Bickford of Rockford

Michael

We chose to move Mom to Bickford of Rockford because of its location and that they have very nice rooms. They redo them every time somebody moves in there so they're quite nice. Each room has got a full-sized fridge, a microwave, and a satellite TV. The staff has been good. They do a lot and are very helpful. They had a Mother's Day event, they called it Moms, Muffins, and Mimosas, which was very fun. It was pretty neat.

Provider Response

Paula

Bickford of Rockford got very friendly and caring staff, but the place could use an update. The rooms were just one-bedroom little apartments. They had quite a few activities. They had some going on when we were there and everybody was having a blast. They had music and card games. The big emphasis for them I think was music. They had a director who was involved in music and they bring in singers and a little quartet or something along those lines regularly. I saw samples of their menu and they looked good.

Provider Response

Doreen

I toured the Bickford of Rockford. It was nice. It was a little bit more expensive than the one we chose for mom. I just didn't feel like mom would fit in there. It was fancier, and my mom is a normal down-to-earth person. The one who gave the tour was wonderful. She explained everything and made you feel welcome. She called to see if there was anything else she could do to change our minds. They didn't have small rooms available at the time. They had bigger ones, which made the cost go up. Mom didn't need a big room. Everything appeared to be very nice. They invited us to have a meal, but we just didn't have the time. There was a couple people that were finishing up breakfast. We saw a couple of people watching TV in an area. The building itself was nice. It was clean, and it made you feel like you're at home. It was just a classier place than what we really want.

Provider Response

Tammy

We toured Bickford of Rockford. We really liked it, it was a very nice community. I can see why the people live there. However, they want a $2,500 fee to move in there, and one other place that we toured, they don't have such a fee. The staff was nice and competent. They are a five if you are just looking for assisted living, we are not. It's a good location.

Provider Response

Dale

Bickford of Rockford is very good, and we're very pleased with it. The staff is excellent because the communication is good. They're very pleasant to work with. They understand the needs, and I've nothing negative to say about them. The facility looks fine. Everything looks clean, well-organized, and no clutter. It's very comfortable, and we have no problems there. They have a patio with a grill. They have a couple of music rooms, game rooms, and movie areas. They've got all those amenities.

Mary

Everything was very nice and comfortable in Bickford of Rockford. It made me feel very much at home. I saw a couple of apartments from a distance that were being cleaned, but I only saw one that was actually open for me to visit. I understand that they have more than what I saw, but the bedroom that I saw was quite small. I also brought home the unit package with me. They said the plans from the other apartments are in there, but I did not find them. I called and asked for them to send me more, but I have not received them yet. The location of the facility is good. They're close to everything, like shopping, church, doctors, and so forth. The facility was very clean, and the residents seemed very friendly. I talked to a few of them as I went through, and they seemed very neighborly. The staff was very knowledgeable of the place and very helpful, too. They said they have two chefs in there. They cook new things all the time, and you have a choice of what you're going to eat; they didn't have a strict menu. Overall, the facility seemed very nice and clean, and people seemed very happy over there.

Provider Response

D.H.

We visited Bickford of Rockford, and it was very, very nice. It was a very nice room. There was a studio, and there was one kind of laid out in a long line. You walked into the living-room part, the kitchen was right next to it, but it was separated by a partial wall, and the bedroom was the third room. It was almost like a three-in-one room. The staff was very nice. It was very, very clean, and it felt more homey.

Provider Response

DH

We're on lockdown at Bickford of Rockford. The staff is pretty good, but they need more staff when people move in. I have a very nice, large room. Wheelchairs don't always go with the doors, but other than that it's okay. Parking is fine, and there's plenty of room for guests. We're being fed in our rooms.

