Grove at the Lake Living & Rehabilitation in Zion, IL

Pros

• The Grove at the Lake is described as a blessing to families and a caring, dedicated facility.
• The staff across all departments are praised for being kind, hardworking, and sincerely committed to helping residents.
• Social workers like Carmen and Bailey are highlighted as amazing and incredibly helpful in coordinating care and transitions.
• The therapy team, including Tim (PT), Kaela, Kalea, Barb, and others, is credited with improving mobility and supporting recovery.
• The nurses and CNAs are described as attentive, compassionate, and consistently supportive of residents.
• The facility is noted for cleanliness, a comfortable environment, good food, and engaging activities for residents.
• Admissions and communication with families are seen as smooth and responsive by staff such as Latoya and Kaela.
• Wound care and rehabilitation services are regarded as excellent, with teams that are friendly, thorough, and proactive.
• Overall, reviewers express strong appreciation for the Grove’s positive impact on their loved ones’ rehab and well-being.

Cons

• The Grove at the Lake is described by reviewers as one of the most poorly run rehab centers in Illinois and is advised to be avoided.
• Understaffing is frequently cited, with delays in call-light responses and insufficient nursing care.
• Reviewers report neglect and harm, including stage 4 bedsores, malnutrition, and dehydration not properly addressed.
• The facility is criticized for dirtiness and poor hygiene, with dirty walls and bedpans left unclean.
• Management and administration are described as ineffective, with calls to replace leadership or close the facility.
• Staff are described as rude, unresponsive, or uncaring, with inconsistent communication and a lack of empathy.
• There are allegations of theft of a resident’s money and other financial misconduct.

Review

Grove at the Lake is best suited for families pursuing short-term rehabilitation where a strong therapy push and active social-work coordination can drive recovery, provided there is a commitment to frontline oversight. The facility tends to reward residents who respond well to intensive physical, occupational, and wound-care therapy and who benefit from a highly engaged social-services team helping with transitions home. Those who cannot or will not participate in regular visits and ongoing advocacy should consider alternatives. For ventilator-dependent residents, or for memory-care cases requiring very consistent, round-the-clock supervision, look elsewhere.

On the plus side, the Grove earns its stripes from a dedicated therapy and social-work cadre. Several accounts highlight therapists who push patients to regain walking and function, with team members like Tim, Barb, Lisa, and the wound-care professionals delivering tangible progress. Social workers such as Carmen, Bailey, Suzie, and Kaela are repeatedly praised for coordinating discharges, liaising with families, and coordinating post-acute plans. The staff across floors, nurses, CNAs, and therapists, are frequently described as genuinely caring, personable, and capable of sustaining momentum through challenging recoveries. When these elements align, families report meaningful improvements and smoother transitions.

Yet the cons are persistent enough to demand serious caution. A large chorus of reviews paints a troubling picture of understaffing, high turnover, and uneven leadership, with repeated complaints about call lights going unanswered, slow responses, and inconsistent day-to-day care. Reports vary from well-performing shifts to chaotic ones, but the pattern of staffing gaps and communication lapses undermines safety and trust for many families. Allegations range from hygiene lapses and incomplete nurse-to-patient coverage to more severe claims about neglect and safety lapses in respiratory and wound-care areas. The building itself is often described as aging, with infrastructure concerns underscoring the staffing and care issues.

Those pros and cons often collide in the overall experience. For residents anchored by strong therapy momentum and dependable social-work advocacy, the Grove can deliver real rehab gains and a capable discharge plan that keeps families hopeful. The same staff who excel in therapy and family communication can, on other days, be stretched thin by shortages, resulting in delayed assistance, inconsistent nutrition, or gaps in daily monitoring. In practice, the quality of care here tends to hinge on which staff are on shift, which unit a resident is in, and how proactive family involvement remains. The improvement stories ring loudly, but so do the warnings.

