Community profile

Bickford of Upper Arlington

3500 Riverside Dr., Columbus, OH

Assisted LivingMemory Care

4.059 reviewsvia A Place for Mom

About the community

About Bickford of Upper Arlington

Bickford of Scioto is an Assisted Living and Memory Care home for seniors 55 and above. We are a gorgeous community of 61 residents, located in the Upper Arlington portion of the greater Columbus metropolitan area. We reside along the Scioto River and greenbelt, alongside peaceful walking trails throughout green groves and river scenery. We are also just a block away from the Fancyburg Park, which offers 25 acres of tree-lined trails, tennis courts, sports fields, and gardens. Our beautifully lush location is a perfect compliment to our Georgian-style home. The building was constructed in 1995 and most recently renovated in 2018 to modern standards. Whether you are an independent senior looking for simple assisted living or you require a higher level of memory care, Bickford of Scioto is proud to offer individualized attention designed to cater to the unique needs of its occupants. Schedule a virtual tour today and witness all the charm, comforts, and care we have to offer you! Living Options and Amenities At Bickford we have a variety of choices for living arrangements to meet your unique needs. We offer both one-bedroom and studio units, with wheelchair-accessible features as an option. The community is air conditioned and temperatures are regulated to optimize comfort and safety. Some of our apartments are equipped with kitchenettes, providing residents with a space to prepare their own meals if they wish. We provide free wifi throughout the community, and free parking is available to residents and their visiting guests. We understand how important pets can be, so your furry friends are permitted in resident quarters too! Outdoor Common Areas Outdoor areas are designed for the accessibility of all residents. Our community grounds consist of an outside patio garden, raised gardening beds available to residents during their leisure hours, and walking paths that can accommodate seniors with wheelchairs and walkers. We are lucky to be surrounded by green nature trails and parks in our neighborhood, so outside leisure time will always be a peaceful and enjoyable experience. Indoor Common Areas Our Georgian home decor and furnishings carry throughout our indoor common areas to promote a welcoming and homey feel. We have designed all indoor spaces to be a place for joy and camaraderie between residents and staff. Our building design comes together with an airy, bright atrium space that is sure to please anyone who resides here. Residents have full access to our communal spaces, including an adorable bistro, a jacuzzi, a classy library, and a comfy and spacious TV lounge, perfect for catching the latest episode of your favorite show or enjoying sports programming with your friends. Our community grounds are secured to ensure the safety of all of our residents. Dining Amenities Whether you're hungry day or night, food service is available at any time. Three main courses are served daily at Bickford, with snacks in between. We are proud to have a professional chef on staff to prepare high-quality meals, and we offer specified dining options for residents with specific tastes or dietary needs, such as vegetarian dishes, no sugar, or low/no sodium options. It is our passion to entertain visitors, so your guests’ meals are provided as well. Dining options include restaurant-style dining, private rooms to celebrate special occasions, and room service if you feel like relaxing at home in front of your TV for dinner. Activities Here at Bickford, we aim to keep residents active with specially curated on-site activities that stimulate both mental and physical wellbeing. We employ a full-time activities director to assemble a diverse cycle of events and recreation options. Various exercise programs are offered, such as stretching classes and chair yoga – a type of yoga that is modified to a seated position for those with physical limitations. We also love to have fun at Bickford and keep things exciting, hosting regular events like holiday and birthday parties, BBQs, picnics, karaoke nights, musical entertainment, trivia nights, and even “senior proms.” For those who prefer more quiet pursuits, there are plenty of options as well. Residents can join our gardening club or participate in local community service programs such as intergenerational events. We schedule educational lectures covering a wide range of academic topics, along with art classes and cooking classes, and we also offer pet therapy as a positive and stimulating activity. Off-site adventures and excursions are also quite popular among our more independent residents, as the city of Columbus has a never ending variety of fun places to go, including coffee shops, retail stores, restaurants, bookstores, libraries, and much more. Personal Services Many services are provided at Bickford for your convenience, eliminating any concerns you may have over daily tasks and chores. In our lobby, a dedicated concierge is available to handle the basic and immediate needs of you and your visitors. Personal housekeeping services are provided to all residents, along with laundry and dry cleaning. We have a beautician and barber conveniently located on-site so that residents may easily receive beauty and grooming treatments for all occasions. On-site devotional services are available to our religious or spiritual residents, so they may practice or worship in the privacy of our community. There are also several churches located within the local neighborhood. Bickford is able to provide transportation services at a reasonable cost, for anything you may need throughout the surrounding area. Medical Care Services Bickford employs a staff presence throughout the day to respond hastily to any time-sensitive needs that may arise. All services are delivered by licensed and experienced practitioners, and our caregivers receive specialized training to ensure all healthcare needs are delivered properly. Our community can assist with activities of daily living (ADLs), and provide insulin injections, medication administration, and incontinence care. We recruit first-class visiting specialists, such as podiatrists and speech therapists, to aid residents in their improvement, recovery, and maintenance of skills needed for daily living. Our community offers respite care, or a short-term stay, perfect for those recovering from a hospital visit, the interim during which a caregiver takes an extended vacation, or simply to experience a senior living trial period. Hospice care is also provided when needed. Residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia are well-directed and receive support in living a healthy lifestyle. We offer adjunct therapies, such as reminiscence therapy, which stimulates sensory faculties to encourage memory recall. To ensure the safety of residents prone to wandering, we utilize a locked and secured perimeter around our community. Bickford accepts residents with behavioral issues, and our staff is specially trained in calmly and patiently de-escalating behavioral episodes. Local Area Amenities The Upper Arlington neighborhood of the Columbus area was voted one of the best places in Ohio to live, due its charming, green, suburban feel. The neighborhood surrounding Bickford is full of shopping centers, restaurants, coffee shops, and beautiful parks. Our community is located near Ohio State University, and our more academic or inquisitive residents may find the campus library an excellent place to spend their time. Hotels are conveniently located near the community for residents' guests and visitors, and local fire, police, and EMT services are all nearby and quick to respond, if needed. Care Types Offered Bickford of Scioto is considered an Assisted Living community which provides Memory Care services. These terms are defined as follows: Assisted Living Assisted Living communities provide personal care services in settings typically ranging from private apartments to shared rooms, often with restaurant-style dining and activities based on residents’ interests. Designed to promote independence among seniors who don’t require 24-hour skilled nursing care, assisted living is a good option for retirees who need help with some daily tasks and want a socially fulfilling and active lifestyle. Memory Care Memory Care refers to assistance provided with activities of daily living (ADLs), while also focusing on the needs of adults facing a decline in mental abilities. These communities provide memory-stimulating services and activities, with the goal to promote the well-being of patients with dementia. Memory care facilities are a great choice for seniors who require long term care that is designed to meet the specific needs of a person with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other types of memory problems.

