The Moorings

    811 E Central Rd, Arlington Heights, IL, 60005
    4.3 · 74 reviews
    • Independent living
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    3.0

    Upscale facility inconsistent dementia care

    I love the grounds, beautiful rooms, excellent dining, lots of activities, pool/salon and several warm, knowledgeable staff (Kara stood out). That said, memory/dementia support was inadequate, staffing seemed thin with poor communication and turnover, and I noticed cleanliness/neglect issues that worried me. It's upscale with great rehab and many positives, but expensive and inconsistent - I'd tour, but be cautious about choosing it for dementia or high-care needs.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

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

    Healthcare staffing

    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • 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

    4.27 · 74 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      3.1
    • Staff

      3.7
    • Meals

      4.2
    • Amenities

      4.3
    • Value

      2.1

    Pros

    • Beautiful, well-maintained campus and grounds
    • Clean, bright rooms and common areas
    • Multiple levels of care available (independent, assisted, skilled nursing, rehab)
    • Strong rehab services with skilled PT/OT and therapists
    • Many attentive, compassionate staff and CNAs (often praised)
    • Helpful admissions/residency counselors and supportive onboarding (specific staff praised)
    • Varied dining options and multiple on-site restaurants
    • Customizable meals and daily menu choices
    • Extensive activities and social programming (clubs, shows, ROMEOs, happy hours)
    • Religious services and community involvement
    • Indoor pool, exercise facilities, and wellness amenities
    • Library, beauty salon, and on-site services
    • Apartment-style living with villa/townhouse options
    • Secure, gated campus with walkable paths and outdoor gardens
    • Hotel-like atmosphere and strong social community
    • Good housekeeping and overall cleanliness reported by many
    • Accessible staff and responsive directors in many cases
    • Comfortable dining room and pleasant communal spaces
    • Positive short-stay/rehab experiences and recoveries reported
    • Impressive landscaping and unique features (bird sanctuary in lobby)

    Cons

    • Inconsistent quality of care, especially for dementia/memory support
    • Understaffing and staff shortages leading to safety concerns
    • High staff turnover and poor staff continuity
    • Poor communication from staff and leadership at times
    • Instances of neglect or abusive care reported (bath/hygiene, unattended patients)
    • Management and leadership perceived as inexperienced or unresponsive
    • Scent/cleanliness issues reported at move-out and in some areas
    • High entrance fees, buy-in requirements, and overall expensive pricing
    • Sales/marketing pressure, insincere or rushed tours, and aggressive contract tactics
    • Inadequate or delayed medical oversight (medication errors, doctor not reviewing charts)
    • Memory support described as more like assisted living than promised memory care
    • Campus size perceived as too large/chaotic by some families
    • Inconsistent dining quality (seasoning, dietary accommodations not always met)
    • Safety incidents (reckless driving of residents, bed size issues, catheter delays)
    • Reception and front-desk staff occasionally distracted or impersonal
    • Overnight guest policy restrictions and other restrictive rules
    • Lack of in-unit laundry (external laundry only)
    • Some areas showing aging or in need of updates
    • Polarized experiences with specific staff members (both praised and accused)
    • Skepticism about ratings due to unresolved formal complaints

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment: Reviews for The Moorings are highly polarized but show recurring themes. Many reviewers describe The Moorings as a beautiful, well-appointed campus with excellent amenities, a hotel-like atmosphere, and a strong social community. At the same time, a significant minority of reviews report serious lapses in care, especially in memory support and some skilled nursing situations. The result is a facility that can provide outstanding experiences for some residents (particularly in short-term rehab and independent living) while generating deep concerns and formal complaints for others.

    Facilities and campus: The Moorings consistently receives praise for its grounds, landscaping, and physical plant. Common positives include bright, clean rooms, well-kept gardens and walking paths, an indoor pool and exercise facilities, library and beauty salon, and distinctive touches like a bird sanctuary in the lobby. Apartment-style living, villas and townhouses are available, and many reviewers appreciated the hotel-like common areas, comfortable dining rooms, and multiple on-site restaurants. A few commenters noted that parts of the campus show age and could use updates, and the campus size was described by some as too large or potentially chaotic.

    Care quality and clinical services: Feedback on clinical care is mixed and often depends on the unit and staff on duty. Many reviewers praised the rehab services, citing skilled PT/OT teams and successful recoveries that enabled residents to return home or live independently again. CNAs and nursing staff receive frequent praise for compassion and attentiveness from numerous families, and some directors and admissions/residency counselors (named positively in reviews) were singled out for helpful, supportive service. However, there are also multiple reports of inadequate dementia/memory care, with families saying the memory unit is run more like assisted living and lacking appropriate dementia training. Serious allegations appear in several reviews: neglectful hygiene care (residents not bathed, left in soiled clothes), medication errors and mis-prescribing, delayed catheter or urinary care, and even instances that reviewers described as abuse. These serious incidents were often tied to perceived understaffing, leadership gaps, and poor accountability.

