Bickford of Bloomington

Itchy67

My loved one lives at Bickford currently. They are severely understaffed. Days where the have no Caregivers at all and the floor nurse must help. Director us incompetent and couldn't care less about the residents. The food is awful most days. For months they had no activities, no transportation. There is hardly anyone living there currently. Most of reliable, long lasting staff have left due to the chaos this place is. Currently looking for other options for my loved one. I have reached out to corporate several times with issues and of course no response. They even ask for volunteers for entertainment given how much they pay that is sad. Money hungry, unprofessional, uncaring place. Can not wait to move my love one out.

Provider Response

Kevin

My mom is moving into Bickford of Bloomington. The house set-up that they have over there is excellent and better than anybody in town. They're well taken care of. Their prices are a little bit high, but they are assisted living and they have four nurses on staff. Most of the other assisted living don't have as many nurses on staff. And they have an in-house doctor that comes twice a week that will take care of your patients, which is tremendous. They beat everybody in town. I would highly, highly recommend Bickford of Bloomington. The dining area is as good as Hilton Hotels. They're very good. The service is very good. The chef is very caring. The people that work there are very caring. That's what I like about the place. I can't ask for a better place. They will drive you anywhere around town, they'll take you out shopping at Wal-Mart, and they'll bring entertainment in. They have an indoor living room where people can go sit on a couch and talk, and you can go out and play cards. They've got groups of people that get together to play cards, bingo, or crossword puzzles as a group. They have an area that's got a full kitchen and seating tables. If one of the ladies wants to fix a meal for other lady friends, they let her go into their kitchen and fix that meal. That's something else that nobody else has. Their apartments have full kitchens, so if they want to cook or they want something extra, they can have the extra. It's a full kitchen, and there's a refrigerator and a microwave. None of the other places have that. The staff is great. It's a top-notch place. They've got a hair salon right there, and they've got an in-home doctor that comes into the building. He's a regular registered doctor and not some nurse care that can take care of some of the patients. They've got a big living room where they can play, they've got an exercise room, and they've got another media room. They've got two outdoor decks that the people can go out and sit outside. This isn't just a little deck with a cheap patio chair from Walmart. There are nice chairs. It's very, very upscale, and it's very nice. And then they've got the pulled cords in the apartments. Plus instead of a chain around your neck, they've got nice watches, and in case of emergency, you could hit something on your watch. The doors are all kind of locked down, so nobody gets in or out unless they are buzzed in or out, which is extra good.

Provider Response

S

Bickford of Bloomington was not well kept. Although the person I met was a very nice, caring person, she was very unprofessional. The place was kind of a disaster. There was outdoor furniture that had not been taken care of all winter, stained. It was not pleasant. The director was very nice. It's just the facility was very rundown. It was very sad to me because that was the top place to go to for assisted living when it was first built, but it hasn't been kept up.

Provider Response

Karen

We went to Bickford of Bloomington and I got more of a nursing home flavor than assisted living. The lady that showed us around was very nice, very knowledgeable. She just wasn't as personable as the place that we ended up. The rooms were not as big as the one we selected. They also allowed pets. My mom is very uncomfortable around pets, and for some that would be a plus, but for us it was not.

Provider Response

Donna

We toured Bickford of Bloomington. I liked the outdoor garden, and they do a Catholic service, too, which I liked. My mom and dad are Catholic, and so I like that. The physical appearance was very nice. I did notice that the carpet was a little stained, but the place was very nice. The girl was very helpful. It was a very nice place. The upkeep was good. It was clean. The staff was excellent. They had everything, so that was really good, too. They have a beauty salon and a library.

Rebecca

I went to Bickford of Bloomington for an in-person tour. It was a very nice facility. I like the woman that runs it. I had a good impression. The apartment was nice. I really didn't see any activities, but I was there at mealtime. They were doing meals in shifts. The dining area looked OK, and it was clean and nice enough, but because of COVID it's apparently stripped down. It's not as nice as it normally is because they're trying to keep things clean for the residents. The person who accommodated me was very nice.

Julie

Bickford of Bloomington was very nice. They have three meals a day plus snacks, lots of activities offered, transportation, and they also support aging in place. It was a very nice and very new facility, very private, they're kind of at the end of a cul-de-sac, and they're surrounded by a park, so really pretty scenery outside. They do housekeeping as well. We didn't go with them because they're almost double the price. The price was great, Bev took us on our tour, we also ran into a couple of the RNs that worked there, and they were all very friendly. We could tell that they were friendly with the residents as well.

