Bickford of Urbandale
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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/Sales & Marketing
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 Urbandale
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48
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55
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7
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14
Reviews with Comments
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Staff has been wonderful and has made (name removed) feel at home. Haven't seen her this calm in years
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While meals have been a little better lately, the response time is too long when calling for assistance
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Lack of knowledge on patient care.
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Bickford has been a wonderful facility for my mom. The care has been great! It's such a comfort knowing she has help when needed, but the staff is awesome caring. And the food has been so good for her too!
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Very comfortable homey feel & very caring staff!
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I am so appreciative of the new (name removed) in Urbandale. She really does care about the residents and their families.
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Everything has been a smooth transition and (name removed) has made it extremely easy and very attentive
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It doesn't do any good to complain because nothing is going to change except for the cost of living there you corporate people don't care any way so why keep sending these surveys you're not fixing the problem
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Poor food. Burned and tasteless. Personal observation
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Extremely disappointed that my father was taken to the hospital and no one was notified. No followup when I asked the Exec. Director. He's also been removed from physical therapy, which was a big reason for moving him. If we are not able to private pay, then we need a different PT option. We need better communication when his Care Plan gets changed!
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1 | C..the place is going downhill fast in all areas | Who am I talking with?
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(name removed) is so helpful and understanding. She is so good at what she does!!! She is very caring for the residents!!! (name removed) is also great! The staff is wonderful. Everyone is so nice and welcoming. Every time I have been there the facility is clean, bright and cheerful.
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I have a fob to open the front door. It hardly ever works so the staff has to stop what they are doing to come help. Nice workers.! But it takes them away from their work.
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(name removed) is so helpful and understanding. She is so good at what she does!!! She is very caring for the residents!!! (name removed) is also great! The staff is wonderful. Everyone is so nice and welcoming. Every time I have been there the facility is clean, bright and cheerful.
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Attentive staff. Clean and pleasant. Overall very good care and helpful
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.
I'm so thankful for the Bickford staff! They go above and beyond my mom's needs to see she is taken care of. I appreciate every one of them!