    Staffing, leadership, and communication: Reviewers frequently mention friendly, knowledgeable, and caring individual staff members (with several staff named positively), but they also raise systemic concerns about staffing levels, turnover, and inconsistent communication. Positive anecdotes highlight accessible directors and supportive admissions personnel who guided families through the move-in or rehab process. Negative reports focus on poor communication between shifts or departments, unclear leadership contact during adverse events, and sales/marketing behaviors that felt rushed or insincere. A recurring recommendation from reviewers is to verify leadership responsiveness, staff continuity, and the facility's processes for handling complaints before committing.

    Dining and activities: Dining is generally a strong point: many reviewers praised the varied menus, multiple dining venues, and the ability to customize meals. Some found food outstanding and coffee excellent; others thought certain dishes were under-seasoned or that specific dietary needs were not fully accommodated. Activities and social programming are robust, with many clubs, shows, religious services, happy hours, and intergenerational events. Reviewers praised the social aspects — residents often appeared happy and engaged — and mentioned amenities such as a movie room, pool, library, beauty salon, and scheduled outings and transportation.

    Costs, contracts, and sales practices: A sizable number of reviewers raised concerns about cost and contract practices. The community is described as upscale and expensive; several reviews mention high entrance fees, buy-ins, or asset requirements, which may make it inaccessible to some. Others reported pressure to sign documents (DNRs or contracts) quickly during admissions, or encountered unresponsive, rude, or insincere marketing staff. Prospective residents should scrutinize contracts, clarify refund/exit policies, understand guest policies and overnight rules, and ask detailed questions about long-term costs and what buy-in fees cover.

    Safety and quality control issues: While many had positive experiences, some reviews allege severe lapses in safety or quality control: neglected hygiene, bruising or injuries, rude or abusive behavior by specific staff members, and unresolved adverse events that led families to file formal complaints. There are also reports of housekeeping or odor problems at move-out and isolated incidents of reckless driving while transporting residents. These reports are fewer than the positive ones but are serious enough that prospective residents and families should ask about incident reporting, staffing ratios, dementia training, and oversight mechanisms.

    Overall impression and advice: The Moorings appears to offer an attractive, amenity-rich lifestyle and strong short-term rehab outcomes for many residents, supported by a number of highly praised staff and counselors. However, the facility also shows inconsistent performance in memory care and some nursing areas, with important concerns around staffing, communication, leadership responsiveness, and occasional serious care lapses. Because experiences are polarized, it is essential for prospective residents and families to (1) tour the specific unit of interest, (2) meet managers and key clinical staff, (3) ask for recent staffing ratios and turnover data, (4) request specifics about dementia care training and protocols, (5) review contract terms and financial obligations in detail, and (6) seek references from current residents or families who have used the same level of care being considered. Those who prioritize top-tier amenities, active social programming, and strong rehab services may find The Moorings an excellent fit; those whose primary concern is consistently excellent memory care or tightly supervised skilled nursing should perform careful due diligence and insist on written assurances about staffing and accountability.

    Location

    Map showing location of The Moorings

    About The Moorings

    The Moorings of Arlington Heights is a large senior living community set on 45 landscaped acres with gardens, walking paths, two small lakes, and well-kept lawns, and you'll find cottages, apartments, and townhouses, so you can pick the living setup that feels right, including single or semi-private rooms and ground-floor options if stairs aren't your friend, and you can even have your pet with you. People over 55 can live in maintenance-free villa or apartment homes, with options for two-bedroom layouts, walk-in closets, bay windows, full-size kitchens with wood cabinets, built-in microwaves, a refrigerator, and pantry. The rooms are wired with cable, phone service, and all utilities are covered, and when you step into the bathroom, you'll see walk-in showers with grab bars and special infrared lights for safety. The grounds are secured, and staff run safety and wellness checks throughout the day, while nurses are available 24 hours if you need help.

    The Moorings is part of Presbyterian Homes, which has a focus on a continuum of care-so you'll find independent living, assisted living, specialized memory support, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and respite care, and there's a geriatric-certified medical director and social worker on staff, plus chaplain and pastoral care for spiritual needs. The place offers a variety of meal plans in a restaurant-style dining room, with table service for three meals per day, and options for special diets like low fat or no sodium, and you can have guests join you at meal times; there's also room service for those days you don't feel like heading out, and housekeeping takes care of cleaning.

    There's a strong focus on keeping people active and connected, so you'll see programs for fitness with a state-of-the-art gym, group classes, outdoor pool and Jacuzzi, outings, social activities, movie marathons, wine and cheese socials, educational classes, Bible study, worship, community gardens, and even photography and video activities, and the Resident Fellowship Hall has a chapel, salon, fitness center, and wellness clinic. Getting around's made easier with on-site resident parking and transportation to nearby restaurants, shopping, and events. You can spend time on the outdoor terrace looking at a lake with swans and ducks, wander through raised flower and vegetable gardens, sit out on patios, or relax in library rooms with game tables and computers.

    The Moorings calls itself a Life Plan Community (CCRC), and if you want or need to move in from home, hospital, or a rehabilitation setting, you can do so without paying an entrance fee upfront. Residents have priority access to more advanced medical care including Memory Care, Skilled Nursing, and Rehabilitation, and a team of staff works together to offer care for the activities of daily living and diabetes management, so there's a focus on health across all needs, whether short-term or long-term. The place is known for a quieter, country feel, but there's always a chance to get involved, meet neighbors, and enjoy the amenities, while keeping your independence for as long as you want it.

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