Winchester House stood for more than 150 years in Libertyville, Illinois, as a government-owned, county-run skilled nursing facility that offered care to elderly and disabled Lake County residents, and even after its building closed for safety and was replaced by a new site in Mundelein, people still remember how the care team always tried to focus on the whole person, supporting both short and long-term medical needs with personalized care. The facility had 360 certified beds, but usually about 60% were filled, so there was space, and the staff, who could speak English, were around 24 hours a day, keeping an eye on things and making sure residents got the help they needed, especially with bathing, dressing, medications, transfers, and any basic daily tasks, and the team included nurses, nurse aides, therapists, social workers, dietitians, and activity professionals working together, so no one was left without care.
The place was known for having a secured environment; the policies were strict on safety issues, infection control, and accident prevention, and there were emergency alert systems and partially sprinklered sections in the building for extra safety, while staff provided special care for Alzheimer's and memory loss, as well as nursing and assistance for folks needing help with diabetes, incontinence, or mobility issues, and there were private suites with oversized beds and en-suite showers and bathrooms that people could use without much trouble. Winchester House wasn't part of a continuing care retirement community, even though it did offer levels of care from assisted living all the way to skilled nursing and memory care, and it participated in both Medicare and Medicaid, helping to make stays affordable for those who qualified.
Residents could take part in activities suited to their needs-things like movie nights, music programs, on-site devotional services, and outings, as well as exercise in the therapy gym, practice in the therapy kitchen, enjoy community spaces like the arts room, activity room, communal theater, library, and walking paths, or just settle in the modern, bright lobby for visits. Meals, housekeeping, laundry, and even dry cleaning were handled for them, and there was a restaurant on site for home-cooked meals. Winchester House also provided move-in help, family support services, transportation for medical appointments or trips, and regular wellness programs, making life a little easier, and both resident and family councils offered people a chance to share their concerns and opinions. People say the most important thing over the years was the dedication, compassion, and acts of kindness that the staff showed, and even though the original building became too old and had to come down, the Advisory Board and county worked to make sure care continued at a new location, showing that long history and local ties do matter when it comes to caring for seniors in the community.
