Assisted Living
Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls
5101 University, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 · Map
Licensed for 74 residents
Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls is a state-licensed assisted living community in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It is licensed for 74 residents. Lilisity publishes no score or ranking for this community; the details below come from the state licensing record.
Prices
Starting prices the community publishes, with the date we checked each one and a link to where it is published. Care charges are usually added after an assessment.
| Care | Starting at | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted Living | $4,104 /mo | Oct 12, 2026 |
Area costs
Lilisity’s independent report
What the public record shows
Gathered by Lilisity from state and federal sources. Communities can’t edit this part of the page.
State inspections
Last recertification or initial survey: Dec 10, 2024. See the record
License
Active, 74 residents
Assisted Living Program S0028.
Nearest emergency room
2.6 miles
Sartori Memorial Hospital, Inc.
Side by side with nearby communities
The 4 nearest communities that offer assisted living, by straight-line distance. Prices are starting prices each community publishes; we never show estimates.
| Community | Distance | Licensed capacity | Published starting price | License | Inspection citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls this community | 74 | $4,104/mo | Active | 14 state violations in 3 years | |
| Oak Park Estates AL & Memory Care | 0.9 mi | 34 | Not published | Active | No record |
| Bryhl Assisted Living | 1.6 mi | 84 | Not published | Active | 5 state violations in 3 years |
| Deery Suites Memory Care | 1.6 mi | 40 | Not published | Active | No record |
| Windhaven Assisted Living Center | 1.9 mi | 198 | Not published | Active | 0 state violations in 3 years |
State inspection record14 state violations in 3 years
- Last recertification or initial survey
- December 10, 2024
- Visits in three years
- 7
- Complaint visits in three years
- 4
- State violations (all visits)
- 14
- State fines in three years
- 1 ($325 after adjustment)
- Certification expires
- February 1, 2027
- No violations cited at the last 2 visits (May 2025 to November 2025)
- Certified since 1999
Visits (newest first)
- November 18, 2025: Complaint, no state violations listed · report
- May 14, 2025: Complaint, Incident, no state violations listed · report
- May 14, 2025: Recertification Revisit, Complaint Revisit, Incident Revisit (revisit), no state violations listed
- December 10, 2024: Recertification, Complaint, Incident, 13 state violations · report · citation
- The program shall follow the policies and procedures established by the program. 481 IAC 67.2(3)
- Background check requirements for employer prior to employing an individual. Prior to employment of a person in a program, the program shall request that the department of public safety perform a criminal history check and the department of human services perform child and dependent adult abuse record checks of the person in this state. 481 IAC 67.19(3)
- Employment prohibition. A person who has committed a crime or has a record of founded child or dependent adult abuse shall not be employed in a program unless an evaluation has been performed by the department of human services. 481 IAC 67.19(5)
- The employer shall act to verify the information within seven calendar days of notification. "Verify," for purposes of this subrule, means to access the single contact repository (SING) to perform a background check, to request a criminal background check from the department of public safety, to request an abuse record check from the department of human services, to conduct an online search through the Iowa Courts Online Web site, or to contact the county clerk of court office and obtain a copy of relevant court documents. 481 IAC 67.19(9)(a)
- Evaluation of tenant prior to occupancy. A program shall evaluate each prospective tenant's functional, cognitive and health status prior to the tenant's signing the occupancy agreement and taking occupancy of a dwelling unit in order to determine the tenant's eligibility for the program, including whether the services needed are available. The cognitive evaluation shall utilize a scored, objective tool. When the score from the cognitive evaluation indicates moderate cognitive decline and risk, the Global Deterioration Scale shall be used at all subsequent intervals, if applicable. If the tenant subsequently returns to the tenant's mildly cognitively impaired state, the program may discontinue the GDS and revert to a scored cognitive screening tool. The evaluation shall be conducted by a health care professional, human service professional, or a licensed practical nurse via nurse delegation. 481 IAC 69.22(1)