Concerned Care0127

My grandmother has moved into Bickford of Rockford. The appearance is nice, open, and seems comfortable. However, it seems very disorganized. My grandmother was there for almost two weeks before she got her first shower. In the common areas, it is very cold, temperature wise. My grandmother constantly is walking around with blankets draped around her. If not blankets, she got her winter coat on inside the building because it is so cold for her. There are lots of people complaining that it is cold, it is not just her. It is very cold. I had seen her play bingo and Uno, and she went to lunch at PizzaHut. They have exercise class in the morning, Monday through Friday, but on the weekends, there is one round of bingo for the entire weekend, and that is the activity that is scheduled. It is a very lonely community. Most of the residents stay in their apartments. My grandmother claims that that's because you can control the temperature in your apartment so you're not freezing to death. There is also no activity, so there's really not much socialization. It is living very much in isolation in your own apartment, and that is not what she's looking for in a community. The food is OK. They don’t have a lot of choices. Whatever is on the menu for the day is what you get served, but I think overall the food is OK. The cleanliness and the layout of the place is the best thing it has going for it. I don't think it is worth the money because it is one of the most expensive places in Rockford.

Toni

We visited Bickford of Rockford, and it was very nice. However, the studio was small, the bathroom was huge, with all handicapped grab bars, and it was on a lower level. There was a large dining area, a communal meeting room where they have a piano and TV, and you can rent a parking space in the winter. They have transportation to doctors' appointments, and shopping to different sites.

Jerrie

Bickford of Rockford was a very nice facility but too expensive for me. I didn't eat anything there except dessert. We didn't sense the friendliness, but that's because there was hardly anybody out and around; most of them were probably in their rooms.

Victoria

Bickford of Rockford was beautiful. They have the different levels of care, like assisted living. However, the people that live there didn't fit in with my parents. They looked much more aloof and solitary than the residents from the other community. They weren't as friendly and they didn't look happy. The apartments were very beautiful and probably larger, but the cost was more. The dining facility was very clean and very nice, but it wasn't as nice or as large as others. Also, there wasn't a friendly feeling.

LB

I wasn't impressed with Bickford. It looked nice from outside, but it was expensive and the dining room was more open. I didn't like that. The manager that gave us the tour was OK, he knew his stuff, but was not as helpful as other people. The rooms were smaller, it had a kitchen, but it did not impress me.

paul661450

Bickford was a beautiful place. I wished my mom could have afforded that place because it was pretty elegant, and I was pretty impressed with it. The program that they explained to me was very much in tune with the people who lived there and their needs. They had activities. It was not on a main road, and it was extremely nice. That place should have the name Grand Victorian instead of Bickford because it was a really grand place. They had people in the dining area half hour early so the food must have been good there.

Reviewer278875

I was impressed with the grounds of Bickford of Rockford. Outside, there were a lot of flowers, and the entranceway was very welcoming. They served 3 meals a day, and the staff was knowledgeable and approachable. I'd like to join their residents' council, crafts, and music.

Provider Response

Loretta562111

I was very impressed with Bickford of Rockford. The surroundings were very pleasant. You felt like you were in a home and not in an institution. One thing that turned me off was that I felt that my mother was not at the right level to use them because they were offering almost a full kitchen with a stove and refrigerator, and there is no way that my mom is ever going to use a stove again. It would be very nice for people who need assisted living who like to cook sometimes. They had very nice amenities, an exercise room, and on the lower level, they had a room that had a pool table and all kinds of games in it, so that when a family came to visit, kids could play games while the adults visited.

Michael164372

I had a tour at Bickford of Rockford. It was a nice place. The staff and their residents were very nice. They wanted me to come there because I am a really outspoken and outgoing guy. All of them were nice people. Their dining room was very nice.

Brad021167

The layout of Bickford of Rockford is good. The dining room and community room are in the middle of the apartments. The apartments are the biggest I've seen. They have outings and other activities. I think it was a good choice.

Patty B.606451

I absolutely loved Bickford of Rockford. I was so disappointed that my mother didn't want to stay there. If I could, I would stay there. It was a wonderful place. The staff was wonderful and nice. They had things going on all the time. They had three meals a day. They had certain meals that were set up, but if for some reason that was not something that you liked, they had an alternate menu that you could pick from. They had bingo on Wednesday nights and on Saturdays. They had exercise class for like half an hour every morning. They had movie nights on Saturday nights. They had card games and trivia games. They had something going on all the time. There was no way she could possibly get bored. The thing was, she was the kind of person that needed somebody to grab her by the hand and take her. They were great.

