Overall sentiment: Reviewers portray Sunrise of Olympia Fields as a large, attractive senior living community with many strong positives—especially around the physical environment, social programming, and an engaged front-line staff—but also noticeable operational and cost-related concerns. The dominant themes are consistent: high marks for cleanliness, décor and amenities; widespread praise for caring and personable staff; abundant activities and social opportunities; and recurring concerns about price, staffing consistency, communication, and some clinical/care gaps.
Facilities and amenities: The community is repeatedly described as beautiful, freshly updated in many areas, and stocked with varied amenities. Specific highlights include movie theater spaces, media rooms and computers, beauty salon and nail services, libraries, craft and woodworking rooms, physical therapy and fitness space, restaurant-style dining rooms, and pleasant outdoor courtyards with ponds and nature views. Unit types range from studio to multi-bedroom apartments, villas, bungalows and townhouses; many units offer generous square footage, large closets, front porches or patios and convenient features such as in-unit washers/dryers or washers on each floor. Some units include attached garages and two-car garage options. Several reviewers praised the villa/bungalow product for privacy and home-like features. At the same time, reviewers noted parts of the community that feel older, with some repair needs, occasional dark hallways or confusing wayfinding due to the size of the property.
Staff, care quality and safety: Staff receive frequent praise for being friendly, attentive and supportive, with many reviewers specifically naming helpful individuals and describing smooth move-ins and compassionate care. Nurses, activities staff and maintenance often get positive mentions. Safety measures—24/7 staffing, pull cords, daily check-in buttons—provide families with peace of mind. However, there are consistent caveats: some families reported inconsistent clinical performance (medication delays, missed reminders), aides described as “by the book” or patronizing, and concerns that staff lacked specific dementia-care knowledge. Understaffing during evenings and weekends was a recurrent complaint, with some reporting reduced programming and fewer staff on duty after typical business hours. A few reviewers raised serious clinical or conduct issues (unauthorized withdrawals, alleged financial misconduct, or poor care), though these appear in a minority of reviews and contrast with the majority of positive care experiences.
Dining and food service: Dining is generally characterized as a strong offering—restaurant-style service, menu choices, availability of special diets, and reviewers who say meals are “fresh” and appealing. Many appreciated free or included meals (breakfast included; package of lunch/dinner meals depending on plan) and the responsiveness of staff to dietary preferences. At the same time, there are repeated comments about food occasionally arriving cold, reheated meals, or reduction in offerings and meal service logistics during the COVID lockdowns. Some reviewers also noted higher-priced bistro items and complaints about price transparency for extras.
Activities and social life: This is one of the community’s biggest strengths. Reviewers consistently report a robust calendar: arts and crafts, card and board games, knitting, piano lessons, group outings, movie nights, happy hours, religious services across denominations, and exercise programs. Multiple notes indicate long activity hours and a “come-and-go” independence for residents. Pandemic-era restrictions did significantly reduce activities for some time, causing social isolation for certain residents; most reviews reflect recovery and a return of programming, though some assisted living residents reported fewer weekend activities.
Cost, contracts and transparency: Price and billing are major concerns in the reviews. Many residents find the community expensive, with multiple mentions of monthly fees well into the thousands and year-over-year increases. Several reviewers reported an initial price that later became higher due to add-on hourly charges for personal care or services not included in the base rate. There are several reports of hard-sell tactics, expiring promotions, delayed unit readiness, and billing disputes where deposits/refunds were slow or partial. A small number of reviews allege more serious financial misconduct (unauthorized rent withdrawals). These financial and transparency issues stand out as primary areas for prospective residents to probe during tours and contract review.
Operations, communication and management: Most reviewers praised frontline employees and described warm, personable interactions at the desk and with caregivers. However, many also reported inconsistent communication from administration—slow responses to family inquiries, unreturned calls, or promises that were not followed through. Maintenance and repair responsiveness was often praised when it worked well, but some residents reported delays or overpromising of services. Staffing levels, especially on evenings and weekends, are a recurring operational concern that intersects with activity availability and perceived clinical responsiveness.
Pandemic impacts and recovery: Several reviewers described significant impact from COVID-19 restrictions—lockdowns, meals served cold or by appointment, limited group activities and social isolation. Others noted that the facility had no COVID cases at some points and that staff worked hard to maintain morale, including allowing family pick-ups for outings. Many reviewers commented that programming and social life rebounded over time but that pandemic-era changes left a lingering memory of reduced services for some.
Key patterns and takeaways for prospective residents: Sunrise of Olympia Fields is best positioned for people seeking a clean, amenity-rich environment with many social and activity options, and who value attentive frontline staff and a strong community feel. It appears to provide good independent living and many supportive features for assisted living, with a memory-care option nearby. Prospective residents and families should, however, conduct focused due diligence: tour multiple times (different days and shifts), ask detailed questions about staffing levels at nights and weekends, verify what services are included in the base fee versus billed hourly, request written policies on price increases and extra charges, check unit readiness timelines, and evaluate dementia-care training and clinical staffing continuity. Also ask about how meal service, activities and visitation are handled in periods of restriction and how the community has adjusted since COVID.
Bottom line: The community receives strong praise for its environment, activities and many caring staff members, delivering a high-quality lifestyle for many residents. The most significant negatives are the cost and financial transparency, intermittent operational and communication problems, and some inconsistencies in clinical/care delivery—especially during off-hours or for residents with complex needs. Families who prioritize amenities, social life and an attractive campus will likely find much to recommend here, but those concerned about cost containment, guaranteed staffing ratios, or specialized dementia care should investigate those areas carefully before committing.
