Comfort Living Home #2

Our experience with most of the caregivers has been excellent. The best days of the week are Wed-Sat when Jennifer Z the activity caregiver is working. She makes every resident feel special and loved, finding activities that they each like!! She is the shining star at Mary B’s in Portage!! There are many growing pains with the new administration currently. I do not feel like I am being heard all of the time. As per Bickford policy, our family members should have activities every day for 6+ hours. Unfortunately when Jennifer Z is not there the TV is on and that is the activity!

I went on a tour with the most compassionate, friendly, Bickford employee. She took the time to listen to my concerns and patiently answered all my questions and then some. I feel so comfortable with the thought of my loved one becoming at resident when the time comes.

Since my grandmother move here from Brookdale the care has been exceptional! I know she was nervous for the move. However, she is more active and involved in activities than she has ever been. I can’t say enough about Erin as the activities director! The Director sends weekly update emails and keeps all of us well informed. The nursing staff has made medication adjustments that have helped her so much. We are so happy to see her smiling again!

My parents moved into Bickford 6 1/2 years ago (Feb 2014). My mom needed memory care and my Dad wanted to stay with my mom. The beauty and strength of Bickford is their ability to care for memory care and senior care and keep couples together to allow them to continue living as husband and wife. My parents always loved their together time and Bickford made that happen in a beautiful way. When my Mom needed to move to 24/7 memory care in early 2017 at the Mary B, Bickford made the transition happen with thoughtful planning, love and care. My Mom’s care until her passing Nov2018 was consistently amazing. Memory care is a strength. My Dad passed away a few weeks ago with the entire Bickford family bidding him goodbye with love care and support. Janna has a Herculean task keeping the talented staff and keeping a pulse on all of the dynamics such a place creates and she has been such a strong reliable connection to my folks for me with excellent communication and insights I valued. Cheryl and Kim have been there for me and my family throughout many challenges, changes in care plans and unexpected requests and (without fail) delivered whatever they could for my folks with a ‘can do - I’ll do’ attitude. I was always thankful that my folks had the care and support they had at Bickford. The caregivers there were truly extended family for my parents for over six years. My Dad never had one bad word to say about Bickford, and he always had plenty to say, as Bickford would attest to. We made the right choice when we made that difficult choice for my folks and I would do the same again. Thanks for everything, Bickford of Portage. :)

My mother-in-law Barb lived at Bickford in Portage for just under 4 months in 2019. Barb was 87 years old and was riding the Alzheimer’s train. Barb’s family was very, very pleased with Bickford’s care for Barb and Barb’s family. Barb’s family carefully assessed 5 other potential facilities in the Portage area and felt the most comfort and confidence about Bickford of Portage. Our first impressions were that Director Janna and RN Kim were very caring but with a firm and professional get-it-done attitude. As local family members my wife and I saw Bickford under routine conditions very frequently. In every observation we saw leadership and staff in caring and get-it-done mode. When adjustments in care levels, medications, eating arrangements, etc. were deemed appropriate, changes were made promptly. I never sensed that decisions were motivated by the bottom financial line. An unexpected advanced cancer diagnosis quickly changed Barb’s health trajectory. Bickford helped the family with a smooth transition to hospice care. When Barb quietly died in her sleep at Bickford a few weeks later we continued to see many touching moments of sincere caring from leadership and staff. Special thanks from Barb’s family to Janna, Kim, and the entire Portage Bickford staff, top to bottom.