Join The Garlands Phase II Founders Club and enjoy the following benefits:

- 10% pre-opening savings
- An average $96K savings over opening day
- Discount more than compensates for most lowered home values
- Best locations/views
- Best selection

Plus take advantage of The Garlands complimentary "All the Right Moves" home staging and relocation services. Then relax and dream of living your best life at The Garlands.

To learn more about becoming a Founders Club member, call 847-304-1996.

Labels: active retirement communities, Chicago assisted living, Chicago independent living, chicago retirement community, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

If you've been keeping an eye on the construction project in our backyard, you've seen that the exterior--with the exception of gutters and balconies--is complete. Now that the majority of the exterior envelope as well as the roof assembly, mechanicals, electrical and plumbing rough--in is finished, work on the interior is proceeding right on schedule, including drywall taping and sanding, ceramic tiling and painting.

As you may recall, the building is divided into six vertical sections containing four floors of various-sized units. The first vertical section, at the east end of the building, will be complete in approximately 60 days. Moving east to west, the remaining five vertical sections will be carefully choreographed so work will proceed efficiently floor-by-floor within the subsequent vertical stacks. When blocks of units are completed, a rigorous punch-list process will ensure that the new residences meet the highest standards expected at The Garlands. Meanwhile, since they do not align with the units on the floors below, separate dedicated work crews will be assigned to the 16 penthouse suites. The penthouses have numerous atypical construction conditions related to the sloped roof trusses that create the opportunity for aesthetically striking ceiling conditions within many of the units.

Labels: active retirement communities, Alzheimer's Care, Chicago estate planning, Midwest retirement home, Phase II

"How many books do you have to return to the Barrington Library," I asked my wife, Rita
"Five or six."
"Why drive? Let's walk there, it's a beautiful day. I'll help you carry them."

The path starts at the Garlands, rises over a small hill and ends at the library, sign says one seventh of a mile.

"That was easy, the hill was no bother," Rita said.
"You're right. What is that construction going on just beyond the trees?" I asked.
"That's the new hospice center. It's due to open next year."
"I like the idea that they're in our back yard," I replied. "They're a great organization and the building fund is still going on."
"What a splendid day," She said. "Let's walk over the Garlands Bridge to Citizen's Park and check out the tree house, slides and picnic tables. You know the grand children love to play there."
"Great idea, Dear"

One couple played tennis as we passed the courts. The incline to the tree house was busy with families. A group of eight spread out a summer picnic meal on the table at the tree house platform. They talked and laughed loudly.

Rita said, "Jack it's a perfect day to walk through Cuba Marsh. We can go out a half mile using the boardwalks and return."
"Another good idea. Let's do it!"

We enjoyed our walk. The Cuba marsh is extensive and primordial. The birds make nearly all the sounds, but others, especially frogs contribute. The walk starts at a boardwalk over a small part of the marsh ending at a gravel path that leads shortly to the main long boardwalk. We followed that for our half-mile trek.

"We had a good time today. How about walking over to Langendorf Park tomorrow and have a picnic near the great public swimming pool?" I asked.

"Two miles is not far to walk, but the traffic is heavy at the crossing corner. I prefer driving especially because we'll have food and blankets."

Location, location, location. That's part of what we have here at our Active Senior Living community.

Jack Roche

Labels: active senior living, Jack and Rita, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement home, upscale senior living

Phase II of The Garlands is making great strides; our latest progress being in Building D, the superstructure of which was completed on schedule in August 2009. And a model unit--showcasing the luxurious living offered by our new residences--is finished and ready for visitors. We hope you can stop by and take a look!

Other progress you'll notice on your visit:

Roof trusses for this project are quite complicated and have been described by many as a most challenging geometric design. But the challenge has been met and these trusses are nearly complete at the west end of the building with the final roofing scheduled for completion by Thanksgiving.

With the completion of the roof trusses, the huge crane seen looming over our site has recently been dismantled and removed as its work is done.

The installation of the trusses and roofing enables the work on the exterior walls to progress. The exterior masonry is now 85% complete with the anticipated completion of all exterior wall masonry is mid November.

The Garlands goes green:

Insulation board is being installed behind the masonry, and when combined with the fiberglass insulation within the walls, we'll get exceptional energy efficiency in the residential units. In addition, the exterior Tyvek wrap system has been designed and installed per DuPont's standards to include special fasteners and flashing around the windows, all done to provide excellent protection against water intrusion through the exterior wall. All told, these will be extremely well made and efficient residences, which are easy on the heating/ cooling bills, as well as friendly to mother nature.

The east half of the building is already weather-tight, allowing the interior to be finished. The mechanical, electrical, HVAC and plumbing tradesmen have already completed their rough-in work in the east half of the building. In this location, drywall is being installed as well as ceramic tile, wood doors, millwork, cabinets, painting and appliances.

