Bickford of Gurnee
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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 Gurnee
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6
Reviews with Comments
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I have seen improvement in response times and have been especially impressed with (name removed) and (name removed)- two aides who are very efficient and kind, and do everything with no drama whatsoever
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Meals are not tasty Residents go hungry the food is so bad Meal Quality is lacking Need dishwashers machine not hand washing can't believe there are not dishwasher machines Staffing continues to be an issue Bread basket Staff quits weekly Patient care at meal times is poor Facility is dirty Daily activities are poor and or inconsistent Facility is in need of 180 turn around, residents are not happy Family of residents are not happy Overall very disappointing especially at this time of year
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The food service is awful and the selection of food options is not good
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(name removed) is still very disappointed in the food service. ( Lack of staff and no show staff)
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No communication. I have no idea who is running that place. Thankfully (name removed) is there to help me.
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Food is awful!!!
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Staffing is such an issue, yet prices keep going up.
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I have only one contact there to help me with anything and everything and thankfully (name removed) responds and does what she can to help. Everyone else has quit. As far as I know there is no director, no family advocate. There are no emails updating families on anything.
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There is no real diet plan for diabetics. Since this is also memory care, someone needs to help with that especially in meal planning.
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Same feedback as always. Staff is very kind and helpful, but there are not enough people to manage the needs of the residents. Waiting too long for aides to come (not enough of them), showers not happening according to schedule and without requesting.
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Dining room service very slow per (name removed) feedback. Everything else is great
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Per comments previously provided, while the staff and management is wonderful and caring, there are simply not enough caregivers to manage the level of acuity for residents you take which leads to long response times and overworked team members and ultimately leads to staff leaving quickly.
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Diabetics need more help from the kitchen staff.
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Overall satisfied. Still slow dining services at time. Thank you
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Dining service needs more help. Everything else is good
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For starters reply to an email shouldn't take more than 3 days to do so. Especially when multiple people can respond. I was told laundry service is part of my dads plan( although I did say I would assist as well) left dirty clothes and towels for 8 days , no one did them so I took them home . If people are supposed to help then they need to. After almost 2 years I am really losing hope as to the kind of care that will be provided once my dad needs more help. Not sure if I can trust staff to get it done without excuses
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I like that they are always friendly and always cleaning. But the staff turnover is not so great and there could definitely be something done about serving meals in the dining area (add more servers).
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Kitchen/meal service has improved. Thank you!
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.
Thing are getting better. Still need more attention on weekends and cleaning up in the dining areas