Family and resident feedback

4.0 out of 5 from 59 reviews

Read all on A Place for Mom

Recent public reviews can help surface themes to ask about on a tour. Ratings belong to the named review source and are not independently verified by us.

★★★★★

Positive

Overall would recommend

We had a limited experience. The staff and caregivers seemed kind and attentive. They provided many activities for residents. The food was good. Like, actually tasty and nutritious. You could tell they had a great chef on staff. Her room was nice and just the right amount of space for her, with a beautiful bay window. My great Aunt was only there for a week, though. She was 100 and passed shortly after moving in. The staff was helpful and we received refunded payments, promptly.

Michelle LJune 3, 2026

★★★★

Positive

Welcoming Community.

Big issue: NO access to staff after 6pm. Three times my Mom called me late at night (in Chicago) confused/scared. She woke up and did not know where she was (nightmare??). She needed a staff member to enter her room for 5 min to comfort her. I called the facility and NO answer. I texted the leadership (per their instruction) seeking a staff person to check on Mom...no response! Family NEEDS to be able to contact night staff on rare occasions such as these. Simple solution: buy a cheap burner cell phone for the nig

See category ratings
Cleanliness
4.0 / 5
Friendliness
4.0 / 5
Value for Cost
4.0 / 5
Care Services
3.0 / 5
Activities
5.0 / 5
Staff
4.0 / 5
Meals & Dining
4.0 / 5
SheilaAugust 29, 2025

★★★★

Positive

Bickford of Upper Arlington

I like that my mom feels safe there . I like that it feels like living in a mansion and at the same time in a home. My mom has been there only two months. I can't think of anything right now that they could improve on. Yes I would recommend the community to other families and I have!

See category ratings
Cleanliness
4.0 / 5
Friendliness
5.0 / 5
Value for Cost
3.0 / 5
Care Services
4.0 / 5
Activities
5.0 / 5
Staff
5.0 / 5
Meals & Dining
5.0 / 5
AnonymousApril 25, 2025

★★★★

Positive

We would certainly recommend the Bickford....

