Bickford of Iowa City

Marcia

Bickford of Iowa City is a beautiful place. They care for people that have a variety of mental illnesses. They're very, very caring to all their residents. They have different vantage points of caring for them. They don't use the words "don't" or "can't." Just within a few days of my relative being there, she loves it. We greatly appreciate what they do for her. She has free range of the whole place. My relative has a studio apartment. When we first walked in, it looked very small, but we were able to make it a homey room. She goes out to the front where she converses with the other residents. She has all the amenities that she needs. They have an area where they can watch TV. They have a piano out front, a dining area, and an activity room. They have a courtyard. It's kind of enclosed, but it has no access to the outside. They're wonderful people. They keep us in tune with what my relative is doing. The facility is good. It is like a square so they can walk all the way around. They have a free range of places, and they don't feel like they're locked up, so that's what we liked about that. They have a studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments. They had all three apartments available, but we felt like my relative needed to be closer to the front in order to be active, instead of in the back where the other two apartments were available.

Reviewer#JM300822a

Bickford of Iowa City was nice. There were people out being entertained by a singer. They were dancing and enjoying themselves. The place was very clean. Everything was very nice and pleasant. They came and saw my mother, but I hadn't heard from them. I think that's very poor handling of people who want to be there. I saw a beauty salon. They have entertainment in the lounge. Their dining area was very nice.

Provider Response

Denise

I was very impressed with the overall appearance of Bickford of Iowa City. I think that's important that the first time you walk in seeing that everything was clean, and the residents that I saw at the time looked pleasant. I was there around lunchtime. I got to see how those services were being brought out to the residents. I was also given ample opportunity with the director of the facility, and she was very accommodating and answered all my questions. I got to see some of the actual units that were available if I would have my parents moved into that location. Overall, it presented very well. I thought it would have been a possible good solution for my parents, but things have significantly changed with my mom's situation where her level of care exceeds what an independent living or even an assisted living facility could handle. They had a big social board up on the wall. It showed that they were having activities every day for the residents, so it was clear right there like a calendar that's available. I was able to view one of their activity rooms. They had some games they were doing like a chair activity. They had like a little puzzle area set up, they had like a little library set up, they had like an activity area set up for them there. Just knowing that those calendars were present and that things were going on every day, I thought that was important. The food looked really good, and it smelled good. The staff said that they have a chef that comes in. I was able to view the meal plan right there, it was like a menu, and in my opinion, it looked healthy, and it looked like it gave the residents diverse options of food to have. And the fact that it's just warm and cooked daily, I think that's important.

Provider Response

Bryan

My mother moved into Bickford of Iowa City for respite. Their staff seems very attentive, they call if they have questions, so it seems like it's a very well-organized facility. They've got a nice setup for the residents to be able to do different activities or group things. It seems like a really nice set up, and it's not so big if you live in the far corner trying to get into the dining room, or something totally wears you out. They do different things every day. They go out as a group like once a month or twice a month. They've got sewing days, cards, there was a comedian there the other day, and there was a person that brought in a therapy animal.

Provider Response

ReviewerVT042620211

I toured Bickford of Iowa City for my dad. The staff were friendly, warm, and welcoming. It is nice, clean, and is like a complete circle (not long hallways).

Provider Response

Jill

I liked Bickford of Iowa City. It was really nice and homey, and it wasn't too big which I liked. The setup was kind of like a square. The rooms were really nice; they each had their own room. Everybody there was super nice, too. You can have pets, which I thought was super cool. You can have a dog, and I liked that. The dining area was like a restaurant, and they can order off of a menu. They have to sit one per table, but the staff said they chat among themselves. They had an activity board, and they had activities all the time. Even during Covid, they had a lot of stuff to do. They had a salon, and a lady that does the hair comes in every Wednesday. They had a sitting room with a TV and a bunch of couches and a fireplace, and they had an outdoor courtyard. They couldn't get out and wander out the street or anything because it was enclosed. The staff during the tour was terrific. They're a lot smaller, but they had less people.