Bickford of West Des Moines

Beverly

Bickford of West Des Moines had a very secure memory care. The place seemed to be very clean. We were very impressed with the person who runs the place. She's a nurse. The very few people that we saw seemed to be OK with the place. They provide them with three good meals a day, and exercises for those who want to. They also have a nice locked down outside area that they can be in. The tables in the dining area were placed well so that you could get the wheelchairs around, and there were enough windows to light the room up.

Provider Response

Jim

My tour at Bickford of West Des Moines was nice. It had more of a nursing home feel to it, that's what we didn't like about it so much. The one-bedroom we saw was nice and spacious. There's also another one-bedroom that wasn't as big, and then they had the suite which seemed bigger than the small one-bedroom. The staff members were all nice and they answered our questions. They would help with her pills and stuff, and they served the meals restaurant-style. They had entertainment and they had some exercise stuff, but they didn't have church services.

Provider Response

Val

What I liked the most about Bickford of West Des Moines was the setup of the place. It seemed very personable and it's got a beautiful courtyard. My least favorite was it's over $8,000 a month. Also, I looked at the biggest room and to me it was small. Other than that, it was very clean. They were very friendly, very informed, and answered all my questions to my satisfaction. They have movie nights, field trips, and bird watching, and there is a place for the family to come and barbecue outside if you want. The residents can be involved in gardening, too.

Provider Response

Dusty

We went to Bickford of West Des Moines. It's a beautiful place, very secure. There were several common areas, and the dining room was very well kept. They weren't so far spaced apart, but they were at separate tables, maybe a group of four per table. And it was just really charming. They had an area that was for puzzles and reading. They had an area that you could participate in, like games and other social events.

Provider Response

Chris

Bickford of West Des Moines was awesome. The atmosphere was great. They were super friendly, very helpful, and answered all my questions. The staff was awesome. It was clean and very homey. I felt like I was in somebody's home. It was on the smaller side. Their outdoor area was smaller. It was a comfortable place. They had a garden area that they could go out to. I don't have any complaints at all. I thought it was great. It was just too far away from my house.

Provider Response

C.K.

I looked at both assisted living and memory care at Bickford of West Des Moines. It's a beautiful facility. It seemed homey. The staff was very positive and friendly. It's one of my top choices. The rooms were a good size. I liked that every room had an individual bathroom. Their activities director was doing some things with residents, and it was very nice. I did not have a meal, but I had some cookies that were very good. They have facilities. They have a nice lobby area, where residents could sit and have programs. It's a smaller facility, which I like as well. Everything about this community was very nice.

Provider Response

Julie

I like Bickford of West Des Moines' location. However, I felt that there were many areas in the home that needed to be updated. I like the room, but the hallway carpets just didn't seem very clean. I felt like it needed a fresh update. It looked more like a nursing home, and not so much an open assisted living area.

Provider Response

Nancy

I felt that Bickford of West Des Moines had very good staff and facilities. I just felt that they were farther along as far as a type of residence than what my parents were at. I think it was a great place if your parents or your loved ones were not coherent. For sociability, I think it is for the more advanced residents. But I felt that they would have gotten excellent care there if they needed it. I felt comfortable there, but the residents there were a little further advanced. They were excellent. I felt the staff was very, very caring and liked their jobs, and would do their best to take care of the residents. I have no problem with the staff, none whatsoever. It was very home-like and clean. The surroundings were great. They had flowers and it was a very pleasant entrance. It was like one big home for a different population, and I thought it was good.

Megan

We are planning to move my mom into Bickford of West Des Moines. I like the rooms a lot, and I like the people, they were very nice. They showed us around and answered every question we needed. It's just a beautiful place. The rooms are beautiful, they look like tiny little apartments. I like how it's all just laid out perfect. I like the scenery, it is gorgeous. There were a lot of people, they were walking, they were doing some kickball, and they were tossing balls. Everybody was just friendly; it was an enjoyable visit. The residents were even talking and telling us their experience there. The one who assisted me was amazing, they were very helpful, and answered all the questions, they were very prompt.