The residential units at the east end of the building will start to approach completion by this year's end. This completion sequence will march west through the building throughout the winter months.

At ground level, the building will begin to take it's final form during late Summer of 2010 when driveways will be paved, landscaping installed and construction trailers removed.

The current schedule targets building completion by October 2010--less than one year away!

Labels: Chicago assisted living, Midwest retirement home, Phase II, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

Prairieview at The Garlands skilled nursing program is one of three in the state and 41 in the country to receive a five-star rating and, subsequently, recognition from US News and World Report as one of "America's Best Nursing Homes" in 2009.

To help consumers find the best choice from among the nation's more than 15,000 nursing homes, US News and World Report ranks nursing homes on a quarterly basis and places the best on its Honor Roll. Prairieview at The Garlands skilled nursing program merited Honor Roll status for 2nd quarter 2009, which means Prairieview achieved a perfect five-star rating from the federal government's Center for Medicare Services (CMS) in each of its three yardsticks: health inspections, nurse staffing and quality measures of individual care.

"To be ranked in the top 41 of 15,000 skilled nursing programs in the nation is a remarkable accomplishment and a true testimony to the quality and value The Garlands offers our residents in the event they should ever need short-term rehabilitative or long-term care," said Thomas S. Herb, President and Chief Executive Officer of Barrington Venture Holding Company LLC, local owners and operators of The Garlands.

Prairieview at The Garlands offers around-the-clock assisted living and skilled nursing services within the context of the Garlands of Barrington, a premier Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) located at 1000 Garlands Lane, Barrington, IL. Due to state licensing agreements, access to the highly rated skilled nursing program at Prairieview is limited to members who currently live within The Garlands CCRC as independent living or assisted living members. As such, the peace of mind that comes with having access to such top-notch care should it ever be need is an added benefit that is offered exclusively to Garlands members and one to consider when looking into The Garlands lifestyle for yourself or a loved one.

US News and World Report's "America's Best Nursing Home Honor Roll" and the CMS Five-Star quality rating system help consumers, their families and caregivers easily compare nursing homes. The ranking system is important because skilled nursing programs vary in the quality of care and services they provide to their residents. Reviewing health inspection results, staffing data, and quality measure data are three important ways to measure nursing home quality. This information gives consumers a "snap shot" of the care individual nursing homes give.

For more information about US News's Honor Roll visit usnews.com or for information about the CMS ratings visit medicare.gov and select "nursing home compare." For information about The Garlands, please call 847-304-1996 and continue browsing this site.

Labels: Alzheimer's Care, chicago senior living, garlands blogger, Midwest retirement home, US News

Hans and Istvan, The Garlands Gourmets.

"Gourmet food at a retirement community? You gotta be kiddin'!" said my wife, Rita.

"No. I'm not!" I replied. "Istvan Abdai, Director of Food and Beverage, and Hans Ladwein, Executive Chef, have joined culinary forces to create a gourmet night at the Roycroft, our upscale restaurant."

And so off we went . . .

Hans has a reassuring German accent that lends authority to his role as master chef. Istvan prides himself on having studied and mastered the subtle art of matching wine to cuisine, and he describes it in a distinctive Dutch tone, adding to the mystery of the wine.

The Chef's Table was where twenty gathered at the Roycroft about five thirty to begin a gourmet treat. Standing, the members mingled enjoying white and red wines, hors d'oeuvres and excited conversation--an appropriate beginning to the long-awaited evening.

A grand u-shape of tables with white table cloths, scattered flowers, assorted wine glasses and fancy silver cutlery set the mood for "Gourmet." The open end of the u directed us to Hans and Istvan who carefully and knowledgeably prepared us for the meal.

Hans and Istvan detailed the excellence to come: Chilled Swiss Cucumber Soup with a white Riesling Kabinett 2006 from Hirschbach und Sohne— introduced the high level of dining. Then a medley of spring greens, tossed tableside with cider vinegar, olive oil, honey poupon and walnuts. All nursed with a Camelot Chardonnay 2007. Pan-seared Diver scallops (hand picked deep in the ocean) placed over black cappelini in truffle oil and lemon-basil beurre blanc (a rich hot butter sauce with a white wine reduction) announced Hans' five-star ability. Istvan's kept this great food tied-in to the Camelot Chardonnay 2007.

We stopped for an amuse-bouche: a Blood Orange Sorbet, to refresh our
palettes before the main course.

The Marsala glazed lollipop veal chop was set on braised baby leaks. Roasted mushroom potatoes, tomato Florentine and shitake caps blended well with the veal as did the Estancia Central Coast Merlot 2007.