Families should approach a tour with a clear checklist aimed at risk mitigation. Ask to speak with the floor nurse manager about current staffing ratios and recent turnover. Request a detailed walk-through of call-light response times and a review of recent wound-care and medication-management practices. Meet the social worker assigned to the resident, and verify a concrete discharge plan with timelines, transportation, and home-care services. Inquire about unit-specific conditions, some floors receive consistently higher praise than others, and look for signs of cleanliness, organized care plans, and visible daily nursing rounds. If the bedrock concern is reliable daily care and consistent oversight, this is the area where alternatives should be seriously weighed.

The bottom line is pragmatic: Grove at the Lake can be a strong choice for short-term rehab when the patient benefits from a vigorous therapy program and a proactive social-work team, and when families are prepared to stay engaged. However, red flags about understaffing, administrative responsiveness, and variable quality of daily care cannot be dismissed. For families where daily oversight is not feasible, or where a loved one requires constant monitoring, consider facilities with more stable leadership and higher staffing ratios. In the end, the decision should come down to whether the specific resident’s rehabilitation goals align with the facility’s strongest assets, and whether a dedicated family presence can consistently compensate for the days when staffing gaps appear.

The neighborhood of Zion, Illinois offers a variety of amenities that cater to the needs and interests of seniors. With several hospitals and medical centers in close proximity, residents have easy access to quality healthcare services. Additionally, there are numerous physicians and pharmacies nearby for convenient medical care. For leisure and recreation, there are several parks within a short driving distance, providing opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation. The area also boasts a range of dining options from casual eateries like Taco Bell to more upscale restaurants such as The Shanty Restaurant. Cafes like Starbucks and Panera Bread offer cozy spots for socializing or enjoying a cup of coffee. Furthermore, places of worship such as St Therese Church and St Paul's Lutheran Church provide spiritual support for those seeking a religious community. For entertainment, seniors can catch a movie at Gurnee Mills Cinema or Cinemark Tinseltown USA. Overall, the neighborhood offers a mix of healthcare facilities, recreational options, dining establishments, and places of worship that make it an appealing choice for seniors considering senior living in Zion.

Hospitals

• Cancer Treatment Centers of America - Gastroenterology (0.2 miles)
• Waukegan Il Hospital Co. (4.9 miles)
• Vista Medical Center - East (4.9 miles)
• Ocenco (6.7 miles)
• Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (8.9 miles)
• Kenosha Medical Center (9 miles)

Physicians

• Hatem Halabi, MD, FACS | Surgical Oncologist (0.2 miles)
• Meadows Plastic Surgery (1.9 miles)
• Vista Physician Group (5.5 miles)
• Family Primary Care Clinic (6.4 miles)
• Hanger Clinic: Prosthetics & Orthotics (7.3 miles)
• North Suburban Dermatology Associates (7.3 miles)
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (7.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• Jewel-Osco Pharmacy (0.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.9 miles)
• Walgreens (4.2 miles)
• Walgreens (6.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (6.4 miles)

Parks

• Illinois Beach State Park (2 miles)
• Waukegan Park District (5.9 miles)
• Southport Park (7.8 miles)
• Gangler Park (8.1 miles)
• Eichelman Park (9.1 miles)
• Wolfenbuttel Park (9.3 miles)

Restaurants

• The Tropics (3 miles)
• Taco Bell (3.1 miles)
• Shirl's Drive In (4.3 miles)
• The Shanty Restaurant (5.9 miles)
• Starlite Club (6.6 miles)
• Country Pride (7 miles)
• Culver's (7.5 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (6.1 miles)
• Starbucks (8 miles)
• Panera Bread (8.4 miles)
• Panera Bread (8.8 miles)
• Corner Bakery Cafe (9.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Therese Church (6.4 miles)
• St Paul's Lutheran Church (7 miles)

Theaters

• Gurnee Mills Cinema Gurnee, Il (8 miles)
• Cinemark Tinseltown USA (9.1 miles)