Bickford of Ames
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Real Residents, Real Reviews
Knowing who to trust in this journey is hard — especially when your loved one’s health and happiness are at stake.
A letter from Andy Eby Andy Eby Caregiver
The decision to consider senior living is never an easy one. You’re looking for caregivers to help with situations that may have you feeling exposed and powerless. We understand that this is a vulnerable time for your family.
Here at Bickford, we believe that vulnerability is not a weakness, but a strength.
We honor the courage it takes for seniors and families to navigate the aging journey and we believe we owe you our vulnerability in return.
That’s why we display real reviews from our residents, both positive and negative. We’re not interested in cherry-picking feel-good comments from casual visits.
We aim to earn your trust by showing the full spectrum of feedback from internal monthly surveys of our residents and families. This is an uncommon practice in our industry.
Many of the reviews you’ll see are positive, serving as a testament to our “whatever it takes” commitment to helping residents live their best lives.
We interpret negative reviews through two lenses: First, some contain hard truths. It hurts to hear, but sometimes we deserve it. This feedback sharpens us, allows us to see where we fall short, and demands that we get better.
Second, some reviews arise from the unbearable emotional pain families feel as they watch a loved one decline. In these situations, our caregivers may bear the brunt of unrealistic expectations. As the saying goes, “Hurt people hurt people.”
We trust your discernment to distinguish between the two. Feel free to ask us about any review that raises questions or concerns. We believe that trust isn’t built on a facade of perfection but on honesty about our successes and challenges.
Thank you for considering placing your trust in us.
Andy Eby
Reviews for Bickford of Ames
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13
Reviews with Comments
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Bickford is the perfect size for my loved one. He especially enjoys the interior courtyard when the weather is nice. The staff are kind and caring and always responsive. We love Bickford and appreciate having this wonderful community in Ames.
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I feel Bickford has a great team . Very kind and patient. New carpet and paint looks good.
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I am very pleased with the attention and care my sister-in law is receiving. Especially with communications we receive even though we are in Ohio.
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Bickford has kind loving staff. ❤️
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It doesn't seem to matter what feedback I give since I haven't seen much improvement in anything other than you at least have a nurse in staff now.
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I love the new colors on the walls. (name removed) has been so helpful. She is very kind has a lot of patience. Thank you for hiring her for ames Bickford. I feel you have a great team working at Bickford.
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Bickford staff are very kind and caring. My elderly friend who resides at Bickford loves interacting and joking with the staff. He loves the Friday afternoon "Happy Hour" event and sitting outside in the beautiful courtyard when the weather permits. I sometimes join my friend at the Friday afternoon "Happy Hour" and recently enjoyed participating in coloring Easter eggs. So much fun! Thank you, Bickford Cottage, for all you do each and every day for the residents. I appreciate Bickford Cottage so much and am happy my elderly friend is there.
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I am so thankful to have found Bickford for my elderly friend. It has turned out to be the perfect size community for him - a great fit! All of the staff is super caring and attentive and I appreciate them so much. My friend and the other residents especially enjoy spending time in the lovely outdoor courtyard in the spring, summer, fall. Thank you Bickford, for all you do each and every day for our loved ones!
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Excited to hear of the redecorating. (name removed) room really needs new carpet and paint. I would like his walls to be a light gray/blue color. More peaceful I think.
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I continue to be highly satisfied with Bickford. My friend who resides at Bickford is very comfortable and content and views Bickford as his home. The staff is very caring, kind, and responsive. My friend enjoys the Happy Hour event on Friday afternoons and in the summer he LOVES spending time in the beautiful courtyard. A+ service and care at Bickford!
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(name removed) has been at Bickford for over 5 years. He does not like to leave so that means to me he likes it there!! Now , just get him to cut his hair and trim his beard!!!
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I visited on a Saturday morning at 11. My cousin was sitting in her room with no clothes below the waist. Her bed looked made but in checking the mattress had a waterproof pad only....no sheet and then just a blanket over that.
Did you know
Most senior living communities don’t share internal reviews
Know the Real Residents, Real Reviews Difference
Our Reviews
Real Residents, Real Reviews
- From verified residents & families
- Unfiltered
- Solicited monthly
- Current, ongoing & up-to-date
Other Reviews
Google, A Place for Mom, etc.
- Can be written by anyone
- Often come from people who don’t actually live there (i.e. just came for a tour)
- Reflect a static, one-time experience
- Partial picture
Why other senior living communities don’t share internal reviews
- Most communities don’t solicit reviews on a monthly basis. Most surveys are annual and used for internal purposes only.
- They’re caring for a frail, vulnerable population 24/7/365. Healthcare, by its very nature, can be messy, especially when you’re on around the clock. Service failures are almost inevitable in this context.
- They know that some of the comments aren’t necessarily accurate
- They don’t have the courage to be vulnerable. They want to control how prospective families see them.
- They’re afraid it would hurt their sales and marketing efforts
- They don’t trust the consumer to be able to handle the truth
Did you know
Bickford Senior Living’s happiness score is 2x the national average
Reviews FAQ
Bickford residents and families have frequent opportunities to participate in providing feedback throughout the year. Bickford sends out a comprehensive annual survey evaluating all aspects of a residents experience. Following this survey, Bickford sends out a monthly survey to see if we are making progress on improving their happiness levels. The responses to both surveys are posted on the website and remain there for a year.
Bickford is committed to transparency. That means posting all feedback – both positive and negative. Every review is included in our overall score (star-rating). However, we do not post comments that are libelous, profane or risk violating the privacy of our residents.
A Bickford Verified Resident Review is a review provided by a resident or family member/significant other that has been verified by Bickford as an authorized individual. Individual names are protected for privacy reasons.
Bickford has developed a program to improve resident happiness based specifically on the scores and comments of the surveys. Each Branch sets goals to improve targeted areas identified from the surveys. The actions that need to be taken are discussed as a part of each shifts daily stand-up meeting.
Due to the unique and personalized nature of our business, responses to reviews, if requested, happen individually.
Loving communications. We live in central Ohio so can't get to AMW. As much as we would like.