Bickford of Saginaw Township

Beware! If I could give zero stars, I would. My husband and I met with Executive Director Melissa and an Advocate named Heather on May 12, 2026, to learn about the organization and determine whether it would be a good fit for my father-in-law. During the meeting, both women were personable and informative. We were given a tour and shown a room. We specifically informed both Heather and Melissa that my father-in-law has significant difficulty speaking and understanding English. Both women assured us that this would not be a problem and indicated that accommodations, including a translator, would be provided for the nurses evaluation. While viewing the room, Heather told us they only had one room available and that we would need to put a deposit down that day if we wanted it. We expressed our interest and were told that my father-in-law would need to be evaluated by a nurse and that a translator would be present during the evaluation because of the language barrier. Heather then informed us that we needed to pay $500 that day for the nurse's evaluation and assured us that the money would be refundable if my father-in-law was unable to move into the facility. We paid the money. When the nurse arrived at my father-in-law's home, she came without a translator and called my husband in the middle of his workday to help communicate with his father. At the end of the visit, the nurse stated that my father-in-law met the criteria for the facility but did not complete a full evaluation because there were "a lot of questions" and he had difficulty understanding English. She said she was simply going to recommend maximum care for him. Ultimately, my father-in-law did not move into the facility because Heather did not make us aware of all of the additional costs involved. When I explained that we could not afford the expenses at this time, she began offering discounts and a 30-day trial period—which we would still have had to pay for—to see if they could handle the language barrier. The entire experience left my husband and me feeling pressured into signing contracts we were unsure about and coerced into paying money we did not have. When we explained our financial concerns, the situation felt more like negotiating for a used car than discussing care for a loved one. Based on our experience, this organization seemed far more focused on securing payment than on the well-being of its clients and their families. This organization has until the date of this review not refunded the money we paid them. We have reached out to the agency we went to, as well as the main agency in Kansas and they still will not provide the refund that was guaranteed by their Executive Director and Advocate as well as by the paperwork that we signed at the time we gave them the money. I do not recommend even giving this place a second thought. If you see it online when you are searching for Assisted Living, Memory care or any other service they offer just scroll past it and act like you never seen it.