Show all 9
- Evaluation within 30 days of occupancy. A program shall evaluate each tenant's functional, cognitive and health status within 30 days of occupancy. The evaluation shall be conducted by a health care professional, a human service professional, or a licensed practical nurse via nurse delegation when the tenant has not exhibited a significant change. 481 IAC 69.22(2)
- Evaluation of tenant. Evaluation annually and with significant change. A program shall evaluate each tenant's functional, cognitive and health status as needed with significant change, but not less than annually, to determine the tenant's continued eligibility for the program and to determine any changes to services needed,. The evaluation shall be conducted by a health care professional, a human service professional, or a licensed practical nurse via nurse delegation when the tenant has not exhibited a significant change. A licensed practical nurse shall not complete the evaluation when the tenant has exhibited a significant change. 481 IAC 69.22(3)
- A program shall not knowingly admit or retain a tenant who: a. Is bed-bound; or b. Requires routine, two-person assistance with standing, transfer or evacuation; or c. Is dangerous to self or other tenants or staff, including but not limited to a tenant who: (1) Despite intervention chronically elopes, is sexually or physically aggressive or abusive, or displays unmanageable verbal abuse or aggression; or (2) Displays behavior that places another tenant at risk; or d. Is in an acute stage of alcoholism, drug addiction, or uncontrolled mental illness; or e. Is under the age of 18; or f. Requires more than part-time or intermittent health-related care; or g. Has unmanageable incontinence on a routine basis despite an individualized toileting program; or h. Is medically unstable; or i. Requires maximal assistance with activities of daily living; or j. Despite intervention, chronically urinates or defecates in places that are not considered acceptable according to societal norms, such as on the floor or in a potted plant. 481 IAC 69.23(1)
- and 5 more
- December 10, 2024: Complaint Revisit (revisit), no state violations listed
- December 10, 2024: Incident Revisit (revisit), no state violations listed
- December 14, 2023: Complaint, 1 state violation · report
- The service plan shall be individualized and shall indicate, at a minimum: a. The tenant's identified needs and preferences for assistance; 481 IAC 69.26(4)a
State fines
- Visit December 10, 2024: fine issued February 6, 2025, $500, adjusted to $325; paid $325, owed $0 (enforcement no. 10730)
DIAL Health Facility Database record → (Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls)
What these terms mean
DIAL's Health Facility Database lists each visit to the program, the number of state violations found, and any certification or licensure action and fine that followed. The scanned report for each visit is linked; it holds the inspectors' findings in full.
Recertification: DIAL's routine survey of the program for its certification. Complaint: a visit to look into a complaint. Incident: a visit to look into an incident the program reported. Initial: the survey of a new program. A revisit is a follow-up visit after an earlier one. A visit can be more than one type.
Iowa Code 231C.14 lets DIAL fine an assisted living program for “noncompliance with any regulatory requirements which presents an imminent danger or a substantial probability of resultant death or physical harm to a tenant,” for continued failure to comply after notice, or for interfering with an inspector. A fine is reduced by 35 percent when the program does not contest it and pays within 30 days; the Assessed Fines Report shows this as “State Adjusted”. “State Susp” is the part suspended.
A complaint visit with no violations listed does not say whether the complaint was substantiated; the linked report does. This program is certified for 74 residents or units; larger programs are visited and cited more often, so read counts with size in mind. Source: Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Health Facilities Division, data as of October 16, 2026. Always visit in person and ask the program about anything listed here.
License and ownershipActive license
- License type
- Assisted Living Program
- License number
- S0028
- License status
- Active
- Licensed capacity
- 74
- County
- Black Hawk County
- Executive Director
- Nicole Konen
Source: Iowa state licensing records (agency listing), retrieved 2026-09-09. Licensing status is a matter of public record; it is not a quality rating.
Executive Director name from the operator's website, as of Oct 12, 2026.