Jean386370

My impression of Bickford was very good. It’s a family-oriented place, where you can stay anytime you want and they schedule family activities, too. Each resident has their own apartment. They have a 24-hour medic on staff and caring staff members. I was impressed with the fact that during the first 24 hours, every staff member that came by spoke to all of us and spoke to others by name. They knew who my mother-in-law was, called her by name, and introduced themselves. They said, "If you need anything, you can sure call me and we’ll help out with whatever you need." It was really encouraging to see that the staff care that much for the residents and that they were always like that. We talk to my mother-in-law quite frequently, and she says she is very happy, especially with the services and the food; she is getting good quality and balanced meals. Exercises were lead by an individual person, so it was more personal care. The director took us on the tour and introduced us to different people. The response that we heard from everyone was, "We love this place," with many people living there for nine years and 10 years. The grounds were well kept.

Larry047615

Bickford is a very nice place but strictly private pay. Several of my customers are there. The rooms are very nice, most of the apartments are geared toward independent living but adjust according to what a person is doing. They can only handle dementia patients up to a certain point. The dining area is very nice, like sitting down in a fine dining restaurant. However, it wasn’t a fit for my aunt.

Caring son14

Bickford was beautiful. The staff was great, but they did not have memory center. They handled things a little bit more differently. If my mom did not have Alzheimer's, I would probably prefer that place. The staff was excellent, very knowledgeable, very open, very truthful. The facility was beautiful. They had some balcony areas and a little bit of stuff outside. We saw the one-bedroom. It was a little bit more spacious. You had a pretty-much full kitchen, but it was something that I did not want my mom to have. It would be for someone who did not have Alzheimer's or had to worry about that or if they wanted to do their own baking or something like that.

Linda113003350

Bickford of Rockford looked very nice. It was a nice place, very attractive, and very well-kept. It was quite roomy and very nice, and it had everything that my parents would need. It was a one-bedroom that we looked at. We just met with the one man, and he was very friendly, very helpful, and very informative. We noticed people gathered together to play cards and games, and that was about all we really noticed because it was lunch time. We actually ate lunch there. The food was good, and the people who waited on us were very friendly and helpful.

Caring111587950

The staff was nice at Bickford of Rockford. That one my mother thought she could live at. The experience was very good. The rooms were very large and very accommodating. They gave them outings, entertainment came in, and there were certainly all kinds of things planned. We did not eat there, but we were served freshly baked homemade cookies right off the oven, and that was quite a selling point. Their apartment size was really generous.

Caring110393350

I like Bickford. It was more apartment like. There's a full kitchen, a bedroom, a living space, and tables, but they also had the support for the care that my mother might need. Everything was accessible. The bathroom was very accessible. The staff was fabulous and very personable. The people were very open to helping. She needs a lot of care, and everybody has been amazingly friendly and very willing to work with what she might need. This place seemed very secure. I was very impressed. She can also have her cat there. It's not real big. It's more of a family feel to me, and that's appealing. I think that's where she would be happiest. For her, a religious component would be nice. You can have all the things that older people want as far as on-site beauticians, medical people available, things that are necessary, activities, great food options, and flexibility of food scheduling. Everybody's very happy to give their time. They try to do the best for the residents who are there. The director is very knowledgeable about some of the financial ways of meeting the needs of the residents and the family. They were very honest and willing to help the families. The residents were very well cared for. From the director to the person who handles accounting, they're doing every little bit of stuff that needs to be done. They're very communicative with the residents. The dining options are really great. The nursing staff is very friendly and workable with medications. It was a pleasant visit in person but also very helpful in phone conversations afterwards.

Caring93642450

Bickford was very pleasant. We had a very good experience. I consider them very comfortable and welcoming. What impressed me very much was that it seemed like a family-oriented place where friends and family would be welcome to come, visit and spend time. The menu was very good, but we didn’t eat there. I thought the rooms were a little bit small; it wouldn’t be where we move in as a couple and expect to have a life of retirement before we really need this assisted living. But it really appealed to people who needed assistance at this time. They did have activities and encourage exercising. If you needed rehab after surgery, that was available. But it wouldn’t be the place with a lot like trips to doctors or take you to certain places or activities. You wouldn’t have that much going on in that one facility.

Caring78636650

We had a tour at Bickford of Rockford and the facility was very well maintained and very well done, but very expensive. Their amenities were all very good. They do have activities going on and their dining area was very nice.