Great restaurants in our "Upscale Senior Living" retirement community demand a great finish to a great meal. Hans hit it on the nose with Cappuccino mousse and chocolate ganache on pomegranate coulis with chocolate and berry garnish.

As we left fully satisfied, I asked, "Are you a convert to exquisite dining here at the Roycroft?"

"I've been converted!" Rita replied, "Can't wait until Hans and Istvan have another 'Gourmet Delight."

Labels: Chicago assisted living, Jack and Rita, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

Throughout my years as Executive Director at The Garlands, I've enjoyed many conversations with our members. And given the inquisitive nature of our members, I've fielded my share of questions as well. It's very important to me to be available and interactive with our community, because 1) I enjoy it, and 2) that's where I get the best feedback on how to maintain The Garlands high standards and lifestyle.

In addition to impromptu talks, we've set up regular Q&A sessions to discuss dining and activities. In addition to these Q&As on general topics, we look for feedback in our suggestion box, survey members annually and ask for their input/act on their suggestions and host monthly chats with the executive director as well as regular "state of the union" member meetings. Community and lifestyle are what's most important to us at The Garlands, and nobody knows how we're doing better than our members who live it everyday. That's why I like to say, "when you're a member here, you've always got my ear!"

Labels: Chicago assisted living, chicago senior living, From the Executive Director, Midwest retirement home, retirement community

In part 1 we looked at why balance deteriorates as you age. All too often, as people's balance worsens, they tend to reduce their daily activity level out of a fear of falling. They don't want to do anything that might cause them to fall. However, this only causes more problems. Last time we learned that the activities of your daily life help keep your balance in shape. Therefore, decreasing those activities means that your sense of balance does not get as much use, allowing it to deteriorate further (due to the "use it or lose it" principle).

This can develop into a vicious cycle: Decrease in activity over the years = Balance gets worse = Further decrease in activity out of a fear of falling = Balance gets even worse.

The end result of this cycle is a person who can't walk anywhere without having one hand on something sturdy, like a couch, the wall, a cane, or another person. This is the type of person who will routinely not participate in outings that their family and friends are going on because they think they might fall. Poor balance is now causing a lower quality of life. The problem is, you can't completely quarantine yourself from falling. Even if you don't go out much, and you try to avoid any potentially hazardous situations, life will eventually throw an unexpected scenario at you that will challenge your balance.

If your balance is not used to being challenged, this situation can result in a fall, and it often does. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), for people over sixty-five, falls are the most common cause of injury and the number one reason for admission to the hospital. By now you're probably thinking, "Okay, Mike, I understand that the activities that I used to do were also training my balance, but I can't just go out and start running around like a teenager just so my sense of balance will get some exercise."

You're right. At this point, a lot of those things you used to do might be dangerous for your body. That's why I developed balance exercises, so we could challenge your balance while in a safe environment. That concept is called "Controlled Instability." More on that in Part 4. Stay tuned for Part 3 next month, where we'll discuss traditional senior exercise programs and their impact on balance.

Mike Ross
Author of "The Balance Manual"
balance-exercises.com

Labels: active retirement community, better balance report, Chicago estate planning, Fitness and Activities, Midwest retirement home, senior living, upscale retirement home

The Garlands Sequoia: upscale retirement living just got bigger and better! The Garlands limited edition, single story Sequoia features over 2,000 square feet of the highest quality and maintenance-free villa living...not to mention the service, surroundings and security that only The Garlands can provide.

Deluxe Master Suite

Room enough for the whole family tree, the Sequoia also features a gracious dining room... library/den/study...two-car garage... front porch and back deck...full basement...fireplace...and more!

Gourmet kitchen

Labels: Chicago independent living, chicago retirement community, From the Executive Director, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement community

Do you have a fear of falling? Do you feel less steady than you used to? Many would say this is just a natural part of getting older, but there's a lot more to it than that.

You've probably heard of the "use it or lose it" principle in regards to health and fitness. It basically states that if you don't get enough physical activity, your heart, bones, and muscles will get weaker. This principle also applies to balance. If you don't regularly put your body in situations where it needs balance, your sense of balance will get worse. You are telling your brain and body, "Balance is not important to me." Your body will adapt to your lifestyle. The brain generally does not see any reason to keep certain capacities adept if those capacities are not being used very much.

After a certain age, many people start to move less and less. This usually happens after retirement. Take a minute and think about how much activity you get on a typical day compared to twenty years ago. Generally, as we get older, activities that involve a lot of movement (like sports, yard work, and playing with kids) are slowly replaced with activities that involve a lot of sitting (like reading, watching TV, playing cards, and going out to eat).

Here's the problem--movement requires balance, sitting does not. The activities you were doing when you were younger were not only keeping your heart, bones, and muscles strong--they were also keeping your balance in good shape. Over the years, as time spent moving decreased and time spent sitting increased, your sense of balance got less "exercise," which allowed it to deteriorate. Now here you are, years later, with a sense of balance that is a shadow of its former self.

