The Clare

The Clare. I think it stands for The (most) Classy-​Luxurious-​Attentive-​Regal-​and Extraordinary senior living center in Chicago.
My uncle is currently a resident at The Clare and absolutely loves it. My family also loves it there because of its awesome loop location, so whenever when we go to visit we make a day of it.
It’s just a top notch facility with unmatched service by the employees. I honestly find the reviews below mine hard to believe, because I have only heard and seen positive things from my uncle.
If there weren’t age requirements, I’d send in an application to live there myself!

Unreal. Yesterday I received a phone call asking if my deceased relative was still interested in The Clare. Seriously?

The Clare is horrifying beyond words. There’s no end to their greed. Someone called me from there a couple days ago who could not even pronounce «Clare». She said she was from the «Cloyer.» I told her not to contact me again and to take me off their mailing list. She had the nerve to ask why and if I had found «other arrangements.» The last time we had any contact with the Clare was over 5 years ago but she came after me a few days ago and had the audacity to ask why I didn’t want to hear from them again.
I told her that our «other arrangements» were that my mother had passed away a year ago.
The other reviews confirm how horrifying this place is.
A good medical director would never say that someone «should be DNR.» That’s a family and patient decision. Disgusting!
Stay away!

My husband and I are looking to move into the hub of Chicago from the burbs and are taking a serious look at moving to The Clare. First, given the devastating cost of needing medical care, as did three of our four parents, we were attracted to The Clare versus a Gold Coast condo. Their lifecare contract is the kind of insurance we want. Since we are just in our mid-​sixties, we did not want to stop traveling for months at a time, going to plays and out to dinner. The Clare’s food is amazing and they have a flexible meal plan so we can get credit for the meals we don’t eat there. Their Athletic Club is as well equipped as our suburban club. We have looked at both downtown condos and senior living communities in Chicago. This is the choice we are making for so many good reasons. We are very excited about moving here.

As you read the reviews for this place you will do well to note the dates of them. The Clare is now under new management/​ownership and has undergone significant changes.
As with anything you purchase, there is always a buyer beware unwritten clause that cannot be avoided.
The facility has a variety of services that can take you through your golden years starting at 52 and seems to be able to handle virtually any level of care you need. The occupancy rate is going up constantly and has made significant strides in the last 6 months. It was in financial trouble, but that also seems to be resolved through the new ownership.
Since I only visit this facility I have the benefit of being an outside viewer looking in. The facility is very clean, personnel that works there is very friendly and helpful. Many have been there for some time and know the residents very well. There are two restaurants, meeting facilities, parking, a swimming pool, workout facility and much more.
Depending on your preference there are views of Chicago to impress most discriminating viewers. In addition, there are many residents with an active social calendar who actively participate within and outside of the building activities. Residents plan trips, play bridge and socialize as much as they choose.
Security is the top most priority in the building. You cannot get past the lobby without proper access and authorization. If you are a visitor you a greeted with a friendly smile, but that smile won’t let you get any farther unless you are an approved visitor and the building escorts you to the elevator.
Hopefully the updated review helps those of you that are curious.

