The Waterford Care Center

    7445 North Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60626
    3.5 · 4 reviews
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousCurrent/former resident
    4.0

    Supportive rehab, inconsistent nursing concern

    I stayed here after hip surgery and felt well cared for - the facility is clean, safe, and well maintained, Kathy D. is a hands-on administrator, staff are mostly friendly and attentive, and rehab/pain management helped my recovery. Daily activities, group outings, ample social spaces and a lovely lake/beach setting made it easy to connect with others. My main concerns were inconsistent nursing (rude behavior from some, poor shift-to-shift communication, medications sometimes left while a resident slept, sparse RN coverage at night and reports of staff sleeping at desks) and hit-or-miss meal service/stock of basics. Overall I recommend this community for its care, location, and social life, but be aware of staffing and meal inconsistencies.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    3.50 · 4 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      4.0
    • Staff

      4.0
    • Meals

      3.7
    • Amenities

      4.7
    • Value

      3.5

    Pros

    • hands-on administrator (Kathy D.)
    • attentive, professional, and kind staff
    • clean and well-maintained facility and rooms
    • quick resolution of roommate conflicts
    • daily activities and group outings
    • friendly, caring environment
    • strong social connections and friendships among residents
    • lake/beach proximity and pleasant outdoor seating/patio
    • varied meals with dietary options (noted by some reviewers)
    • ample social spaces and recreational activities
    • good parking and easy access
    • effective rehabilitation and pain management (hip surgery recovery cited)
    • residents kept clean, fed, and accounted for
    • COVID-19 safety measures and overall safe environment
    • many reviewers would highly recommend

    Cons

    • rude nursing staff reported in some shifts
    • poor shift-to-shift communication among staff
    • medications administered or left while patient was sleeping
    • inadequate night coverage—limited RNs across floors
    • staff observed sleeping on duty at desk
    • stock shortages of basic items (e.g., milk)
    • meals served cold on some occasions
    • inconsistent food quality—some report bland or poorly prepared dishes
    • instances where patient felt forced to buy their own food

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment in the reviews is mixed but leans positive in areas of environment, administration, and social programming while showing repeated concerns about nursing consistency, staffing practices, and dining reliability. Many reviewers emphasize a clean, well-maintained facility with comfortable rooms, plentiful social spaces, and attractive outdoor areas near a lake or beach. The facility is often described as friendly and caring, with active daily activities, group outings, and opportunities for residents to form social connections and friendships. Several reviewers specifically praise successful rehabilitation and pain management outcomes (for example, hip surgery recovery), note COVID‑19 safety practices, and say residents are kept clean, fed, and accounted for. Parking and patio seating are cited as convenient features, and some reviewers explicitly state they would highly recommend the center.

    Staffing and management receive mixed feedback. On the positive side, the administrator (identified as Kathy D.) is described as hands-on, attentive, professional, and kind, and some reviewers call out caring and welcoming staff and nursing pride. The administration is credited with quickly resolving roommate conflicts, which supports a perception of responsive leadership. However, multiple reviews raise significant concerns about nursing behavior and continuity of care. Specific problems reported include rude nursing staff on some shifts, poor handoffs and shift-to-shift communication, medications being left while patients were sleeping, and inadequate RN coverage at night (notably only a small number of RNs covering multiple floors). There are also alarming anecdotal reports of staff sleeping at a desk on duty. These patterns point to inconsistent care quality and potential safety risks tied to staffing levels, supervision, and communication protocols.

    Dining and basic logistics show variability across reviewers. Several people praise the meals as delicious with varied menu options and accommodations for dietary needs; others report meals served cold, bland or poorly prepared dishes, occasional shortages of basic items like milk, and at least one instance where a patient felt compelled to purchase food for themselves. This suggests the food service experience is inconsistent—some residents receive satisfactory meals while others experience lapses in service quality or supply chain/stock management. Similarly, the presence of abundant activities and recreational programs is a strong positive, but operational issues (e.g., supplies, food temperature, staffing) detract from the overall experience for some residents.

    Taken together, the reviews portray a facility with clear strengths—cleanliness, attractive location, active programming, effective rehabilitation outcomes, and a responsive administrator—but also important operational and safety-related weaknesses concentrated in nursing consistency, night staffing, medication handling practices, and food service reliability. The most frequently mentioned concerns (rude nursing behavior, poor shift communication, medication handling while residents sleep, and inadequate night RN coverage) are potentially serious and would warrant prioritized attention from management. Addressing these issues (through staffing reviews, improved handoff protocols, supervisory oversight, and tighter food/supply controls) could help align the consistently positive aspects of environment and programming with dependable, safe clinical care and daily services.

    Location

    Map showing location of The Waterford Care Center

    About The Waterford Care Center

    The Waterford Care Center sits at 7445 N Sheridan Rd in Chicago, just a block from the beach, so folks can look out at the lake or get some fresh air when they want. With 141 certified beds and a staff ready 24 hours a day, this center serves residents who need short-term or long-term care, and they keep the place open all day, every day. The facility works under Citadel Healthcare and keeps managerial control with Jonathan Aaron and Kenneth Ripstein since 2016. Ownership comes from them and two investment trusts. As a for-profit corporation, the center doesn't have outside accreditation, although it's won several awards like Best of Senior Living, Best Activities, Most Friendly, and Best of Senior Living All Star.

    Residents get access to registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists, so care covers a wide range of recovery needs. The staff focuses on post-acute, orthopedic, cardiac, pulmonary, and stroke rehabilitation, and the team works together to make a plan that fits each guest. The staff also handles pain management, high acuity care, wound care, bariatric care, medication management, and advanced therapies. There's a dementia care floor designed for folks with memory issues, and a specialized unit for older adults dealing with mental health conditions. Guests get therapy for physical, occupational, and speech needs as well as telehealth services and respiratory support using CPAP, BiPAP, or oxygen.

    Rooms come clean and well-kept with Wi-Fi and high-speed internet, and residents can spend time in indoor and outdoor common areas, the TV lounge, barber shop, or beauty salon. Many activities happen both on-site and off-site, and there's often a sense of friendship and a welcoming atmosphere that helps folks feel like they belong. They serve tasty and nutritious meals planned by chefs, and there's a laundry and dry cleaning service to help with clothes. Staff are described as attentive, friendly, and professional, working to help each person feel at home, but they've also been noted to have a nurse turnover rate around 33.7 percent and an average staffing level of 2.68 nurse hours per resident per day, which is important if someone wants to know about care consistency.

    Families should know the center reported 30 deficiencies in inspection reports, with five related to infection control and others connected to resident rights, assessment, and care planning. For example, a report from March 2025 found two issues with care planning and a report from April 2025 showed one problem with notifying residents and families about changes. There's no outside accreditation, but the center stays open for tours during office hours Monday through Friday. There's a parking lot for residents and visitors even though the area's pretty busy, and the staff tries to handle any issues like roommate conflicts as they arise. The goal here is to create a clean, comfortable place where individualized care and daily life help residents work toward feeling better and more at ease, even if things aren't always perfect.

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