Overall sentiment: Reviews of Elevate Care Country Club Hills are highly polarized. A substantial number of reviewers praise the facility's modern, upscale appearance, amenities, and many dedicated staff members — especially the therapy teams and certain nurses and CNAs who are described as compassionate, professional, and effective. At the same time, numerous reviews describe serious, sometimes dangerous lapses in care: chronic understaffing, slow or nonexistent call-bell responses, residents left in soiled clothing, bedsores, missed medications, infections, and even cases involving hospitalization and death. The dominant theme is that the facility can present a pristine, hotel-like front end while patient-care areas and direct care quality vary dramatically depending on unit, shift, and personnel.
Care quality and clinical oversight: Multiple reviews applaud skilled therapy services (PT/OT/speech) and cite meaningful rehabilitation outcomes and staff who "go above and beyond." Conversely, many families report missed or inadequate clinical care: wounds and bedsores not treated, inadequate suctioning and airway management, feeding without swallow evaluations, and delayed hospital transfers. Several reviewers claim their loved ones contracted COVID or other infections while at the facility and at least one reviewer reported a COVID contraction that preceded a death. There are descriptions of absent or insufficient physician oversight (reviews noting lack of a state-certified doctor), frequent use of agency staff unfamiliar with residents, missing or outdated care plans, and unexplained or missed treatments and medications.
Staffing, behavior, and responsiveness: Staffing inconsistency emerges as a root cause cited across negative reviews. Reported shortages of RNs and CNAs lead to long waits for assistance, unattended wheelchairs, and residents left soiled. At the same time, numerous reviews single out individual staff members by name for exceptional, life-saving, or compassionate care — showing that dedicated employees exist and make a significant positive impact. There are also repeated reports of unprofessional conduct: cell-phone use during shifts, loud personal conversations at nurses' stations, rude CNAs, and staff who appeared to ‘‘disappear from the floor.’’ Management responsiveness is mixed: some reviewers praise administrators and managers who resolved issues quickly, while others say administrators ignored inquiries, failed to respond to injury reports, or did not address theft/billing concerns.
Facilities, cleanliness, and environment: The facility's public-facing areas—grand entrance, marble floors, waterfalls, and salon—are frequently praised and described as modern and upscale. However, many reviewers contrast this with poor cleanliness on patient floors: urine odors, stained carpets and curtains, dirty treatment rooms and chairs, and spills left on floors and furniture. This split between the attractive front end and neglected resident-care areas is a consistent complaint. Several reviews reference state or health-department visits and criticize infection-control practices when outbreaks occurred.
Rehabilitation, therapy, and activities: Therapy and activities receive both strong praise and sharp criticism. Numerous families highlight an effective therapy team that helped residents regain function, and activities such as ice-cream socials, movie days, and birthday celebrations are appreciated. Yet other reviews describe subacute rehab as misrepresented, with therapy sessions reported as very short (e.g., 30 minutes 2–3 days per week) rather than more intensive schedules families expected, or therapy being skipped entirely while still billed. Some reviewers also raised concerns about billing practices and unresolved questions about therapy charges.
Dining and amenities: Opinions on food are mixed: some reviewers found meals tasteful and nutritious, while others described cold, poor-quality food (even "dog-food-like") and mention of stolen food deliveries. The facility's amenities (salon, cafe, outdoor deck, visitation rooms) and hotel-like décor are repeatedly noted as positives, contributing to a welcoming ambiance when the level of care is acceptable.
Safety, incidents, and administrative issues: Several reviews cite serious safety incidents: falls, head injuries, broken bones, and at least one report of a resident found unresponsive who later died. Families reported poor incident communication, unanswered questions about falls or injuries, and alleged administrative inaction. Allegations include billing irregularities, missing discharge papers, disappearance of residents' money or belongings, and even claims that the facility was rebranded or operated under different names — all of which contribute to distrust among families.
Patterns and variability: The most important pattern is variability. Experiences range from "exceptional, best care" to "nightmare, worst nursing home," often within the same facility. Positive experiences tend to mention responsive nurses, consistent therapy, clean rooms, and active management. Negative experiences repeatedly point to staffing shortages, slow responses, poor hygiene in patient areas, clinical mismanagement, and inadequate communication. Given this, the reviews suggest that outcomes are contingent on which staff members and shifts are involved and how management addresses staffing, training, and oversight.
Recommendations for prospective families: Based on the reviews, families considering this facility should (1) conduct multiple, unscheduled visits at different times and on weekends to observe staffing and care across shifts; (2) ask explicitly about staffing ratios for RNs and CNAs, use of agency staff, and continuity of caregivers; (3) request and review an up-to-date written care plan and therapy schedule (including swallow evaluations before feeding, if applicable); (4) clarify prescription, medication, and billing procedures in writing and confirm how the facility handles valuables and deliveries; (5) inquire about recent state surveys, infection-control records, and any name/ownership changes; and (6) identify specific staff members responsible for daily care and a reliable point of contact in administration.
Bottom line: Elevate Care Country Club Hills offers a high-end environment with strong therapy resources and many compassionate staff members who deliver excellent care in specific instances. However, frequent and serious complaints about understaffing, inconsistent clinical oversight, hygiene problems on resident floors, communication failures, and administrative responsiveness make the facility a high-variability option. Prospective residents and families should weigh the attractive physical environment and pockets of strong care against multiple reports of neglect and systemic problems, and perform targeted due diligence before committing.
