Bickford of St. Charles

Overall experience is a 4 it would be a 5, but after my dad passed away in November, Bickford still withdrew payment for December!! I had to go to my bank to get that money back. And it took over 5 months to get a refund for the remainder of November. I had to call and call and call. Finally I had to tell them I would get my attorney involved if I didn't get the refund immediately. Activities, can't rate because my dad never wanted to participate in any. He just liked to sit in his room and watch TV. A couple months after we agreed on a monthly rate and my dad moved in, they increased his rate, citing increasing costs, so a little bit of a disappointment there. So overall, as far as my dad received, and how he was treated and how he liked it there, I'd give Bickford a 5. I just didn't like the way they handled their business office concerning the money.

When it comes to the activities they could add a bit more to it. The value for cost gets a 4 but they will work with budget as much as they are allowed to do. My mom had the best experience the short time she was there. They staff genuinely cared for her. I honestly can not say enough good things about the people that work there.

I have been a volunteer at Bickford of St. Charles for many years. Recently, I've noticed multiple changes in staffing and administration. This may be why the quality of care is declining. I've seen too many examples of long delays in response to patient calls and general disorganization. I know many of the residents here and they deserve better.

I would recommend Bickford of St. Charles to others, however there is big staff turnover. The food is a huge let down, but they are going through changes so we will be patient. The staff is very nice and helpful. They are doing their best. It's expensive.

There are many amenities at the Bickford, including a variety of tempting meals. But if a loved one needs special care, then it's not good. The staff tends to be negligent in doing things to support a client medically and physically. They say they are not under-staffed, yet trying to get needed attention at times is difficult, especially since it appears there is sometimes a breakdown in communication between shifts.

Overall they have done really well and the staff members are super friendly. Our loved one is on the memory care side so sometimes it is hard to get feedback regarding the activities, but it seems like they do have a lot - we see the activities coordinating working with the residents everyday. The value has been quite good, they do not charge a big premium for memory care

It is a pretty expensive community but they are keeping a close eye out for our loved one. The staff is very caring and helpful, and the care services they provide is like first class.

We chose Bickford of St. Charles because it is very close to where we live, so we were able to visit often before COVID. We also were impressed with the tour. The room sizes here are adequate for his needs. The best part about this community so far has been the friendliness of everyone and the socialization aspect. Also, the manager is very helpful, answers all our questions, and she is easy to get a hold of. I would absolutely recommend this facility.

Overall it is a pretty good facility. It is cost-effective. It is newer than many others in the area. All the staff are very friendly and care about the residents. The food is pretty good. The room sizes are okay, the one-bedroom units are a little tight for two people. I have been impressed with the way they are handling Covid-19.

My dad moved into the memory care section of Bickford of St. Charles at the end of December. Beginning with our very welcoming interview with [name removed] the director, my family and I have been very pleased with the care they have provided for my dad. He is clean, content, well fed, and active. There are plenty of interactions he has with the staff as well as activities to enhance his mental and physical capacity. We are new to the dementia world and how it affects people. The staff and [name removed] the director have been incredibly patient and kind to my family. [Name removed] spent an hour on the phone with my mom reassuring my mom about my dad's condition...giving her time outside of normal work hours (the phone call was on a Sunday). The staff, from top to bottom, have given my family and I peace of mind knowing that Dad is getting the best care around. Thank you seems too easy to say for what you have given to my dad and us. May God reward you!

We love this facility for our mother. She has been there since [date removed]. There are so many activities and things for people to do. The staff tries to help everyone and are very personable. The food is great and the nurses remind everyone of activities for the day. Her room is spacious and has a great window to look outside., Residence are always outside their rooms enjoying the new furniture, TVs and carpet. We love this place! Thanks to “A Place For Mom” for directing me here.

This was one of our favorite retirement homes that we visited. The staff seemed super friendly and very accommodating. They spent a lot of time with us going over all our questions. We have set up an appointment next week to take my husband’s mother to see the facility and be assessed. They are not pressuring us but trying to make it special for her. We are going for happy hour and they offered to get her favorite wine. They have a lot of fun activities every day.

Understaffed and unsafe for residents that need Level 2 and up services

We took a tour at Bickford of St. Charles, and while I thought the community was nice, it was not suitable for us because of the many stairs they had throughout the community. We decided to go with a facility that would be a better fit for us.

Toured at 2PM. Difficulty entering the facility as there is no receptionist and a code is required to enter and exit. [Removed] gave has a complete tour and a good overview. She also recommended a good mover. Very nice facility. Members of the staff were recreating an [Removed] Sisters tune - impressive. Maybe it was the hour of the day, but we did not see many folks in the common areas, as most must have been in their rooms. Dinning and choice of foods looked excellent.

The place is very nice mom seems to be happy there. [Removed] the new manager there is awesome. Mom is not crazy about the food would much rather eat my wife cooking. We feel secure in knowing mom is getting good care.

[Removed] was very friendly, educational and spent over 2 hours helping me understand the assisted living/memory care process as well as where my Mom might fit best between those two. The Bickford was lovely, appeared fairly new, clean, bright. The memory care area is small with not many residents. It appeared cluttered but I understand this is to help with memories. We will consider the Bickford for my Mom.

I first learned of the Bickford Assisted Living facilities when I took my mother to visit a friend in the Bickford of Rockford, IL. I was very surprised at how nice the facility was and when I asked for information, the people were very helpful. I have come to now know that this is the standard by which their homes are run. My mother was ready to leave her apartment and we started looking at facilities around the western suburbs of Chicago. We looked at two Bickford facilities, both of which were excellent. During our visits the staff was very friendly and informative. One thing I notice right away the staff always spoke to the residence and called them by name. Something I did not see at other places. We eventually settled on the Bickford of St Charles, IL and could not be more pleased with the decision. It is no longer an assisted living facility but a warm and caring home for my mother. They have a full day of activities with something for everyone. The food may be too good as my mother has but on a little too much weight. The staff at St Charles is very good and they all know my mother which is obvious when I talk to them. The home is kept in top condition and is always decorated in season. This location sponsors periodic events for the entire family and they do an excellent job with these family occasions. The Bickford of St Charles has been an excellent home and has been instrumental in making the transition from apartment living to assisted living painless for my mother. I highly recommend any of the Bickford homes and especially the St Charles location.

We moved our family member with memory issues into Bickford about 1-1/2 months ago. His health has already greatly improved. He moved in there when we realized we could no longer meet his needs in our home. He moved in to Bickford after a hospital and long rehab stay and he was so week that he had become wheelchair bound. He is already up with his walker & looks years younger. They are diligent with meeting his needs (regular toileting, doctor ordered water restriction enforced, social interaction, even physical kind & appropriate touch). The nurses, CNA's & administrative staff are all very aware of him and his specific needs - well trained, knowledgeable & friendly. They are very loving & consistent with all that they do for him. He normally would complain about food - but he is happy with the food provided there. We are thrilled with the level of care. Great team caring for our loved one.

I toured this community for the care for my mom The rooms were not what we were looking for. It did not have the feeling.We were happy with the staff and the menu of meals that would have been offered. We would recommend that families tour this community for the care of a loved one.