Bickford Cottage Iowa City
Families consistently rate this highly — reviewers highlight warm, home-like environment. Schedule a visit to confirm the fit.
based on 32 Google reviews
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What this means for your family
Bickford Cottage is highly regarded for its warm, engaging environment and strong leadership team. However, given the serious concerns raised regarding hygiene and weekend care, we strongly recommend asking management specifically about their protocols for incontinence care and shower scheduling during weekends.
Google Reviews
Google Reviews
32 reviews on Google“Bickford Cottage Iowa City is consistently praised for its warm, home-like atmosphere and dedicated staff who build strong relationships with residents. While the majority of reviews are highly positive, one critical report highlights significant concerns regarding hygiene and basic care tasks, specifically regarding shower frequency and waste management.”
Quality Themes
Tap a score for detailsStrengths
- Warm, home-like environment
- Attentive and compassionate staff
- Strong leadership and management
- Engaging activities and community events
Concerns
- Inconsistent hygiene care and waste management
Rating Trends
Tap a year to see what changed
Distribution · 65 analyzed
How They Respond to Reviews
This facility responds to some reviews.
Questions for Your Tour
- 1I noticed your community has a very warm, home-like atmosphere; could you walk me through how you maintain that feeling while ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and daily room maintenance?
- 2Since your team is known for being very engaged, what specific steps do you take to ensure that residents' personal care and hygiene needs are met consistently throughout the day?
- 3I see that your leadership team is very active in responding to feedback; how do you incorporate family input into your daily operations and care planning?
- 4With your focus on community events, could you describe a favorite activity or tradition that really brings the residents together here at the Cottage?
- 5How does your nursing staff coordinate with local Iowa City medical providers to handle urgent health changes or emergencies for residents in memory care?
- 6Given the importance of value, how do you ensure that the daily programming and personalized care services remain high-quality and consistent for every resident?
Personalized based on this facility's data
Key Review Excerpts
“When someone you care for is in this facility, they shouldn't have 2 wait 3 weeks to get a shower!! Nurses don't take the trash out over the weekend when the person is incontinent they leave it for the cleaning staff which is rediculas that the person living there has to live with the urine odor until a family member shows up to take it out to the hallway to be picked up.”
“Our family member has regained a sense of routine and purpose with the incredible care and support she is receiving at Bickford. She is eating three meals a day, enjoying numerous daily activities and developing new friendships with other residents as well as the compassionate staff.”
“Chris the cook does a great job with the food and it always looks and smells so amazing!! Sara is doing a fantastic job as the director as well, im very impressed with the leadership she shows in and around her branch!”
State Inspection History
State Inspections
Source: Iowa Dept. of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing
Oct 22, 2025ComplaintClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 3
Jul 21, 2025OtherClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 3
Mar 26, 2025InspectionClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 2
Mar 26, 2025OtherClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 0
Aug 14, 2024OtherClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 1
Feb 28, 2024ComplaintClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 4
Nov 8, 2022InspectionClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 1
Feb 28, 2019InspectionClean
Fed violations: 0, State violations: 2
Contact
Get in Touch
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References & Resources
Google Maps
Photos, directions & neighborhood info
Google Reviews
32 reviews from families & visitors
Official Website
Visit bickfordseniorliving.com
Medicare data downloads
Original nursing home datasets
EveryPlace is a research directory. Facility information is compiled from public sources — Medicare.gov, state licensing portals, Google Places, and publicly available street-level imagery. Listings do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or advertisement, and we do not accept payment for placement. Families should verify all details directly with the facility and the original sources linked above before making any care decisions. See our Research Policy for our editorial standards, correction process, and image-removal policy.
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