Bickford of Oswego was very nice and had a very homey feel. The thing I really liked about it was that there were a lot of resident doors that were open. So it had sort of a college dorm feel about it, which is nice because you want people to interact and make friends there. There's no physical therapy room. They have little sitting areas throughout the facility for people to gather or do puzzles. Their activity room is very small. They have a dining room area and some seating around the fireplace. There are not as many designated areas for activities. The menu looked good. I met the head of the facility and the sales and marketing person. I met several of the nurses and one of the aides. They all seemed very nice, informative, kind, and helpful. The facility was very clean, well-maintained, well decorated, and aesthetically pleasing.

We were at Bickford of Oswego yesterday, and I thought that the rooms were very small for the price. I didn't like that they had dorm-sized refrigerators. These are elderly people and for them to stoop down and look into a refrigerator that's sitting on the floor is not good. I don't think that's in their best interest, so I was not impressed with that. The staff that we talked to were all very nice. Tanya took us around and introduced us to everybody. I just don't know that it's necessary when someone's just coming in to look, get pricing information, and tour the home itself. I don't think it was necessary to meet the kitchen staff, the cook, the housekeeping people, and all of that. It took us a long time; we were there for 2 hours. So many things were an additional charge to what your base rate was. The base rate would be $170 a day, plus $60 a day for a care level 2. I think that when you get to be a senior and you're looking for these types of facilities, it needs to be cost-effective for the residents. When you have to pay an additional $75 a month for a phone or a DirectTV for $45 a month, that is a lot of money on top of what they're paying for their basic rate. That's a lot of money for them to come up with. I was not impressed that the room sizes were small compared to other places that we've looked at. The prices were higher, too. Everything was separate, and everything had an added cost, even the laundry was an additional cost. If someone would need to come in and remind my mom to take her medication, that's an additional cost too. In a lot of other places (and we've looked at many of them), those services are all included. In this place, even if my mom would be paying $60 a day for level 2 care, she would still have to go on to the pharmacy or whatever they call it and get her medicine. It's not going to be someone bringing it to her room and saying, "Here's your morning medications or your evening medications." A lot of these people are using walkers and wheelchairs. They're not making it convenient for the residents, as far as I'm concerned. Before we even got in the car after the tour, we were all saying we can take this place off the list. The girl that took us around was very nice, but she appeared to be a salesman. She was a marketing director or whatever the title was; that's how she came across to me. Her thing was "This is family-owned" I thought "Well, if you want us to feel like family, then there should be some consideration for all these additional fees as well." I don't think it was family. Maybe family-owned means it's probably been around for whatever years, but I did not get that impression by touring it. I don't think it was as clean as some of the other facilities that we've looked at. It probably needed some freshening up, as far as paint and stuff like that goes.

Bickford of Oswego was very nice. You could tell that it was an older building, but the staff was very friendly. After I went to look at the place I took my brother to look and then my folks, and every time the staff members remembered my name. I like them because they're like a family, but they only had one-bedroom apartments. It was close to golf courses, they had exercising, craft rooms, and they do sing-alongs. Because this community is a lot smaller than other places they can get people involved. Instead of people being off to the side just watching, they can actually bring people in to sing and so on. The only reason I won't give them the highest score is because it's an old building.

I stayed at the Bickford of Oswego for respite care. I was not impressed with the place because they used room heating and air conditioning units, and I couldn’t stand the noise. I had a terrible stay there. It was small. The dining room was fairly pleasant. The activities room was almost nil. The printer they had for the residents did not have any ink. Neither did the activities’ computer have any ink. The people seemed fairly happy. There were one or two people in the activity room doing something. I used to go to the activity room, but there was very rarely anyone there including the activities director. The food, I think, was OK.