Unfortunately, our family had a horrible experience here. My 64 year old mother was stricken with an infection and hospitalized for a long time. When she was ready for discharge, she was not ready to go home as she lives alone and required physical therapy so she could get around on her own again. I was informed that the Clare was a posh place that was now accepting Medicare patients. Since the location was convenient for our family I agreed to meet with the nursing director to discuss my mother’s needs. Instead I met with an aggressive sales representative. I became suspicious when before the needs of my mother were discussed, I was interviewed by a financial officer who asked to bring a deposit. I had no problem setting up a payment plan but was concerned that I was not learning more about my mother’s care plan.
Upon my mother’s admission, I met the medical director. I found him to be extremely unprofessional and inappropriate. During the first twenty minutes that we spoke he tried tirelessly to convince me that my mother should be «DNR» because «…well look at her… she is so frail… if they attempted to resuscitate her… her bones would simply crack…» I could not believe what I was hearing as he spoke in front of my mother who is completely cognizant! I explained to him that my mother was not there for hospice care but he insisted that DNR was the best for my mom?
There were various other incidents with this doctor that were pretty scary and at one point I felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. At one point I learned the medical director had ordered a medication that was specifically contraindicated due to an antibiotic she was taking. The warning was on her hospital discharge instructions. Good thing I caught this and told the nurse. The medical director never did reply to my messages regarding my mother’s medication and IV therapy.
They did not order her proper medications or the proper amounts. I had to bring in her medication on various occasions myself. The staff was misreading her blood pressure due to wrong size cuff even though I informed them that my mom required a smaller cuff. She seemed to be over medicated and was not provided the physical therapy as promised.
There are no phones in the rooms and it was very challenging to get an answer at the nurses station. I was often told by the security officer that the nurse was possibly on the other floor? After several bizarre incidents regarding my mother’s care, my family decided to request a transfer. However, the social worker who was supposed to help with this transfer ignored my calls. Then she tried offering my family a overnight stay in one of the luxury suites to keep my mom there?
Bottom line the clinical requirements for my mother were not met. While it was challenging to get my mother discharged from this place, we finally were able to rescue her and take her home. We were prepared to take her home AMA (against medical advice) to keep her safe.
Be very careful if you plan to bring your loved one to the Clare. It is a very nice looking place in a great location. However, I do not recommend this place if your loved one needs competent, compassionate care.

Lovely and luxurious place with risky financials. Detailed financial information on The Clare is available through the MSRB bond site.

First of all, I would beware of some of the other 5-​star reviews here — they smack of reviews that have been written by the facility themselves. Did you notice that they all went up within two days of each other by people who have never reviewed anything else on Unilocal and that their language sounds the same like they were written by the same person. The experiences also sound like vague marketing language — with the exception of the guy who is moving out because of financial reasons — the rest really don’t make them sounds like real people. Now on to my review:
For over a year we have worked with sales representatives at The Clare at Watertower Place. We were looking for a CCRC or assisted living facility in which to place a family member in Chicago. We began working with The Claire sales reps prior to the completion of the building. They were extremely helpful, had good meetings, they gave us as much information as possible. We got all the sales pitches about how the building was designed by exclusive architects and interior designers who work especially with the needs of aging people. We put a $ 1,000 refundable deposit down to hold a space.
A lot of people check out CCRCs thinking they are healthy and will never need an Alzheimer’s unit. So I think they don’t usually look too closely at that floor. We on the other hand looked very closely at the Alz floor and would never want a family member living there. Here is what is wrong:
1. The main hall curves so nurses cannot look down the corridor to see if a resident is lost or wandering and residents have to walk the full length of the hall to see where they are going. Very confusing for an Alz. patient.
2. The dinning room, TV room, and activities room are enclosed rooms with no interior hallway windows — meaning the only way you know which room you are going to is by going there and opening the door. The entire floor is just a series of doors everywhere. Horribly confusing for Alz patients. Other places we looked at had open dining rooms and family rooms that encouraged residents to come in and participate rather than festering alone in their rooms.
3. The dinning, TV and activities rooms only have the capacity for half of the residents. When asked, they said — oh residents can eat in shifts or whenever they feel like it. The best thing for people with Alz is cuing through routine. If you see people eating in three waves and cannot remember if you’ve already eaten — it is extremely confusing.
4. The furniture in the TV room had settees with no arms!!! WTF! Old people cannot get up from furniture without arms. Many of them have balance problems from side effects of Alz meds and would fall right out of the couch or chairs because of no arms.
5. The rooms are extremely small. Zero space to bring personal belongings like a favorite chair or a favorite lamp — things that remind a person of home.
6. This place has beautiful flower arrangements, lovely interior décor fabrics and wall coverings. But who cares if you don’t understand the most basic things about safety and comfort for a deteriorating mind.
We recently learned in a financial journal that The Clare at Watertower had to dip into their reserves. They are just in their infancy and not even able to stay afloat financially.
We had to ask three times to get our deposit back before receiving it. The Clare is fantastic on paper and looks great as an example of pretty interior design. However, I would not place a family member there is they offered it for free.