15 Assisted Living Communities in Racine, Wisconsin

Pamela

We chose St. Monica's Senior Living for my mother-in-law. It is beautiful and very caring. The staff are very caring about the senior citizens. They have a library, meeting room, game room, and a snack room; everything that she would need. They have bingo, card playing, puzzles, and crosswords.

L.N.

My father here. So far, he's been treated very well. It's very pretty. When you first walk in it's very nice looking, and everybody is very friendly. They have laundry facilities, a very nice, good sized dining room for the residents, and I know they do activities. It feels homey.

Holly

Home Harbor Racine is a nice place. It's very clean and everybody's very friendly and helpful. My mother seems to like it so far. They're caring people. She enjoys it there. She has her own little apartment. I like it. They have a movie night, somebody comes in and plays the piano, there's church services weekly, a puzzle room, cards, a coffee klatch in the morning, a little library, an exercise class, and an activity room where they do crafts. They have an activity director, and they have activities planned for them. She has a stove and a little refrigerator, and she could cook for herself if she wants to. When we were getting a tour of the place there were groups of people all over that were doing different things, which was impressive.

Joe

I visited, and it was very nice. I could see myself living there in 15 or 20 years. The rooms were nice enough, and the staff was fine, professional, courteous. The dining area looked clean and nice.

Cindy

My dad lived here. He wasn't happy when he was there, and neither was I. For one thing, they said they'd clean the carpet when he moved in, but whatever method they used did not clean it because it smelled completely like urine. They didn't replace it the whole time he was there when they said they would, so I was very unhappy with that. There's not enough staff to answer calls, and within two weeks my father had six falls and was sent to the hospital for that. There were no serious injuries, but they noticed that his arms and hands all swelled up while he was in the hospital. He has been receiving food and water for quite a while at the facility and they never sent him out for that, and while he was at the hospital, they had to drain 1700 milliliters of fluid from his lungs. He never went back to Racine Commons because he had to go right to a nursing home from the hospital, and another issue was that the administrator said that we still had to pay for the next month's rent, but then my dad declined condition, it’s not like I'm just moving him out and sending him to another assisted living. They told me that they're going to move my dad's furniture out of his room because they have somebody else that needs to move into his room, and I said "Oh, so you want to charge me for his room yet you're telling me you already have it rented out to somebody else and that's not right. That's like double dipping. You're charging twice for the same room." I am not paying for a room that's rented to somebody else. I definitely will steer them away from this place.

JM

My husband stayed here. It was nice, but it wasn't secure. I took him in the afternoon, he left, they called and said that he had walked away, but they took him back. The next day we got a phone call from someone that my husband had left and walked out to the highway and he had hitchhiked to get home. The staff was very nice and wonderful, but they could not keep my husband there. My husband had a nice and private room which was perfect. They have activities and the food smelled good. I also thought it was good value. It's not their fault, but it's just not a secure facility.

James

Home Harbor Racine looked spectacular and I liked everything about it, especially the electronic doors that keep track of who goes in or out of the rooms. There are cameras in all the hallways. It looked really neat, clean, fresh, new, and the paint looked nice everywhere. I didn't see anything wrong. Everybody seemed really friendly and nice, and there were people who were hanging around doing extra things, so everybody really seems dedicated to their work.

Patti

St. Monica's has been a Godsend for our family. The loving care that they give is so wonderful. Everyone from the Sisters, administration, nurses, CNAs, kitchen staff, cleaning and maintenance provide so much to everyone whether you are a resident or family member. You are a gem to all that have the privilege to get to know your care and love. Thank you so much for all you do for the senior community!!

ra972m

A very close relative of mine lived at Frontida’s Willowgreen Home in Caledonia, WI, for several months. My initial impression when we walked into the facility was the unfriendliness of the staff. At first, the new owner and managers appeared caring and concerned but that quickly changed, and we observed that the day-to-day care of the residents was minimal. When my relative moved into this facility, there was a nurse present five days a week, but when the new owners arrived in October 2013, they eliminated one of the nurses, leaving a nurse there only two days a week. During visits, we noticed that the residents were not engaged in any meaningful type of activity or interaction during the day and would either sit in front of a TV in a small living room area or be asleep in their rooms. When we dined with my relative on several occasions, we observed some of the unappetizing meals that were served. Large glasses of water were provided with the meals, but the residents barely drank them. After eating, the residents would either return to their rooms for a nap or sit in front of the TV once again. On rare occasions, they would play Bingo in the dining room. No snacks were offered to the residents in between meals. All of the senior staff, some of whom had worked at the facility under the prior owner for 14 plus years, were fired, quit, or walked off the job and confided that they were unhappy with the new owners and their management. Even with the new staff, the turnover was constant. The senior staff’s replacements were young and inexperienced. Some of them seemed caring but were overwhelmed and just not qualified to handle all of the residents’ varied needs. There were three caregivers per shift, and they were required to cook, hand feed a number of the residents, wash dishes, do laundry, clean, administer medications, in addition to providing direct care for over 20 residents. During our visits, the house manager and assistant remained in their office and did not interact with the staff or residents. Their primary source of communication with the staff was through written logs. On weekends, there was no manager present in the facility. While my relative lived in this facility, on several occasions, no one called her doctor or notified the family when she required medical attention. It was always a family member that discovered something wasn’t quite right with her during a visit, and we had to contact her doctor ourselves. This situation would be especially difficult for families living outside of the area. On many occasions, the managers did not bother to return the family’s phone calls concerning our relative or follow through on their word. It was disconcerting and did not create trust or peace of mind. In addition, we witnessed that not everyone was treated in the same manner there. The management appeared to show favoritism towards certain staff members and residents. Many of the residents experienced falls and personal injuries at this facility. We noticed a resident with terrible bruises on her forehead, face, and arm as the result of a fall. My relative fell several times during her time at this facility and never had a history of falls prior to moving there. When the family learned of the falls, several different versions of the incident were always told. This facility is owned and operated by a growing corporation whose marketing tactics and outward perceptions can be deceiving. All of their promises are, of course, subject to change after your loved one settles in. The most important thing when searching for a facility is to look beneath the surface and focus on their record, the quality of care actually provided, and the sincerity and honesty of the management and staff. Based on our first-hand experience with this facility, I wholeheartedly do not recommend it.