My mother has been a resident here for a few years. She came for respite care after a surgery and decided to stay. She loves it and has flourished here. She is now in her late 80s and I don't believe she would be in such good shape if she had remained at her home. The staff has become her family and they treat her, and all of the other residents, with TLC. The staff have become our friends and we trust them completely. There are many activities including daily morning exercises (most are done sitting down), games with prizes, movie nights, weekly shopping trips to Walmart, Walgreens, etc., outings in the Bickford bus to see Christmas lights, or to the local zoo, or local restaurants for lunch, and have even been in local parades. Mom especially loves when the kids from the middle school next door walk over and interact with the residents. They ask questions, practice reading, or play games with them. There are many local groups that come in and entertain the residents. When she is sick, the nurses call us and tell us everything that is going on. They assist her when she needs it, but respect her privacy. We feel very comfortable knowing that Mom is in a safe, clean, warm environmental.

I am very pleased with the care that my wife has received at the Bickford in Oswego. She is much more relaxed, alert, and content than she was before I took her there. In the numerous times I have been there to visit my wife, all of the staff members have been pleasant, willing to answer questions, and eager to accommodate my concerns or requests. Those who work at the Bickford know my wife very well. They have even created a "secretary work station" for my wife so she is able to spend time doing the "work" that she believes needs to get done.

Anyone who is entering into this unexpected, not anticipated, "wish it could be different" stage of caring for a loved one I want you to give Bickford a chance to show you how much they truly care, I toured Bickford of Oswego and was greeted with warmth and compassion. I can honestly say that after a year and a half that the feeling is the same. My mom entered Bickford in the assisted living module and was moved, with my consent and agreement, to the memory care unit after six months. I have visited my mom at all hours of the day and night and have never heard a cross word spoken to even the most challenging of residents. The level of care is wonderful.

Bickford of Oswego is a beautiful facility. It is always clean and smells nice. The common areas are nicely furnished, comfortable. Initially, I was afraid my father's room would be a little small, but it has turned out to be exactly the right amount of space for him. He doesn't need any more than what he has. The bathrooms are a nice size with large walk in showers. The staff at Bickford of Oswego has welcomed my father with open arms. Everyone (staff and residents) are always smiling, friendly, and welcoming. My dad is well taken care of, in fact he looks great! He loves the nurses, CNAs and other staff (the girls as he calls them.) They are understanding of his memory issues, but allow him as much independence as he can handle. It's nice that they have a flexible care continuum that allows each resident to get exactly the assistance they need while allowing them to continue to do what they can for themselves too. Most of all, the staff at Bickford has been a godsend to us as we now can enjoy Dad and be his daughters again instead of caregivers. It is truly a wonderful place.

I was at Bickford of Oswego when my husband was out of town. I think the facility looked pretty pleasant. The dining room is nice and the food seemed acceptable. Their activity room to me seemed non-existent because it was very small and it wouldn’t fit even a church table there. I think they have activities, but not in their activity room. The staff were very obliging in trying to get me in the facility, but they are understaffed.

We really enjoyed our visit to the Bickford assisted living facility. We happened to be in the vicinity looking at other places to consider for our aunt. The grounds looked well tended and maintained, with plenty of nice shrubs, trees and places to sit to enjoy the outside and have social events with residents and their friends and family. The décor was quite nice and fresh. They can accommodate most senior circumstances with a variety of living options. We thought it looked as though the staff could easily manage all of the residents, which is important to us. Our aunt has a tendency to wander off at times, so her safety is a concern for us. The communal areas were nicely designed with easy to access furniture and a comforting decor. There were plenty of nice areas for quiet time as well as socializing with other residents and friends, family and other visitors. The staff goes out of its way to suggest stimulating things to do - from gardening, to reading, playing games and outings in the community. The variety of activities offered was impressive. Just about any hobby you might have can be accommodated - and more. They take suggestions from residents, friends and family. The residents are encouraged to enjoy physical activity as much as possible. They may take exercise classes such as yoga and aerobics, or use the weight training and other equipment. They may also enjoy the lovely garden which includes many pathways to safely enjoy in a serene environment. The living spaces were all a nice size and did not seem cramped. They were also beautifully decorated. We could see that our aunt would be comfortable in any one of them. We've visited quite a few assisted living facilities and thus far, the staff at this one are some of the most competent and friendly we've met yet. We could really see that the residents are treated with care, kindness and respect so that they are very well cared for at all times.