our parents who were living near me in Texas. We grew up in the Fox Lake area and so many of our family was scattered nearby. On the tour I was impressed with the style of the architecture and the over "feel" of the place. When we saw the model apartment in independent living building we were sold. It was the "wild" view of our childhood - and despite being half the size of our parents house in Texas it felt so spacious. We picked that apt right away! I was able to report back that VL had made their "public" spaces feel like separate spaces (much like the cruise ships that they had taken), not just a multi-purpose room with a big screen or refreshment area. Our folks had reduced mobility but they got out and about much more because there were different "places" to go - the Cafe, the library (to meet friends, grab a coffee, read the paper), the salon, movie theater and of course the Pub. Despite declining health, the quality of life improved due to increased social interactions. The staff was always friendly whenever i came up from Texas to visit. My siblings planed many family gatherings in the Great Room. We quickly learned how many of the staff and residents had become an extended family when my stepfather passed and my mother had her stroke and passed. Despite being a short "forever" home the care and loving support of staff and their VL friends was wonderful.

Everyone has been great so far. The food is excellent. They keep the community very clean and well maintained. They offer a lot of daily activities. This is a Catholic community and this was a good fit for my loved one. I would recommend this community.

What a gem! A beautiful facility, plenty of activities and wonderful, caring staff. And of course, best of all, mom loves the place. We were terribly worried and felt she was going to be quite a handful after 60 years in the same house and not wanting to move. To our surprise she settled right into memory care and now one of her conversations is how much she likes her apartment. Mom is relaxed and enjoying herself more than we’ve ever seen and we’re at ease knowing she has the care she needs.

This is community is outstanding. We like that they are attentive. They go out of their way to make sure that the menu is gov.. They have church services more than once a week and this was something that my mom wanted.I feel good knowing that she is happy here with the care that she is receiving. The activities are helpful for her. We would recommend this community for the care and the value for a loved one.