The good news is that the "use it or lose it" principle is a two-way street. Everyone knows that you can train your heart and muscles to make them stronger. You can also train your balance as a part of active senior living lifestyle. Stay tuned for Part 2 in the series when we will examine a common ways to help with poor balance.

Mike Ross
Author of "The Balance Manual"
balance-exercises.com

Labels: active senior living, better balance report, Chicago assisted living, chicago retirement community, Fitness and Activities, Midwest retirement home

At The Garlands, we believe that a life of continued learning is a big part of a well-rounded lifestyle. As such, our active senior living community is proud to present the following Harper College sponsored lectures and events as a part of our Lifelong Learning Center.

Short Story Treasures
Through May 18, 10am-Noon in the Robie Lounge
Edith Maynard returns to facilitate this favorite class. You need to purchase the book prior to class date. Please contact Jill for more information.

American Jazz in Paris
Friday, May 22, 1-3pm
European critics embraced jazz before anyone in the United States wrote anything complimentary about the music. The reasoning is wrapped up in the cultures of both France and the United States. Scott Cashman will discuss the cultural and historical implications of jazz in both the United States and France while listening to the music from the earliest period to the present as it has been played in the City of Light. Scott Cashman earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology by studying the economics of being a jazz musician in Paris.

Great Decisions Sampler
Tuesday, June 30, 1-3pm,
Try it, you'll like it! Register for this course and get a sample of our Great
Decisions Discussion class. Join Enrico Chiappetta for a lively exchange of opinions on "Dealing With Iran." Prior to the discussion you will receive a briefing booklet prepared by the Foreign Policy Association. You must register by June 15 in order to receive the materials.

Labels: active senior living, Chicago assisted living, chicago senior living, From the Executive Director, Midwest retirement home

Members gathered around the concierge desk at the reception center waiting to launch our journey to the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. We received our prepaid Orchestra tickets and invitation to have "Lunch with the Maestro." The Garlands bus arrived about 11 AM driven by one of the Member Services drivers who courteously placed a portable step at the bus door to make it easier for everyone to enter.

Seventeen of us chose seats randomly with spouses or friends. Our driver loudly welcomed seventeen and promised to return seventeen. The early departure time assured the on-time arrival for lunch and the anticipated comments by the Music Director, Robert Hanson, about the scheduled composers.

Off we went on schedule for the forty minutes drive to Elgin. Quick 'how are you' and 'hellos' attuned all for the ride. We settled into our own conversations about family, friends and the performance. Many good comments about the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and its Conductor Robert Hanson could be heard.

The bus pulled in front of the Heritage Ballroom in downtown Elgin, just across from Hemmens Theatre, where our lunch and lecture would be held. A friendly docent led us to a large bright hall with round tables each seating ten. We chose a table close to the front in order to hear the lecture better. Lunch was served promptly, and during desert Music Director and Conductor Hanson talked about the two great composers featured: Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. He related stories about their lives and contrasted their philosophies and composing techniques. His talk was well received.

Most of the Garlands member seats were in row L center, just about perfect. A few of our members had seats in front of us, but the group was together. Musicians arrived, tuned their instruments and arranged their scores for the performance. The Conductor entered quietly to much applause, bowed politely and started the concert: a Tchaikovsky Concerto and a Shostakovich Symphony. Two hours of great music made wondrous our Friday afternoon.

The waiting Member Services driver helped seventeen back to their seats, counting a second time to be sure no one was left behind. Then, we departed for Barrington. All were pleased with the trip, the lunch and lecture, and above all, the quality performance by the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Our members continued the discourse about the talents of the composers--Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. Back to our upscale retirement community just after four, and pleased with our day--nap-time beckoned.

Labels: active retirement communities, chicago retirement community, Jack and Rita, Midwest retirement home, upscale retirement community

The most significant development lately has been the pouring of the first floor in the underground parking garage. Heated, underground parking is a benefit that members of The Garlands really enjoy--each residence comes complete with a designated parking place, just one of a million conveniences that make up The Garlands lifestyle, and what we feel is a part of upscale senior living. Meanwhile, site utilities for storm and sanitary lines, main electrical feed and being installed in the coming weeks.

Labels: Alzheimer's Care, chicago retirement community, Midwest retirement home, Phase II, upscale retirement community, upscale senior living

Excavation is nearing completion. To date we've moved over 211,680,000 pounds of dirt to clear the way for this bold new addition to our upscale retirement community. We're also building 110 parking spaces in a heated garage for Phase II residents--fit's all in an effort to enhance what we call The Garlands Lifestyle!

Labels: active senior living, Midwest retirement home, Phase II, senior living facility, upscale retirement community