Bickford of Iowa City

Bickford Iowa City has a beautiful building and the care is outstanding. At any given time you can catch a staff member spending 1 on 1 time with a resident. [name removed] is a wonderful director and gives her time freely to anyone that needs it.

I was at Bickford for a few weeks in 2022 as a temporary resident. While the food is pretty good and some of the staff (mainly the CNAs) are caring, the overall atmosphere is that of a prison where the prisoners are occasionally granted some leniency. You can't question anything--such as your medication, why you can't go out for a walk (center courtyard is like the yard at a prison and very depressing), why some staff members (looking at you, nurses and administration) talk down to you like you're a child, etc. Also, some dementia patients just wander around and staff seems untrained to deal with them. Finally, it is a very sterile almost church-like atmosphere, too much Pottery Barn decor--ugh-- and crosses and Jesus everywhere. They don't seem to know there are other religions on the plant.

My family member felt there was a lot of memory care patients in Bickford. The residents were in various stages of dementia and unable to hold conversations with others. .Once our family member went elsewhere we heard it was predominantly memory care from other healthcare professionals in the area. They are careful about the visiting hours not overlapping with mealtime. WHY?There is another loved one at Bickford and they have dropped a lot of weight due to the quality of food and the lack of encouragement for them to eat. When the staff was asked why they don’t encourage them to eat they were told “We are assisted living and that is not our job”. There is also the issue of Food that isn’t there. I witnessed a sandwich which was missing the primary ingredients. Broth that looked like tomato juice with big potatoes floating in it in a little cup that didn’t hold more that 5-6 oz. When we spoke with management about our concerns we knew nothing would change.

I would tell others the community was wonderful. I like the personal touches the community did for the residents and families. It was a smaller community all on one level. I wouldn't change anything about the community.

The communication between the family and the staff is good, they provide the covid updates and they are very responsive. The only issue is the food my mom does not like food. I would recommend this community to others

We were really impressed with how fast things moved in the beginning, and you can furnish you r room with your own stuff. We felt like that was very comforting for our loved one. We would recommend this community to other.

We chose Bickford of Iowa because we were pressed for time, they had availability, and this facility was a little more affordable than some others that we looked into. It ended up turning out to be a good fit for the care that she needed. They had 2 different room sizes to choose from, and we initially chose the larger room. It is smaller, but adequate for what she needs. She gets along really well with the staff members and seems to be happy and content here. The only thing that has bothered me is that we are able to visit, but there are limited opportunities which can be hard with my work schedule, so I am not able to see her as much as I would like. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this community.

Very nice facility with friendly and caring staff.

Small community - just 37 residents. One floor, very easy to get around. Large aviary. Lovely interior courtyard with raised garden beds.

We were very lucky when we brought mom here as she had been at a different Bickford in a different city that she really liked so her transition here has been great. Mom told me that she feels comfortable here and that the staff is friendly, supportive, plus they stay on top of things and they have notified me when they felt mom was not feeling well. They make sure they bring her to the dining room in her wheel chair so she can be with the other residents and she does take part in a few of the activities they offer as well. The grounds are nice and mom has the option of going outside should she want to. We are very happy with everything here.

Mom is doing okay since moving here it has been a big adjustment but she is settling in. She is keeping busy with all the activities the community has which is good for her. The food is good no complaints. The staff, for the most part, has been very good. They are extremely nice and patient, however, we have had to tell them not to ask what my mother wants as far as housekeeping and bed linens to be done and just to do them. Mom has more of apartment living which is nice because she was able to bring some of her personal belonging with her.

I'am satisfied with my husbands move to this community. He is taking some time to adjust to the community, but I know he is in good hands. The staff is great. They are always willing to help, and has been friendly when I come to visit. Everything always looks great, they do a good job with the cleanliness around the facility. They offer good activities for the residents, and provide nice meals. They are taking good care of him, and his needs. This is a community I would recommend, it is working out well for us.

Good morning, the tour went very good and I was very impressed and we are moving forward with them to visit with mom.

My mother is doing very well here the staff is wonderful. She participates in some of the activities they offer. It is very clean and kept. My mother likes the food she wished there was more variety to choose. I would recommend to family and friends.

We toured this community and nothing was very memorable. The staff were not friendly, didn't look up at us while we were walking through. There were no residents out and about which seemed odd for the time of day and considering they were full. I liked the dining room and home-like feel of the community but there was a smell that was displeasing throughout the community. The community and the apartments seemed small and dark overall. I would feel sad leaving my loved one there.

Family owned, older facility starting renovations. Nothing different (good or bad) stood out.