Eric

We went to Bickford of West Des Moines. The rooms were decent sized. They had their own bathrooms; I liked that. It wasn't like a nursing home. It wasn't huge, but they did have a kitchenette, basically a mini fridge, a microwave, and a sink. They do have an activity director, but I didn't witness any activities. There was a little minibus outside. I talked to the head nurse and their marketing person, they were both nice. It was an older building, but decently kept.

Provider Response

Darlene

We visited Bickford of West Des Moines. The staff thought that he would be best suited in the other Bickford, because there are more males there his age. They greeted us with ice water and fresh muffins, that's what we got upon arrival with our tour as we sat down for our informational meeting. That was awesome. It made us feel right at home and that was a very personal tour as we walked through the building. The people were very polite and very considerate of what we were doing. It is never easy to find a place for your loved ones, but they made it especially easy to do. Her name is Kaitlyn, and she is awesome. We saw one room that was set up and it looked good to me. I just want to say that it is a family-oriented business. They totally want to make the transition from home care to senior living care as smooth and as non-traumatic as possible. It is just a big step, that nobody wants to do, but they make it family friendly.

Carla

Bickford of West Des Moines was very helpful. However, the main issue there was when my dad ran out of money they were going to boot him out. Most other places would at least accept his Social Security if he was able to maintain the payments for a certain number of months, but Bickford of West Des Moines would not. My dad would have to move out. The room was fine and clean. The people were very helpful. They're very good. The place was nice, the staff was nice, but they only wanted people's money.

Pete

The person who took us around Bickford of West Des Moines was very nice and considerate to us. It was very nice, very neat, and would fit my wife's lifestyle very well in that she is a low-key, very comfortable type individual, and this facility is slow pace. I've heard nothing but good things about it from other people including their reviews that I read. It's an ideal place, but the most expensive of the places we looked at in Des Moines. The rooms were beautiful and small, but very comfortable. The grounds were a little on the small side. It's very comfortable, and the activities were adequate. It's low key, not overly active or aggressive, and seemed to be a restful place.

Ann

My parents are in assisted living at Bickford of West Des Moines. The place is cozy and friendly. The staff is very friendly and accessible. The food is good, the portions are realistic, and the servings are more appropriate for them. They have a lot of different things. They have a very accessible exercise area.

Julie667476

Bickford of West Des Moines is excellent. The caregivers are very personable and very caring. It was a good change for my mom. They have several different room types, and my mother likes hers because it has two rooms with a sitting area, so she is able to have her piano in the room. They allow pets, so several of the residents have dogs. Even though she doesn’t have her own, it is nice to frequently see a dog in the hallway. The grounds are very nice. It is built in a circular concept, so there are two interior courtyards. It looks very nice. They can walk without having to worry about being outside of a secured area.

Nancy815781

The interior decorating at the common areas of Bickford of West Des Moines was very nice. The memory care's billing amount was much clearer than the assisted living. It was nice that they had handicap bathrooms and temperature control. It seemed like a very homey area. I liked the memory care unit. The dining room was a very comfortable-looking place.

Daughter-in-law7

My father-in-law is at Bickford. We found it from Caring.com's list. One of the reasons we picked it is because there are many activities. The rooms are a little bit smaller, and that's a way to get them out of the room. He absolutely loves it. He goes out for most activities that are there. He sings along with the pastor that comes several times a week. I have eaten there a number times, and I like every meal that I had. My father-in-law likes the food too. He also likes that they have ice cream 24 hours a day. One thing that we like about Bickford is that the help has been there for a number of years, so it didn't look like there is a large turnover of help.

lsbrkb

I have visted Bickford twice and have decided this is the place to live for my husband. They couldn't be more helpful and friendly. It's smaller than most but I liked that as gave a more homey atmosphere. While touring we met several of the residents and they looked happy and a couple made a point to tell us they loved it there. This was reassuring to me and feel confident I have made the right choice.