Paying with Medicaid and other programsHow Medicaid pays for care in Iowa, and other programs
How Medicaid pays for care in Iowa
- Elderly (E) Waiver, Assisted Living Service. Iowa Medicaid's Elderly Waiver, for people 65 and older, lists "Assisted Living Service" among its services. Waiver slots can have waiting lists. (state page)
- Waitlist. Iowa HHS says there is currently no waitlist for the Elderly Waiver, and that this could change. (source)
Ask the community whether it accepts Medicaid.
Location and nearby careNearest hospital 2.6 mi, nursing home 1.5 mi, pharmacy 0.8 mi
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Sartori Memorial Hospital, Inc, Cedar Falls. 2.6 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Pinnacle Specialty Care, Cedar Falls. 1.5 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Unitypoint At Home, Waterloo. 1.0 mile away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Walgreens. 0.8 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 50613 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Davita Cedar Valley Dialysis, Waterloo, 3.2 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 4 of 5 stars)
Davita Black Hawk Dialysis, Waterloo, 4.8 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 4 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 8 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 50613.
Unitypoint Hospice, office in Waterloo, 1.0 mile away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
Care Initiatives Hospice - Cedar Falls, office in Cedar Falls, 3.0 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars)
Cedar Valley Hospice, office in Waterloo, 4.3 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 5 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Joseph Hoagbin, MD, Marshalltown. 41.1 miles away, straight line. 1 geriatric medicine doctor listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard riskFEMA overall risk relatively low; outside FEMA's high-risk flood areas
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively low. By hazard: hurricane very low, inland flooding relatively low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively high, heat wave relatively low, earthquake very low. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
Questions to ask on a tour10 questions picked for this community from its record
Picked for this community from its record. Ask them in person and write down the answers.
- The state recorded a finding in December 2024. What was it, and how was it fixed?
- Your published starting price is a base rate. What would the total monthly cost be for my parent's needs?
- How much have prices gone up in each of the last three years?
- How many caregivers are on duty during the day and at night?
- What happens if care needs increase? When would someone need to move?
- What fees are charged at move-in?
- How do you tell families about falls, illness or changes?
- How long have the executive director and the head of care been here?
- Who gives medications, and what training do they have?
- For what reasons can a resident be asked to leave?
What we checked12 public sources we searched, with dates
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Health Facilities Division inspection records | Oct 16, 2026 | See above |
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here very low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| The community’s own website | Could not read the site |
Common questionsAnswers to 4 questions families ask
What type of care does Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls provide?
Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls is licensed by the state of Iowa for assisted living in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Its licensed capacity is 74 residents.
Does Lilisity rate Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls?
No. We publish state licensing details for Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls but no score, rating, or ranking. Only communities on the Top Communities list or with a Senior Living Alliance Excellence Award, both based on phone-verified resident and family interviews, are ranked.
How much does Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls cost?
Assisted Living in Iowa typically starts at $1,450 to $4,650 a month. Based on 33 communities that publish prices. These are area figures, not this community's price. The starting prices it publishes are in the Prices section on this page.
How do I contact Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls?
Use Bickford Cottage Cedar Falls's website, bickfordseniorliving.com/branch/bickford-of-cedar-falls, or visit at 5101 University, Cedar Falls, IA 50613.
How Lilisity works. The only scores or rankings Lilisity publishes are the Top Communities list and the Excellence Awards, both built from phone-verified resident and family interviews. Communities can pay Lilisity a flat monthly fee to manage their own listing: photos, prices, contact details, and receiving the inquiries families choose to send them. The fee is the same no matter how many families contact them or move in. Senior Living Alliance, which runs Lilisity, offers the same listing to its member communities as part of their membership; members pay SLA for its resident and family interview program. No community pays Lilisity per inquiry, per referral or per move-in. Payment never changes a testimonial, a rating, or the order of search results. The "Nearby Senior Living Alliance communities" box shows member communities only. How we verify testimonials · How we are paid