Bickford of Fort Dodge

Assisted living not nursing home

I really think this place is more worried than filling rooms than the care of the residents, the majority of the residents need nursing home care and don't receive that because the staff was hired as assisted living CNAs, they don't know how to care for the more advanced residents with mobility problems or incontinence problems. My family member that lives there is always having problems with care. I don't have the authority to remove her other wise she would be gone. I am going to report them to the right authorit…

Dementia

Mother had progressive dementia, she was a handfull for the staff. The staff was very patient with her. Mother made no complaints about the facility. Mom was always a social person, as her disease progressed she stayed in her room a lot. I visited her quite frequently which she always had a story to tell. Dementia is a disease that affects your entire family. You look at your loved one and tell yourself that is not my loved one. I think it's one of the most difficult diseases to accept. The staff at Bickford did …

I toured here when looking for a place for my wife. I decided on moving her to a different community. When I toured, it was just okay. The fees are abundant and the price itself was a lot higher than I needed. Getting there was also a bit harder, it’s stuck right in the middle of town and there’s a lot more traffic to contend with just to get there. I only met the administrator when I was there and I think she was helpful enough. I don’t think she had the experience that a few other places did.

So far it's very good.

So far it's very good. We haven't had any major complaints. She loves the food, she loves having a choice. The other residents have been friendly and welcoming, she made friends pretty quickly. It seems to be working out pretty well.

"It feels a lot like home."

The Bickford staff was able to accomodate us when Mom suddenly needed care and supervision. We knew on our first visit that this was the best atmosphere.....a difficult decision to make, no matter what the situation. The staff always responded to my calls or e-mails, sometimes even calling me just with an update. Other facilities may have sufficed, but we were immediately comfortable and confident with our decision to choose Bickford. Even she said "It feels a lot like home."