How we compile and verify facilities

Chicago Care for Seniors exists to turn public records that families can't easily read into information they can act on. Here's exactly how we do that — including how we make money, so you can judge our independence for yourself.

Where our information comes from

We build every government-sourced listing from public records, not from facility marketing:

Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)— state licensing for assisted living and shared housing establishments, facility status, unit counts, and Alzheimer's/memory-care special-care designations.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — federal data for nursing homes, including 5-star inspection ratings, health deficiencies, staffing levels, and enforcement penalties.
Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS)— the Supportive Living Program, Illinois's Medicaid-funded alternative to a nursing home, which many families don't know exists.

Each government-sourced facility page names the sources behind it and the date its information was last checked. A smaller number of listings come from an original, hand-researched directory rather than these government feeds; those pages are marked differently and don't carry a government “data sources” line.

How we translate inspection data

Inspection records are public, but they're written for regulators — full of citation codes and survey language most families have no reason to know. We read the underlying records and summarize what they say in plain English: how recent the last inspection was, what kinds of issues were found, and how the facility compares on staffing.

We don't hide unflattering records. If a facility has a poor inspection history, that shows up on its page — including for facilities we might otherwise have reason to feature. Surfacing what marketing-driven directories leave out is a core reason this site exists.

“Last verified” dates

Government data updates on its own schedule — CMS refreshes monthly; state licensing data less often. We re-check our sources on a regular cycle and stamp each facility with the date we last confirmed its information. If a date looks old, treat the details as a starting point and confirm with the facility directly.

One facility, one page

A single community can appear in several government databases at once — a licensed assisted-living wing, a memory-care designation, a Medicaid Supportive Living program, a skilled-nursing unit. We merge these into one page per physical location, matched by address, so you see the full picture of a place rather than several confusing fragments.

What we don't do, and where to be careful

This is not medical advice and not a substitute for a physician. For any health decision, talk to your own doctor.
A listing is not an endorsement. We report what the public record shows; we don't vouch for the quality of care at any facility.
Records can lag reality. Always verify directly with the facility and visit in person before making a decision. We're a place to start, not a place to stop.
If you spot something wrong on a page, tell us — see corrections below.

How we stay independent

Every listing on Chicago Care for Seniors is free. Our revenue comes from optional paid upgrades that facility operators can purchase — Featured placement, a Verified badge, an expanded photo gallery, and lead-delivery routing (see pricing; these upgrades are still in development and not yet live). That revenue keeps the site free to use. It does not buy a facility a listing, and it does not remove, soften, or hide an inspection flag, a deficiency, or a complaint record. “Featured” affects a listing's display position, not the facts on its page — the government data and our own quality notes stay exactly the same whether a facility has paid for Featured placement or not. Facilities cannot pay to have problems removed from their page.

Corrections

If a facility's information is out of date or wrong, contact us with the facility name and what needs fixing. We check corrections against the source records and update the page.

Compiled and reviewed by Larisa Huhman, Founder & Editor. Last updated 2026-07-10.