Cindy

Bickford of Bloomington is really laid out very nice. There are 3 floors and my mom is on the main floor. She's kind of in-between the dining room and the main room where there's a TV and fireplace and they do a lot of activities in there. They've got exercises every morning, and people just kind of sit around during the day, so she can sit out and talk to somebody. The staff is very good. My mom is a picky eater and complains about the food but I have eaten there a couple of times and the food is fine. I think the price is a little high but it's cheaper than any place else in town.

Rene

We weren't real happy with Bickford of Bloomington. The rooms were not the cleanest. It's just an old facility and you could definitely tell. It felt dark in there and it wasn't real welcoming. It seemed like a maze, which would be difficult for my mother-in-law. We were only in contact with two people and they were both very nice. There was an outdoor patio that overlooks some trees.

Judie

I thought Bickford of Bloomington was very lovely, very nice, and welcoming. The staff was very good in answering all my questions and showing me everything I needed to see. She was also good in making suggestions. There was a bridge game and an art class going on, and there were also some family visitors.

tom426280

I liked everything about Bickford of Bloomington. It was very nice and very clean. It was very well kept. The young lady that gave me the tour seemed very nice, very pleasant, and very informative. The rooms were very nice, very clean, and up-to-date. They had activities like card playing, puzzles, bus trips, and things like that.

Patricia335207

Bickford of Bloomington was nice. They were full, but it was kind of small. The rooms were very nice, but their prices were high for me. The dining area was average and adequate for the size of the building. They had entertainment and games for the residents.

Kathy710644

Bickford of Bloomington was very nice but very pricey at $6,000 to $8,000 a month. It was very clean and nice with no odor. The one- and two-bedroom apartments were very nice. They were very honest and open with me. The dining room was very nice and set up like a restaurant. It had everything Mom and Dad would need there. They could have pets there and have a little garden outside, so it was nice. I'll give it a 4 because I thought it was extremely expensive.

Linda283171

Bickford of Bloomington was OK but way too expensive. It seemed nice when I walked through it. There was a $500 fee per month for 10 months, so basically, there was a $5,000 fee upfront. The staff seemed nice and friendly, but the place had an old feeling to it. It was big and looked like they had a lot to do. They were doing some renovations, but it just had a dark feeling to it. It’s in a good location.

Barb39

like the layout and the size of the rooms at Bickford of Bloomington during my visit at the place. I thought the sizes of the rooms that I saw were ample. I like that there is an actual kitchen in them. I like that they allow pets and they have a nice dining room. The staff was very nice and informative. They are very accommodating as well. It has a nice family room where families can gather and celebrate.

Mom's #1 Daughter

We recently moved our mom to Bickford of Bloomington from another facility. It has been so far a wonderful change for mom. She has been treated with kindness and compassion from all the staff. The director, Brandy, recently went out of her way to help my mom. She truly loves helping her residents and making them feel comfortable and safe. Mom feels she can trust Brandy and the staff to have her best interests in mind. The residents go out of their way to greet and meet new residents. Mom has already met a wonderful new friend. Bickford feels like a comfortable home. Our family is relieved to know that she is cared for by a staff that truly cares about the residents and their job.

Christine112323550

They weren’t expecting us even though the appointment was supposed to have been set up, but they were accommodating, which was nice. My mom just wasn’t as impressed with Bickford. It looks a little run-down and older, but the staff was very friendly. We were just surprised that they didn’t seem to have knowledge of our appointment. They still have not returned the deposit we paid two months ago, so that doesn’t make us happy.

wang

It's very beautiful place to live for my friend. Now they have new managers, they're very sweet & nice. They'll be very patient to listen to my friend. RN coordinator always happy smiling and very patient to talk to my friend. Marketing lady try do her best to find the perfect room for my friend . They do their best to meet my friend's requests. The room is very big. My friend is very busy to enjoy all kinds of activities, not so often call me like before. She told me that she has lots of friends there now. She is very happy. It is the best place for all of people. I gave 5 stars. I really appreciated all of staffs to help my friend.

Bob's Daughter

This place is amazing!!!! I had to place Dad in an assisted living facility after trying to keep him home for sometime. The Bickford House rekindled his spirit and as one of this grandchildren said, the Grandpa grin is back and that had been gone for quite sometime. The staff is exemplary from the directors down to the food/cleaning staff!! The food is awesome and he has even gained a few needed pounds. When I go there to lunch with him and his buddies, I'm treated just like family! He is always busy with activities they provide and as he says doesn't have time to watch TV. Dad has had a couple set backs recently and he will be discharged from the nursing home/rehab shortly. We have had several options to chose from and he is with it enough to decide, and his eyes lit up when Bickford was a choice. I cannot express my gratitude and heartfelt thank you to all of the staff there who have made this place a home for those who can't stay at home. If anyone wants to talk with me personally about Bickford, I am available.

