Sunrise "At Home" for Chicago

Pros

• Sunrise Palos Park has amazing management and staff.
• The caretakers are compassionate and caring to the residents.
• The community is safe, clean, and well-maintained.
• Terrin, Jenna, and the Sunrise team lead with heart and dedication.
• Families are grateful for the care and would highly recommend Sunrise.
• The staff are kind, patient, and attentive to residents' needs.
• Residents light up, engage in activities, and feel like their old selves.
• Tours provide excellent information, and the resident dog is a friendly bonus.
• The community is intimate, allowing staff to know the residents well.
• The team provides top-notch nursing and therapy services (nurse, PT, SLP, OT).

Cons

• The reviewer described the facility as unclean, unsafe, unsanitary, and staffed by unprofessional personnel, saying the Executive Director lacks integrity and the Director of Nursing should be terminated for negligence; furniture was allegedly stolen.
• One reviewer called Sunrise an AWFUL facility, alleging it prioritizes money over resident welfare and does not perform proper evaluations for placement.
• A visitor reported being escorted out of a tour without a tour after sharing financial information, implying a negative tour experience.
• Pricing practices were criticized, with a handwritten estimate higher than quoted and no printed price sheet provided.
• Leadership and staff were criticized for poor communication: the executive director didn't speak during the visit, the coordinator wasn't dressed professionally, and staff were perceived as lacking professional communication with residents.
• A reviewer noted dated decor, a noisy furnace, and pressure to upgrade at extra cost, also mentioning the food lacked adequate salt for a resident with hypertension.
• There were claims that PRN medications were overused, leaving a loved one in a zombie-like state, with improvement after stopping PRNs.
• The facility allegedly had frequent cable outages and poor service, making it hard for residents to watch local sports or use the remote due to vision issues.

Review

Sunrise Senior Living in Palos Park elicits a wide range of experiences from families and visitors, spanning heartfelt gratitude to stark disappointment. On one end of the spectrum, several families recount warm, life-affirming care that makes a difficult transition feel manageable and even uplifting. On the other, there are grave concerns about cleanliness, safety, and leadership that have driven some to pursue outside investigations and raise serious questions about the quality of care. Taken together, these accounts paint a picture of a facility that can feel like two different places depending on who you are and when you visit.

For many people, Sunrise Palos Park represents a safe harbor where staff members are consistently described as kind, patient, and attentive. Commenters repeatedly praise the caretaking staff for their compassion and the way they interact with residents - greeting them by name, attending to needs, and creating a supportive atmosphere. One reviewer specifically highlighted a "caregivers [who] are compassionate and caring to the residents" and noted that the community feels safe and clean, with engaging holiday and social events that give residents opportunities to participate and connect. Another visitor emphasized the impression of a well-run environment where staff are "amazing" and residents are well cared for, a sentiment echoed by several who cite a personal sense of relief and reassurance when their family members were in Sunrise's care.

Longtime staff and leadership are also central to many positive experiences. Stories of Terrin and Jenna leading with heart - and the broader team taking care of residents with dedication - stand out as examples of how strong leadership can translate into daily care. One account commends Terrin for guiding with genuine care, noting how that leadership radiates through the entire staff and contributes to a positive living environment for residents. The consistent thread across these narratives is a belief that, when the team is aligned around residents' well-being, Sunrise Palos Park can be a place where aging with dignity is more than just a hope - it's observed in practice.

In some families, Sunrise Palos Park is described as a place that genuinely helped a loved one regain vitality and happiness after a difficult health course. Stories of short-term stays turning into meaningful improvements illustrate this hopeful side of Sunrise. A mother who had spent time in rehab and then came to the community is described as becoming more engaged, talking more, and taking on activities with renewed energy. In these accounts, the facility's environment - plus the in-house medical and therapy support - appears to contribute to a notable shift in mood and function, reaffirming a sense that the decision to move into Sunrise can pay dividends for both residents and their families.

Yet not all experiences align with the positive narratives. Some reviews are filled with concerns about cleanliness, safety, and the integrity of leadership. One account conveys a deeply troubling impression: a resident's family describes unclean, unsafe, and unsanitary conditions, with alleged staff negligence and even theft of furniture. The reviewer accuses the executive director of lacking integrity and questions the competency of the director of nursing, going so far as to urge termination for poor performance. The same family reports the mother was kept in an altered mental state through the repeated use of PRN medications, and claims a negative transformation that reversed once those medications were no longer used. The intensity of this account underscores the fear and heartbreak families can feel when care appears to drift from the residents' best interests.

