Bickford of Crystal Lake

Cleanliness

Care services

Staff

Meals & dining

Activities

Value for cost

Overall it is a good place. I feel they need more organization or assistance with meal services. There are times where the residents have to wait 45 minutes for meals. This is part of a larger corporation. I believe it should be looked at as a bigger picture and not just at the community level. Overall I would recommend this community to others for their loved ones.

We are completely satisfied with the Bickford community. We liked how it had a homey feeling to it and the overall appearance and of the place. We would definitely recommend this community to a family or friend.

Terrible Place. Had a family member stay here and it got dirtier and nastier with the current director - she just doesn't care, all she cares about is filling the place. With people that don't belong there - totally unfit for assisted living. She can put a good show on, but don't believe her. And she's totally unqualified to be a manage or care for the elderly dependent on her. The food is terrible. Cold. Burned. Hard. Over-salted. Staff turnaround is terrible. A couple of staff have been there forever and they are wonderful, but they cannot compensate for the lack of quality in all else. Half the time on weekends there is one person running the entire place, both sides Assisted Living and Memory Care. It's a scary place to have someone.

The rooms they show you are clean. The staff is great when a tour comes through, but that's all. Understaffed. Underqualified. Extremely dirty and poorly managed. See if you can get into the kitchen and observe the filth on the cabinets and floor. Check out the staff breakroom. Look at food that's being served and taste it. Check out the residents that belong in a higher level of care but are there instead. Staff turnaround is a revolving door. Five Nursing Directors in 4 years what does that tell you? Management at this Bickford is terrible and uncaring. Don't be fooled. Too many nice close places (Clarendale in Algonquin 5Star and brand new Melody in Lake in the Hills 5-Star ++).

Nice facility, informative staff, very flexible, but expensive.

I have been really disappointed with the care my mom received here. I would find her soaked/full of poop daily. Sometimes they would forget to bring her to meals. The director has promised a lot but has not delivered. The food is always cold,burnt, or undercooked. I do not like to complain but I’m looking elsewhere for mom. I recommend staying away. The cnas are very understaffed and there’s high turnover with staff. Sometimes there’s no staff on hand. It’s sad but during the tour it looked nice.

I was desperately looking for a place for my mother and I spoke to [name removed] one of their representative at the Crystal Lake facility and she did a great job of explaining the Community the entire staff does a great job there my mother was in hospice care prior to moving into his community and now she’s walking again with a walker participating in church participating in sing-alongs and actually gaining back some Bodyweight she is very happy there and I am Glad I made this decision she’s only been at their residence for 63 days and made a remarkable recovery

Thank you for all your recommendations, and for being so prompt and comprehensive. The Bickford is perfect for Mom. It’s small enough to be personal and cozy, yet professional and efficient. The people are great—warm and caring. We really are quite amazed that this happened so easily.

Loved the small family type setting. Loved the " no facility look and no facility smell" It seemed very homey. They were so nice and welcoming. Many activities for mom to do.

Bickford of Crystal Lake was number 3 of our final 3 choices for my father, who lives independently, and his wife, who requires assistance. They were looking for an apartment where they could live together; however, those that were available were too small, and my father expressed that he was not comfortable in such a small space. Bickford is inviting and homey, and the grounds were beautiful. I think that it would be a wonderful community for those who require assistance with daily tasks; however, my father is more independent than most of the residents we observed. He felt that it was not a good fit for them.