Comprehensive Review: Bria at Elmwood Park

• Facility Overview

• Key Facility Information

• Services and Care Options
  • Specialized care options
• Amenities and Daily Life
  • Activities and Programs
• Staffing and Care Quality
  • Medicare quality ratings
  • Staffing analysis
• Resident Experiences and Satisfaction
  • Notable testimonials
• Pricing and Financial Information
  • Payment options
• Comparison with Local Alternatives
  • Key differentiators of Bria at Elmwood Park
• Unique Features and Considerations
• Areas for Improvement and Considerations
• Final Recommendations

Facility Overview

Bria at Elmwood Park, also known as Generations at Elmwood Park, is a 245-bed skilled nursing facility at 7733 W. Grand Ave., Elmwood Park, Illinois 60707. It is a for-profit partnership that accepts Medicare and Medicaid.

Key facility information

• Location: 7733 W. Grand Ave., Elmwood Park, IL 60707
• Facility type: Skilled nursing and rehabilitation
• Capacity: 245 certified beds
• Ownership: For-profit partnership
• Medicare/Medicaid certified: Yes

Services and Care Options

Bria at Elmwood Park provides skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and memory care services.

Service Category

Details

Availability

Skilled Nursing Care

24/7 medical supervision and care

Round-the-clock

Rehabilitation Services

Physical, occupational, and speech therapy

As prescribed

Memory Care

Specialized support for dementia patients

As needed

Short-term recovery

Post-hospitalization care

As needed

Long-term care

Ongoing support for complex medical needs

Continuous

Respite care

Short-term relief for caregivers

As needed

Palliative care

End-of-life care and comfort

As needed

Specialized care options

• In-house dialysis, pain management programs for chronic pain, and specialized wound care are available.

Amenities and daily life

The facility includes clean living spaces, dedicated rehabilitation areas, social gathering spaces, outdoor areas, and dining services with accommodations for special diets.

Activities and programs

Bria at Elmwood Park offers monthly activities including bingo, piano nights, comedy nights, music therapy, and pet therapy.

During your facility tour, ask to see the current monthly activities calendar and inquire about dining options. If possible, observe a meal service to assess food quality and the dining atmosphere.

Staffing and care quality

Medicare quality ratings

Category

Rating

National average

Overall rating

1 out of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars

Health inspection

1 out of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars

Staffing

1 out of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars

Quality Measures

1 out of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars

4.2 Staffing analysis

Daily nursing care hours per resident:

• Total nursing care: 3.3 hours
• Licensed nurses: 1.1 hours (RNs: 0.2 hours, LPNs: 0.9 hours)
• Nurse aides: 2.2 hours

These figures fall below state averages, which means care quality may suffer. When you visit, pay attention to:

1. How staff interact with residents at different times of day.
2. Staff-to-resident ratios on nights and weekends.
3. Staff turnover rates and what training they receive.
4. Any quality improvement plans currently in place.
5. How the facility plans to address staffing gaps.

5. Resident experiences and satisfaction

Residents at Willow Creek generally report satisfaction with their care. They cite activities—fitness classes and social events—as helpful for staying engaged. Personalized care plans are common. Staff interactions tend to receive positive comments. The food gets praise too; meals are prepared on-site with dietary options available. On the whole, residents say the facility supports their quality of life, though experiences vary by individual.

Based on reviews from various sources, here's a breakdown of resident satisfaction:

Category

Rating (out of 5)

Overall

1.8

Facility

2.6

Staff

2.7

Food

2.7

Activities

2.7

Value

2.7

5.1 Notable testimonials

Positive:

"In less than thirty days he went from cannot stand to can and able to come home." – Family Member

This describes a successful rehabilitation case at Bria at Elmwood Park.

Negative:

"This is an absolutely horrible facility if you care about your family; do not send them there; it's dirty, nursing care is nonexistent." – Resident

This complaint raises red flags about cleanliness and care that warrant investigation before you make a decision.

What to do: Given the mixed reviews, visit multiple times at different hours to see cleanliness, staff responsiveness, and the general atmosphere firsthand. Talk to current residents and families when staff aren't around. Ask management how they've responded to negative feedback and what they're doing to improve.

4. Ask to review recent state inspection reports and find out how the facility addressed any problems that were cited.
5. Ask what specific steps the facility has taken to improve cleanliness and care quality based on what residents and families have told them.

