Mary first arrived at Bickford very upset. Mary did not want to stay with us. We she was struggling to trust us, and wanted to isolate herself. We began spending time just visiting with Mary, and sharing little bits of information about ourselves with her, encouraging her to share with us as well. Mary began to relax into her new environment, and was reaching out to staff by name. Mary soon began to attend meals without prompting. Mary slowly began to join some of our activities, and wanted to be a part of our cooking club. Mary thrives in cooking club, she loves having a purpose, and creating good things to eat, she also began to form friendships with her peers. It was time to invite Mary on an outing with us, and she gladly accepted. Mary showed happiness and was relaxed on the outing and began having enjoyable conversations with others on the bus. On an outing to an Ice Cream Parlor Mary walked through their gift shop, and spotted a beautiful plush stuffed rabbit. Mary held the bunny and hugged the bunny, and was smiling ear to ear, so we contacted her daughter and to share this with her, and she instructed us to purchase the bunny. Mary was guided to the counter to purchase the bunny, when she leaned forward and hugged staff and with tears on her cheek Mary stated I just love this day, it is the best day ever! On the bus ride home Mary held her prized bunny as staff took photos of this tender moment and shared them with her daughter. Mary's daughter responded as follows :We went through so much anxiety deciding to pursue this move, and now I see this pictures, and her happy face and I know that that anxiety was worth very bit of it because my mom is happy at Bickford and I can rest easy now. Mary participates in nearly all activities, she loves music and continues to be adjusting comfortably and happily.

Bickford caregivers understand their purpose is to do whatever it takes to help our residents live their best life.

Saturday afternoon we enjoyed a sip and paint as we chatted and enjoyed each other's company. We also sipped on Our Favorite Beverages and talked about county fairs. We will be celebrating county fairs on Wednesday and we are looking forward to all the fun!

We all need uplifting and nurturing, whether it be spiritual in nature or personal with caring. This is what keeps us healthy and fulfilled. Pastor Zirple always delivers an uplifting message that is good for heart. Dick is all smiles and looking very handsome after some time getting spruced up in the salon. Looking good and feeling good are good for our emotional well being. At Bickford meeting all of those needs is very important to our mission to provide excellent care.

SAVE The DATE! We are hosting a County Fair Day on August 13th @ 2pm. We will have fair food and drink stands, carnival games and of course prizes! Open to all ages, no RSVP needed, please join us! Tours will be available if you're interested in making Bickford your new home-we've got openings!

Today we took a trip out to the Woodbury County Fair. The weather was perfect! We strolled the fair grounds, enjoyed some music and indulged in good old fair food! Very nice day!

Our Memory Care is equipped with SafelyYou technology. This enables us to detect falls, provides the ability to see and understand how falls occur, reduces unnecessary visits to the emergency room and helps us reduce fall risks. The graphic below further illustrates the features and benefits.

Today Cooking Club was busy getting our food ready for a cook out supper. Everyone was very pleased as we enjoyed one of the pleasures of summer! A fabulous picnic with all the trimmings! They named tonite the Clean Plate Club! Good times and good food with our Bickford Family!

Today our Bingo Buddies from Beyond The Bell joined us for an afternoon of fun and friendship! We love our Bingo dates with this lively group of youngsters! This has been a great summer partnership! Thank you Beyond The Bell!

Mary B’s Art sessions are a fantastic way for us to engage in self-expression and discover each residents individual creativity. Art offers numerous benefits for personal growth and well-being while socializing. Maggie, held a canvas painting class in the morning. Then in the afternoon we spent time rock painting to celebrate Paint a Rock, Hide a Rock Day. The blue represents the world and the heart represents kindness. Make sure to look for these treasures when you visit our community!