Bickford of Crystal Lake

Jane

Bickford of Crystal Lake was very nice. The director was real nice. The lunch was good. There didn't seem to be as much staff that I saw compared to the other places, but those I saw were very friendly. When we were leaving, there was a pastor. I don't know if they were doing bible studies or talking about the bible. I know that they do day trips. They had a bus that they said they would take the residents out and go around like Crystal Lake (just to get them out of the home and just to see something). They had an outdoor space. When we first came in, there were people sitting on the front porch. They also had courtyards.

R.S.

My mom has been staying in Bickford of Crystal Lake for three years now. I don't really care for the new management there. My mom had an injury a couple weeks ago and I don't think it was handled properly. I think they need to have better nursing. Also, they need to have better clerical as they keep messing up my new address with the outside billers like my mom's medication company. The meals there are adequate, the activities are good, and aesthetically, the place is pleasing. Beyond that, though, I'm not too happy.

Rosie

Bickford of Crystal Lake was dark and very small. It did not give me a homey feeling, and it had more of an institutional feeling, although the decor was not that way. I felt that there was a lot of sales presentation up front, but not much to back that up. I didn't care for it. It was very far from me.

Kevin

Bickford of Crystal Lake was excellent. They showed me three different sizes of rooms. The whole place was very clean and very well maintained. The staff was very nice. The memory care part was a separate section. The menu and the dining area were very nice. There were people watching TV, putting puzzles together, and playing a board game. They had a community area, and the dining area had a restaurant-like setting.

Dyan K

Bickford of Crystal Lake was very nice. The woman and the nurse that we had our interview with were so nice. The apartments, the outside, and everything was nice. It just felt a little smaller. It seemed like a very homey place. When we came in, they were listening to a band. When we were leaving, they were all getting ready to eat dinner. They had different types of rooms. The chef brought my husband a bowl of soup and it was delicious and fresh. They had fruit bowls everywhere.

Donna

We visited Bickford of Crystal Lake. The rooms were small. We saw a craft room and gathering room. The dining area was open and inviting. I would have chosen it if they accepted Medicaid.

tweety-bird

Bickford of Crystal Lake seemed very welcoming. Everybody looked happy and engaged. The rooms were nice, but some were shared. The staff seemed very nice, and they knew the residents' names. They've got a full schedule of activities including exercises, cards, and music.

Jill001325

My mother-in-law is in Bickford. The building is secured all the time. My husband and sister-in-law feel that this is the right fit for what they are looking for. Some of the rooms are very small, and I know their reason for that is to get people out of their room. Her room has a great window looking over a garden area, and that is nice.

Charlotte732342

I looked at Bickford of Crystal Lake about a year ago for my father. It was a nice place but too expensive. They had more open areas and a pet bird. The dining area was nice, and there were some people sitting and hanging out in there. It was nice.

Anonymous245180

I went to Bickford of Crystal Lake. It was very nice when we walked in. It had a little bit of a smell to it, and that was a little disconcerting for me, but I thought it was a very nice place. It was homey. However, I thought the rooms were just way too small and dark. The only staff member we saw the one who took us around, and she was very nice and professional. They seemed to have quite a bit of activities which I liked. I had bus trips for the residents. I thought their dining room was very nice. The communal service was very nice. The residents seemed happy there, but it was just like the personal rooms for the residents were just way too dark. The windows were like way too small, but at that age, they preferred something like that. I knew the goal was to get them out and not just to let them sitting in their room all the time, but they seemed very cramped and small, also, the smell factor. It had a smell of urine about it.

Maynardia

I have toured many communities and as a healthcare professional, appreciate when the staff is knowledgeable about their residents. You can talk to the CNAs and nurses at Bickford and they actually know the residents inside and out. I am sure they would even know how they take their coffee, favorite color, and call them each by their preferred name. I feel that when I walk into the community to provide home care services, I am treated as a guest as well. I observe the residents having fun, being loved by the staff, and that this community is truely the residents home. Top notch place.

Julie118960050

The rooms at Bickford Crystal Lake were a little small. It was more geared towards assisted living with a lot of nursing care, and not so much independent living. Price wise, they were competitive. The staff was very nice, and very accommodating.

Caring78309050

My mom moved to Bickford. It was a very nice facility and the administrator and staff were all very nice. They made my mother feel very much at home. The dining room is nice and my mother said the food tastes great.

querencia

I visited this facility with my grand son, who is 23 years old. He gives the information I glean from these visits a slightly different perspective, and is most helpful. This is without doubt one of the most charming facilities I have visited. It is definitely on my "short list" of facilities in which I would like to live. Crystal Lake is in a truly lovely area of Illinois. There are other assisted living facilities in the area, although I do not know if they interact. There are also nature preserves, walking paths, and everything a nature lover like me could wish for. It is also fairly close to a private airport, for ease of visiting. It is not near any of the more "cosmopolitan" activities that I enjoy, such as theater and opera--museums, art galleries--but from talking with the residents, the staff is willing, able and quite pleased to arrange for the residents to attend any activities they want to. The facilities itself is what most impressed me. It seemed that there was a kind of cameraderie between and among the staff, the caretakers and the residents that I have not previously encountred. I found it very relaxing and pleasant. There are no rigid rules or curfews--there are snacks available and a kind of cafe open 24 hours, from what my grandson learned in talking with some of the elderly gentlemen. The individual "apartments" are equally pleasant and homey. From what the residents I spoke with said, staff and care takers are always available, and the facility is overall what I can only call a "happy place" for everyone there. Definitely on my A list.

Lorine1

Bickford has a beautiful building, only about 4 years old. It has very attractive grounds. The residents maintain it themselves. The rooms are very nice and have a kitchenette inside. The meal that we ate there was good. I only ate there once but we enjoyed the food. I see the staff were joking around with the residents there and interacting with them, which is good. They seem to have a very positive atmosphere there. Right now, we're getting a lot of resistance from my parents-in-law. They don't feel like they needed any help. We actually pursued with my mother-in-law. She has homecare insurance and she was evaluated by a nurse from her insurance company. The nurse said that she does not have enough memory loss to put herself in danger. What we're doing now is that we're kind of a holding pattern waiting for some precipitating event to help them realize that they really need some help.

JML

This facility is beautiful, and the staff are wonderful. The philosophy is one that is unmatched in the industry. The facility is clean, quiet, with professional, caring staff. The administration is hands on.