Pricing and financial information

Bria at Elmwood Park doesn't publish exact pricing, but we can compare it to similar facilities in the area:

Cost Type

Amount

Comparison

Starting Price

$1,500/month

Below local average

Average Monthly Cost

$4,491

Slightly below the local average of $4,681

Maximum Cost

$7,482

For intensive care needs

Payment options

• Medicare certified
• Medicaid approved
• Private insurance accepted (verify specific plans)
• Private pay options available

When you talk to the facility, get clear answers on the financial side:

1. Request a detailed, itemized pricing sheet that includes:
   • Base rate for skilled nursing care
   • Additional costs for specialized services (memory care, rehabilitation)
   • One-time fees (admission fees, community fees)
   • How often rates increase and by how much
2. Ask how pricing would change if care needs increase over time.
3. Ask whether the facility offers financial assistance programs or sliding scale fees based on income.
4. Ask whether bundled service packages might save money on comprehensive care.
5. Visit or call at least three other facilities in the area to compare costs and see what services each includes.

Comparison with local alternatives

Here's how Bria at Elmwood Park stacks up against other senior care facilities nearby:

Facility Name

Overall Rating

Key Features

Starting Price

Bria at Elmwood Park

1 out of 5 stars (CMS)

**Comprehensive Care Options**

The facility offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing all in one community. This means residents can stay in the same place even if their care needs increase. You don't have to move your loved one to a different building or facility down the road.

**Large Facility**

A large community has more amenities and activities. It also means more staff and resources. But some people prefer a smaller setting where staff know residents by name. Think about what matters most to your family—the range of options a bigger place offers, or the more personal feel of a smaller one.

$1,500/month

Brookdale Oak Park

9.9/10 (52 reviews)

Assisted Living, Independent Living, Rooftop dining

$5,285/month

Belmont Village Lincoln Park

7.9/10 (43 reviews)

Assisted Living, Memory Care, Fitness center

$7,900/month

Sunrise of Park Ridge

9.4/10 (84 reviews)

Assisted Living, Memory Care, In-house therapy

$3,404/month

What sets Bria at Elmwood Park apart

1. It's a large facility with 245 certified beds, which means more services and more residents to interact with.
2. The facility offers both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care.
3. It has an in-house dialysis unit and emphasizes rehabilitation services—features you won't find at most assisted living facilities.
4. At $1,500/month to start, it costs less than comparable options in the area.

How to compare facilities:

1. List what matters most to you: care levels, activities, amenities, cost.
2. Tour at least 3-4 facilities. Watch how staff interact with residents and how the place feels.
3. Talk to residents and family members. Ask what daily life is actually like.
4. Think about what you might need in the future, not just today.
5. Notice the big gap between Bria's ratings and its competitors. Ask staff directly why that gap exists during your visit.

Unique features and considerations

1. The large number of beds means a wider range of services and more social activities.
2. The facility focuses on rehabilitation, which helps with recovery after a hospital stay.
3. Entry-level prices make it affordable compared to other options.
4. The facility has had regulatory problems:
   • 7 federal fines in the last 3 years, totaling $779,963
   • 3 Medicare payment denials in the last 3 years
   • Citation for abuse
   • 40 health citations (the Illinois average is 12.4)

Areas for improvement

Look carefully at these areas:

1. Care quality: Medicare ratings for overall care, quality measures, and staffing are below average.
2. Staffing: Below-average staffing numbers raise questions about whether residents get the attention they need.
3. Regulatory compliance: The high number of citations and fines suggests the facility has struggled to meet care standards.
4. Cleanliness: Some reviews mention concerns about cleanliness. Check this for yourself when you visit.
5. Food: The 2.7/5 rating for meals suggests quality and variety could be better.

Final recommendations

1. Visit at different times—mornings, afternoons, weekends, evenings—to see how the facility actually runs when you're not on a formal tour.
2. Talk to current residents and families. If possible, catch them outside of scheduled tour times. You'll get a more honest picture of daily life.
3. Request the most recent state inspection reports. Look for citations and ask how the facility has responded to them.
4. Watch how staff interact with residents. Ask about staff turnover and training. If staffing has been a problem, ask what they've actually done to fix it.
5. Ask how the facility handles transitions between care levels. This matters if your loved one's needs change over time.
6. If rehabilitation is important, ask for concrete numbers: success rates, average length of stay, and the qualifications of the therapists on staff.
7. Find out how the facility communicates with families about health updates and care plan changes.
8. Think about whether the facility can handle your loved one's care five or ten years from now. Ask about options if their health declines.
9. Given the low ratings and regulatory issues, ask management directly: what specific changes are they making to improve care quality, staffing, and compliance?
10. Talk to your current doctors or healthcare providers about whether they work with this facility or have experience with it.

Bria at Elmwood Park has services and competitive pricing. But its low quality ratings and regulatory problems mean you need to verify the care yourself before committing. Don't rely on the marketing. Visit, talk to people, look at the inspection reports.