William J. Riley Memorial Residence

Amazing place. Compassionate, kind staff who went above and beyond. The rooms were beautiful and the entire facility warm & welcoming.

My husband was blessed enough to spend his last days at The Riley House. I can’t rave enough about this facility. Beautiful, spacious rooms, 24 hr access to family, and caring staff that are there at a moment’s moment. The last picture of my beloved husband was taken when he was admitted there. He had a smile on his face! Bless these people. As a Disabled American Veteran, my Husband passed away with dignity and respect.

I didn’t realize I already hit my 200^th review… I’d been saving that special spot of recognition for a place that really, truly deserves it. The ironic thing is I’ve been holding on to this review for it’s special #200 spot, but all along I argued with myself because I knew it would be important for other people to be aware of this place and its services… and now it doesn’t even get its 200 spot.
Well. The William J. Riley Memorial Residence is an amazing, wonderful place and regardless of where it falls in my reviews, it is quite seriously the most important place I will probably ever write about.
Some folks call this place Hospice House, others call it Riley House, and after spending a week there, I lovingly referred to this beautiful facility as The Hospice Hilton. When my mom was losing her fight against breast cancer last February, my sleep-​deprived and inexperienced family and I essentially became useless to her. Her need for 24-​hour, well-​informed care was far beyond what we could provide, even after enlisting the help of extended family members and friends. Riley House offered my mom the quality care she needed and deserved during her last days in a comfortable, home-​like environment and it gave my family and me the opportunity to be husband, son, and daughter once again, giving us the chance to really be present to my mom at the end of her life.
Riley’s facilities really impressed me. All eight bedrooms are really wonderful – my mom’s room was spacious and sunny with wide windows, and we were welcome to stay with her at all times, if that’s what we chose. The rooms are large enough to accommodate many visitors at once, which is a nice change from hospital visitor restrictions. The recliner and pull-​out bed were well used the week we spent at Riley, and my brother had no trouble finding space on the floor for his sleeping bag. Each room has a full bathroom, a mini-​fridge, cabinets, a table and chairs, and a TV with DVD. DVDs are on hand at the nurses station. There is a large kitchen staffed with volunteers who attend to the meal needs of residents at Riley and they gladly offer their services to visiting family and friends as well. The dining room is available for families who choose to bring their meals to Riley and a large living room provides a comfortable space with a fireplace, lots of natural light, comfy couches and plenty of puzzles to keep people busy. There is also a small, quiet prayer room for those who need some solitude and a toy room for folks bringing small children to visit.
While the space and amenities available are all really wonderful, it’s the care and the services provided that truly stand out at Riley. There is always at least one nurse and one aide on duty, and these women are angels. They are compassionate, patient, respectful and incredibly competent. Nurses Beth and Maria, in particular, were outstanding and their peaceful presence soothed both my mother and the rest of us during very difficult times. I originally had my doubts about turning my mom over to the care of strangers, but these women – I don’t even have words to articulate how wonderful they were with my mom and with us. I will always be so grateful for their kind care and for helping give my mom a dignified, peaceful transition.
One of the most amazing things about Riley House is that if their rooms are not full, they will not turn a person away, whether that individual can pay for the services or not. Riley is part of Hospice of the Calumet Area, Inc. in Northwest Indiana and they accept private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. If an individual is uninsured or cannot pay for the services at Riley, he or she is not turned away. Donations and contributions allow Riley to take care of anyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay.
I am grateful that such a facility exists and that anyone is able to use their superior services, because everyone deserves dignified, quality care. I am inspired by those who volunteer their time and talents to Riley House and provide companionship to residents who are scared and alone. Mostly, though, I am happily indebted to the nurses and volunteers at Riley House for giving my mom a peaceful place to spend her last days with her family.
If I could give every star ever awarded to any entity, they would not even come remotely close to recognizing just how incredible Riley House is.