McAuley Residence: Where It All Started
by Linda Buchalo
This visit takes us to the largest living area on campus—McAuley Residence, built in 2004. The building, situated at the back of the campus, was constructed specifically to meet the needs of its current residents. McAuley was first occupied in 2005, as Misericordia South had outgrown its original location on 47th Street on the south side of Chicago.
McAuley is divided into six neighborhoods, with each unit named after the benefactor for that neighborhood. Included are one all-male neighborhood, one all-female, and four co-ed. Each neighborhood can serve 20–21 residents. Each has bedrooms with 2–4 residents and one single room, which allows for hospice services, as needed. Four neighborhoods have wall-equipped oxygen to serve those who require more nursing care. The current population is 113, although McAuley is licensed to serve 125 people. The ratio of staff to residents is 1 to 5 on the AM and PM shifts. The overnight shift has 2 CNAs on each unit and a nurse is assigned to each unit 24/7.
Shannon Apartments: The Party Place
by Linda Buchalo
The Shannon Apartment building was constructed in 1991, thanks to the generosity of Brian and Sue Shannon. The building is situated on the perimeter of the campus, directly across the road from the Moore Aquatic and Fitness Center.
Shannon Apartments is currently home to 56 male and female residents who are moderately independent and able to perform daily living activities with limited assistance. Staff are available to provide guidance, supervision, training, and other assistance. The apartments are also home to some very special residents, including Sr. Rosemary and Fr. Jack.
While Shannon Apartments has had various renovations over the years, the basic structure of the building has remained the same - a multi-unit dwelling with a large common gathering and dining area. Residents live within their own apartment, and these vary in size, serving between one to five people. The building is co-ed but each apartment is all male or all female. Each apartment has its own living room, dining room, and kitchen, in addition to the bedrooms and bathrooms. There are several offices and a meeting room on the main level. The lower level has a social center, game room, computer room, and three-lane bowling alley. These rooms are well-used, but during the recent pandemic, residents were especially appreciative of these extra amenities.
Life at Mercy Glen
by Linda Buchalo
Our next stop on the tour of Misericordia residences takes us to Mercy Glen, the home of 47 very fun-loving and outgoing individuals. This group definitely enjoys life to the fullest.
Mercy Glen comprises four ranch-style homes that were constructed in 2010. Three of the homes are all-male and the fourth serves female residents. Each home has a main living area and kitchens as well as a large lower-level social area. The bedrooms are divided into single and double rooms, for a total of twelve beds per house. Patios and gardens provide a place for gathering outdoors.
Each home is staffed by three people per shift. The residents at Mercy Glen benefit by additional support from staff for activities of daily living and navigation within the campus. All the homes are a short walk to support services and the campus amenities, maximizing the quality of life for Mercy Glen residents.
Marian Center: In the Heart of the Campus 
by Linda Buchalo
Our second stop on a tour of residential areas on the Misericordia campus takes us to the Marian Center, which is the oldest residence. The campus was once home to the Angel Guardian Orphanage, which closed in 1974, and both the main building and Marian Center now stand in that exact spot. Constructed in 1976, Marian Center is situated within the main building and has two floors, ten apartments, and 88 residents. The apartments are evenly divided—five male and five female living spaces.
Apartments in the Marian Center are designed with an open concept for living room, dining room, and kitchen. To ensure the safety of the residents, kitchens do not have a stove. Each apartment has four or five bedrooms, a den, a control station and laundry room for dirty clothes and storage. Over the years, the space was renovated, with updated flooring, new furniture, updated decor, and an HVAC/air filtration system controlled at the touch of a button. Recently, the project to update the bathrooms, which was halted by the pandemic, has begun again.
Quinlan Terrace: Aging Gracefully
by Linda Buchalo
(Author’s Note: This article was written during the pandemic and reflects the restrictions in place at that time.)
This is the first in a series of articles about the various residential living areas on the Misericordia campus. Today, we visit Quinlan Terrace, which opened in 2016. The four brick homes, located in the center of the campus, were specifically designed to address the evolving nursing, therapy, and healthcare needs of residents with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other age-related conditions. Quinlan Terrace is the long-awaited answer to Misericordia’s need to provide for an aging population.
CILAs: An Important Part of Misericordia’s Continuum of Care
by Thomas Blake
For families whose residents live on the Misericordia campus, CILAs—Community Integrated Living Arrangements—may be a bit of a mystery. What is a CILA? How are they different from campus homes? Who are the residents of CILAs? Let’s explore these questions.
CILAs are licensed by the Department of Human Services, unlike most campus homes that are Department of Public Health-licensed. A CILA is, basically, a group home in a neighborhood that are occupied by individuals with various special needs