Linda104400650

I did not find a peer. I was looking for people who are more my age; however, Bickford of Bloomington has much older than I am. There isn't anyone that I can really think of as a peer. The rooms were very small. As for indoor activities, on my visit there weren't any happening. The dining area looks appropriate, but we were not offered a meal. I saw a library and a little store.

smax

We moved our relative into Bickford of Bloomington and we are very upset and unhappy with them...........first of all they lied to us to get our relative in there and his money. They promised us that he could stay there for the rest of his life. They were aware that he had alzeithemers and still said he would be fine. We saw some thing that did not really make us happy, but tried to work thru that. He fell and broke his hip and from there, it was even more downhill. he started complaining a lot so I sent another relative in to check on him. She could not find any staff in 20 minutes because she was unaware of his room number or location. Next thing we found bed sores. He slept in a recliner so Bickford asked us to get him a hospital bed so they could clean him up and move him off pressure points. We did this and then moved him to a larger room to make it all more acessable to the staff. The bed sores continued to be there. Finally we decided to "UP" his care as we had done several times. When we first put him at Bickford, I asked about his needing more care as he went along with the disease. We were told, "Oh we will just "UP" his care level (and costs of course) and that is how he could stay there till he died. Then they evicted him and others I understand because they did not have a license to care for someone like him and others they had there. We live out of state and immediately had to find him a new place. They could have told us they were evicting him over the phone so we could have taken days off work. I would not recommend this home to anyone thinking of this place for their relative. Also the ceiling fell in in the dining room and was still not fixed the last time I was there.

Marlene21

Bickford is small, about 60 or 90 people. They will help me if I need help with my husband. The staff is fine. The food is not bad at all. It's really pretty good. We did look at all the places here in Bloomington, and we found that Bickford had bigger rooms, and chose it because we wanted a two-bedroom. It has a kitchen and a living room, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms. So it's a good size, and we're happy with that. We're moving in September.

dunca

My mother is currently there and needs level 5 assistance. With this she is suppose to have 2 caregivers available to get her up and down to the bathroom yet they just have 1 person on staff. She pushed her emergency button for 45 minutes to go to the bathroom and finally got herself there and puled the emergency cord to get help off and no one came for 35 minutes. The other times she presses the button a helper comes in because the are to respond in 15 minutes turns off the button and says she will be back when she has time as she is serving dinner. also after wiping my moms behind they put her in her chair and without washing their hands they go back and serve food. This place is a disaster and needs to be investigated.

Paul19

Bickford House was a new place. It was a small facility but it looked great. I talked to a lady there and I had a tour. The amenities were the same with the other facility. They had three meals a day as well as transportation.

safety4u

I recently visited this facility for the purpose of transporting my aunt back east for a six week stay. The facility was informed of the 14 hour trip several weeks in advance in order to prepare medications and ensure she was ready for the trip. When we arrived, we immediately noticed several sores on her feet, She is diabetic and her feet are supposed to be checked regularly but nobody seemed to be aware of the sores - including the nurses. The head nurse refused on 2 occasions to discuss her medical condition or medications with us saying it would be unethical. (Sending an elderly, sick woman on a 14 hour journey for a 6 week stay without reviewing her medicines and condition with her daughter is dangerous and borders on malpractice.) When we returned that evening to pick up the medications they were not ready and the evening nurse knew nothing about them. She contacted the head nurse and she said she would be in the next morning to prepare them (she knew that we wanted to leave early) but she did not have any more than a few days supply because she had to order them. I insisted that she have them ready by 6:30AM the next day. When we arrived, she was not there and were were handed 2 boxes of meds with 4 pages listing meds and instructions. As we were leaving my aunt said she did not get her meds that day so we asked and no one was sure. They were also going to send her on a 14 hour journey with bandages on her feet that were soaked from her shower. We insisted that they be changed. As we watched, it was apparent that the nurse did not understand the concept of cross contamination and infection control. While driving home we tried to understand the list of meds but I was sure it was not accurate. There were 7 listings for insulin each with its own schedule. There were several allergy meds, several pain meds, several anxiety meds, etc. It was enough to put down an elephant. The only medicine we gave her was insulin based on her glucose levels. By the time we arrived home she was crashing from no medications and was errational and violent. We had to get her to an emergency room. Two doctors and a nurse were unable to decipher her meds. We made several calls to Bickford but there was no answer even though there is supposed to be a nurse on call 24/7. We were told at the hospital that someone should be fired. It will probably take the six weeks to get her back to normal. In addition, her housekeeping is supposed to be done for her. Her bathroom was filthy. There were used towels bunched on the floor and the smell of urine was so strong that I wouldn't even think of using the bathroom. I observed other problems but this should give someone pause and let them know that this facility needs close monitoring.