Other reviewers recount experiences that raise questions about initial impressions and administrative transparency. Several describe tours or visits where expectations about pricing and availability were not met: staff would escort visitors out of a tour when they asked to view rooms or discuss cost details, and in one instance a handwritten estimate arrived higher than what was quoted, with no printed price sheet provided. These anecdotes highlight a common tension for families evaluating care - finding clarity on cost, services, and what residents will actually be offered, before making a life-changing commitment.

There are also reports of positive turning points following interactions with corporate leadership. In one case, a father's dissatisfaction with a dated d?cor and a noisy furnace was addressed promptly when corporate intervention resulted in replacing equipment and addressing the resident's comfort. Though an upgrade came at an additional cost, the outcome was a much more tolerable living environment. Another recurring theme is the contrast between what families fear about care and what they come to appreciate about the staff's dedication: even when some elements don't meet every expectation, several families emphasize that the core team - the nurses, aides, and activity coordinators - remains committed to residents' well-being and daily quality of life.

Across the spectrum of experiences, there are recurring mentions of the facility's amenities and environment that many families value. A canine resident and the overall atmosphere of activity seem to contribute positively to residents' daily lives, providing social focal points and opportunities to engage. Reviewers note spacious dining areas, multiple floors, and thoughtfully designed spaces that invite residents to read, relax, or socialize. For families who prioritize an environment where staff know residents well and maintain an active calendar of events, Sunrise Palos Park often delivers on those expectations, helping residents participate in exercise classes, social trips, therapy sessions, and other stimulating activities.

In sum, Sunrise Palos Park emerges as a place of contrasts. For some families, it is a compassionate, well-run community where staff form meaningful relationships with residents, where activities and amenities support a good quality of life, and where leadership - when aligned with resident-centered care - creates a positive, supportive home-like atmosphere. For others, it is a place of significant concern, where perceived lapses in cleanliness, safety, and governance provoke strong alarm and action, up to and including formal complaints and critical evaluations of ongoing care. Prospective families would be wise to visit with questions in hand, request price sheets and service details, and pay attention to both the human touch of daily care and the systems in place to safeguard residents' health, dignity, and comfort. The most telling takeaways come from spending time in the community, observing interactions between residents and staff, and listening to a range of voices - so that families can decide, with clarity and confidence, what Sunrise Palos Park can truly offer their loved ones.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.4 miles)
• Walgreens (3.5 miles)
• Walgreens (4 miles)

Hospitals

• Palos Community Hospital (0.5 miles)
• Advocate Christ Outpatient Pavilion (5 miles)
• Advocate Children Hospital-Hope Pavilion (5.2 miles)
• Little Company of Mary Hospital (6.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• Palos Islamic Center (0.7 miles)
• Mosque Foundation (3.3 miles)
• Holy Name Of Mary Church (7.9 miles)
• Beth Eden Baptist Church (8 miles)
• Our Mother Of Good Counsel (8 miles)

Restaurants

• White Castle (1.8 miles)
• Baba Saj-Palos Hills (1.9 miles)
• Denny's (3 miles)
• McDonald's (3.1 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3.3 miles)
• The Patio (3.6 miles)
• P.F. Chang's China Bistro (3.7 miles)

Cafes

• Corner Bakery Cafe (4.6 miles)
• Starbucks (5.1 miles)
• Panera Bread (5.5 miles)
• Starbucks (6.1 miles)
• Eggheadz Cafe (6.5 miles)

Parks

• Harr Park (5.4 miles)
• Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (7.4 miles)
• Wentworth Park (8.1 miles)

Theaters

• Orland Park Cinema Orland Park, Il (6.2 miles)

Physicians

• Rife & Associates (6.8 miles)
• Children's Wellness Center (6.8 miles)
• Loyola (7 miles)
• All Star Pediatrics (7.7 miles)
• Loyola Medicine Burr Ridge (8 miles)
• Advocate Medical Campus Southwest (8.2 miles)

Transportation

• Metra - Morgan Park / 115th Street (7.1 miles)
• Atlantic Aviation (7.8 miles)
• Concourse B (8.5 miles)
• Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) (8.5 miles)