-We like that it is very close to. where we live. -We like the layout of the community, being smaller and more easily accessible for mom. Also meaning fewer residents and more attention by the caregivers. -We like that it has a very home like feeling. -We like that the staff are all very friendly. We would certainly recommend the Bickford. It is a very nice community and the staff and caregivers are really great at what they do.

See category ratings
Cleanliness
4.0 / 5
Friendliness
5.0 / 5
Value for Cost
5.0 / 5
Care Services
5.0 / 5
Activities
4.0 / 5
Staff
5.0 / 5
Meals & Dining
4.0 / 5
AnonymousApril 9, 2025

★★★★★

Critical

Review for Bickford of Upper Arlington

They can improve with more staff. Better food and more/ better communication. They don't keep their payments as quoted. Offered a discount of [price removed] then months later retracted that and now is billing for it.

See category ratings
Cleanliness
3.0 / 5
Friendliness
3.0 / 5
Value for Cost
2.0 / 5
Care Services
2.0 / 5
Activities
4.0 / 5
Staff
2.0 / 5
Meals & Dining
1.0 / 5
AnonymousMarch 10, 2025

★★★★★

Critical

Review for Bickford of Upper Arlington

They don't keep their payments as quoted. Offered a discount of [price removed] then months later retracted that and now is billing for it. More staff. Better food and more/ better communication

See category ratings
Cleanliness
3.0 / 5
Friendliness
3.0 / 5
Value for Cost
2.0 / 5
Care Services
2.0 / 5
Activities
4.0 / 5
Staff
2.0 / 5
Meals & Dining
1.0 / 5
Response from the community

Thank you for your honest feedback. We are sorry to hear about your experience. Please know this is not the standard of care our residents and families have come to expect from us. Will you please call us at 855-254-5010 so we can learn more about your experience? Thank you.

April 2, 2025
AnonymousFebruary 12, 2025

Verified overview

What we know from public sources

Care options
Assisted Living, Memory Care
Public price status
Published starting price available
Last source check
August 1, 2026

Source-published features

Amenities and services

Grouped so you can scan what affects day-to-day life before opening an operator page.

Meals & dining

  • Meals Provided
  • No Sugar
  • Anytime Dining
  • Restaurant Style Dining
  • Professional Chef
  • Guest Meals
  • Special Dining Programs
  • Low / No Sodium
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Room Service
  • Private Dining Room
  • Café or Bistro

Health & wellness

  • Staffing & Ancillary Services
  • Medication Management
  • Non-Ambulatory Care
  • Memory Care
  • Incontinence Care
  • Diabetic Care

Services & convenience

  • Resident Parking Available
  • Property Convenient to Public Transit
  • Transportation at Cost
  • Uncovered Parking
  • Complimentary Transportation
  • Pet Care Available
  • Dogs Allowed
  • Cats Allowed
  • Housekeeping
  • Beautician
  • Laundry Service / Drycleaning
  • English

Activities & engagement

  • Karaoke
  • Devotional Activities On-Site
  • Yoga / Chair Yoga
  • Wii Bowling
  • Cooking Classes
  • Day Trips and Outings
  • Art Classes
  • Live Dance or Theater Performances
  • Pet-focused Programs
  • Intergenerational Programs
  • Activities Off-site
  • Reminiscence Programs
  • Visiting Chaplain or Priest
  • Activities On-site
  • Holiday Parties
  • Happy Hour
  • Dances
  • Wine Tasting
  • Birthday Parties
  • Sensory-based Programs
  • Live Well Programs
  • Community Service Programs
  • Stretching Classes
  • BBQs or Picnics
  • Gardening Club
  • Educational Speakers / Life Long Learning
  • Brain fitness / Dakim
  • Trivia Games
  • Live Musical Performances

Outdoor spaces

  • Indoor Atrium
  • Outside Patio
  • Central Fireplace
  • Indoor Common Areas
  • Meeting Room
  • Beauty Salon
  • TV Lounge
  • Outdoor Common Areas
  • Jacuzzi
  • Piano or Organ
  • Raised Garden Beds

Apartment & room features

  • Ground Floor Units
  • Wheelchair Accessible Showers
  • Wi-Fi/high-speed internet
  • Handicap Accessible
  • Air Conditioned
  • Bath Tubs
  • Kitchenette
  • Respite or Short Term Stays Offered

Published by A Place for Mom. Features can change; confirm those that matter before touring.

Questions to confirm with the community

Additional care fees
Not publicly disclosed
Move-in fee
Not publicly disclosed
Exact unit availability
Confirmation required

Published floor plans

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