Overall sentiment across the reviews is largely positive with notable strengths in staff caringness, amenities, and activity programming, but tempered by several meaningful negatives around cost, communication, and at least one serious safety/management incident.
Care quality and staff: Many reviewers repeatedly highlight compassionate, caring nurses, aides, and staff who know residents by name and "go the extra mile." Multiple comments call the community "amazing" and praise professional, helpful staff. Rehab and nursing services receive strong praise in several reviews, with references to excellent care and top-quality rehab equipment. At the same time, a minority of reviews describe unprofessional or rude staff interactions (including hanging up on callers) and note that some staff are less knowledgeable compared to competitors. This creates a split impression: most residents and family members report very positive, attentive care, while a smaller number report poor interactions or deficiencies in staff knowledge.
Facilities and living options: The property is described as clean, neat, attractive, and well-maintained with beautifully landscaped grounds. There are multiple living configurations including independent living apartments, cottages, and memory care—supporting aging in place. Positive facility features cited include large rooms, private outdoor courtyards or balconies, garage access, a fitness center, and a swimming pool. Maintenance responsiveness is a consistent positive point. However, some reviewers found the facility layout confusing, with inconsistent directions from staff causing navigation difficulties for visitors or new residents.
Activities and community life: Activities are a standout strength. Reviewers mention a wide variety of programs (Wii bowling, daily exercise classes, games, special events like Memorial Day observances, and outings such as trips to Walmart, the casino, and Nutcracker tickets). Participation is described as flexible, and many residents appreciate the range of social and recreational options. The overall community atmosphere is often described as friendly and inclusive, contributing to residents’ happiness and social engagement.
Dining and food: Opinions on dining are mixed. Several reviewers say the food is good or excellent and appreciate that one meal is included in the rent, while others say food "could be better" or that additional meals are expensive. The in-room dining option and dining room are seen as positives, but cost transparency around extra meals (and limited meal inclusion) is a recurring concern.
Cost, management, and safety concerns: Cost is frequently mentioned as a downside—reviews call the community expensive or beyond some budgets. Most critically, there is at least one serious report of a safety and management issue: a patient safety incident involving a barricaded door, followed by a forced discharge after only five days that required family to provide round-the-clock care. That incident led reviewers to question management decisions and oversight. While many reviews praise management and staff, this specific negative event stands out as a significant concern and is likely to weigh heavily for prospective residents and families evaluating risk and administrative responsiveness.
Other practical concerns: Reviewers noted logistical issues such as distance for families, inconsistent or insufficient information about laundry services, and occasional nuisance issues like smoking on cottage balconies. There are also reports of some residents being rude, which can affect the living environment for others.
Summary assessment: The community appears to offer strong, compassionate day-to-day care, robust activities, attractive and well-maintained facilities, and useful on-site medical support—including memory care and rehab—making it a very good fit for many seeking an active and supported senior living environment. Prospective residents should weigh these strengths against recurrent concerns: high cost, mixed dining experiences and extra meal expenses, occasional staff communication problems, confusing facility layout for newcomers, and the notable isolated safety/management incident. Those considering Rolling Meadows will likely find much to admire about the physical campus and the majority of staff and programs, but should ask direct questions during a tour about incident handling, staffing consistency, meal costs and options, laundry and other service details, and specific policies around safety and resident placement to address the important concerns raised in the reviews.
