I put a downpayment on Bickford of Burlington. It was so homey. I know it's a good fit for my mom and it was small enough and they do memory care, so I truly believe that this is the right place for her. They're going to accept her dog, so that's huge. I think what I enjoy most about is they do not refer to their employees as staff members, they refer to them as the Bickford family and their motto is happiness. Because of the respect that they show toward their employees, it just shines through to the community that's there. Some residents were having a coffee hour and they were delightful. They had a spark. They weren't just sitting around and depressed. They gave me lively conversations. I enjoyed my interactions with the residents that I spoke with.
The facility was clean and well kept, and when you walk in, it's like walking into your mom's living room. The courtyards were beautiful, the flowers, the front porch. It's not institutionalized; it's a very homey feeling. The units were like little apartments. They have a certain amount of privacy and you get to decorate it any way you want, so you can feel at home within your unit, but then even outside of that unit, there's such a homely feeling.
The staff that I met, just the overall feel of the place, the cleanliness of it, and their willingness to work with me being the care provider of my mother's and understanding the emotional side of this when you make a decision like this, I couldn't have asked for more caring and kindness as I talk through things with them. I felt like there was a bond there immediately, that I could come to them with any concerns for my mom going forward. I appreciated that. There's a sense of family there that I can't explain. It's a nice feeling to have knowing that your mom's going to be part of that.
The residents were delightful. Everyone's very well kept, hairs were done, just like you were going out for coffee somewhere. These ladies are sitting around the table and very interactive, having fun, and they had a lot of questions. They were asking me about my mother and they were excited to know that someone new was coming in, that they were going to get to know. You could tell they were enjoying where they were at and their surroundings and that means everything. The fact that my mom, her beloved dog, is going to be able to be with her, I think will make the transition so much easier, knowing that she gets to have Hayley with her. They recognize that need for companionship. Not every place does that, and that's very unique as well.
I know everything is made from scratch there, and they offered us some scones that they have just specially baked. They do a really good job of providing a variety of food. There are 41 residents there right now. It's not huge, which I like. I feel like that's the right amount of residents to the right amount of staff. I've met with the nurse, some of the attending staff that does activities, and the director, and they were all super and very professional.
Provider Response
Hi Jackie, I'm so happy to hear that your mom is moving in! I appreciate you taking a moment to share your feedback. I'll be sure to pass it on to the team here at Bickford of Burlington!
