Bickford of West Des Moines
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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 West Des Moines
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Reviews with Comments
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Would like to know status of resident laundry service? My mother was told that she needed to put her dirty laundry in the hallway. Is this accurate?
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Basic care needs are not being met. Bathing, toileting, Laundry, room cleanliness, no nurse on site for months. One cleaning person to clean the entire facility quit. No cleaning assistance for over two weeks. The facility is a mess, room is quite frankly disgusting. Proper cleanliness protocols not being adhered to. Lost hearing aids, lost glasses. Met with no resolution from management. Very frusting to get basic care for our loved one.
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I really appreciated the assistance in getting Mom to the dentist on August 27th since I now reside in MN. Can someone from Bickford tell me what the status is on the Hair Beautician? Thanks
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Wondering if calendar items can be shared with me. Since Mom's memory is impaired with Alzheimer's, she's asking me what days for laundry, cleaning, cutting toenails, staff assessments of Mom's memory and cognition, etc. it would be helpful for me to know when these sorts of items are scheduled. Thanks, and I'm very satisfied with Mom's care but I'm now living in Minnesota and only visiting a few days each month.
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Very nice, personalized care. Clean environment inside and out. Not too large so that they may provide more intimate care.
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This is (name removed), son of (name removed), and I'm still not receiving monthly statements for Mom's billing.
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I think the people who work at Bickford are wonderful and most do their best. There is a lot of love and kindness. I have no complaints with staff. There are just not enough employees to give the attention needed to some of the residents. Especially Mary B's. Because of this I often feel frustrated with my mom's appearance, and her quality of life. She shouldn't be sitting in a dirty wheelchair with dirty clothes. Clothes she was wearing the day before with food all over them. I don't believe this was the fault of the employee working as she was all alone and working hard. One person trying to take care of the current residents with all of their issues in this area does not appear to be sufficient or even safe. It's hard to understand why my mom pays nearly $120k per year for this level of care. I hate to give negative comments but my hope is that honest feedback brings change.
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I appreciate timely responses from (name removed) when I have inquiries. The staff is helpful and kind. Facility stays clean and tidy. An areas I would like to see improved is: 1. Laundry (especially soiled) is removed from the room in a timely fashion washed and returned.
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Staff @ Bickford is very helpful for my mother's care. (name removed) accommodates needs when issues arise & follows thru for results. (name removed) is very caring of all residents & consistently aides in taking care of my mother's needs, communication w/primary Dr, etc. Shout out to (name removed) for quality care for my mother's needs. There are others, but don't know all care givers names, name tags would be nice(my mother's recommendation). Hope to see outdoor activities in courtyard when weather is nice. (name removed) provide great meals. Mom suggests meatloaf & basic mash potatoes some time
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Staff continues to be caring for residents. Clean facility, nutritional meals and fun activities planned weekly.
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.
The staff are caring. The only concern is a consistent delay in laundry. My mother sometimes can't bathe or leave her room because she doesn't have towels or clean clothes.