Assisted Living and Memory Care
Bickford Cottage Urbandale
5915 Sutton Place, Urbandale, IA 50322 · Map
Licensed for 98 residents
Bickford Cottage Urbandale is a state-licensed assisted living, memory care community in Urbandale, Iowa. It is licensed for 98 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 | $5,320 /mo | Jun 15, 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: Mar 19, 2025. See the record
License
Active, 98 residents
Assisted Living Program, dementia specific S0042.
Nearest emergency room
3.7 miles
Broadlawns Medical Center, rated 3 of 5 stars by CMS.
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 Urbandale this community | 98 | $5,320/mo | Active | 25 state violations in 3 years | |
| Meadowview of Johnston | 1.0 mi | 170 | Not published | Active | No record |
| Martina Place | 1.4 mi | 120 | Not published | Active | 0 state violations in 3 years |
| StoryPoint Johnston | 1.4 mi | 128 | Not published | Active | 4 state violations in 3 years |
| Senior Suites of Urbandale | 1.8 mi | 98 | Not published | Active | 1 state violation in 3 years |
State inspection record25 state violations in 3 years
- Last recertification or initial survey
- March 19, 2025
- Visits in three years
- 6
- Complaint visits in three years
- 5
- State violations (all visits)
- 25
- State fines in three years
- 1 ($1,300 after adjustment)
- Certification expires
- September 29, 2026
- No violations cited at the last 2 visits (June 2025 to October 2025)
- Certified since 1999
Visits (newest first)
- October 16, 2025: Complaint, Incident, no state violations listed · report
- June 10, 2025: Complaint, no state violations listed · report
- March 19, 2025: Recertification, Complaint, 3 state violations · report
- When medications are administered traditionally by the program, medications and treatments shall be administered as prescribed by the tenant's physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant. 481 IAC 67.5(2)f(4)
- Documentation for each tenant shall be maintained by the program and shall include: n. A copy of guardianship, durable power of attorney for health care, power of attorney, or conservatorship or other documentation of a legal representative; 481 IAC 69.25(1)n
- Documentation for each tenant shall be maintained by the program and shall include: When the tenant is unable to advocate on the tenant’s own behalf or the tenant has multiple service providers, including hospice care providers, accurate documentation of the completion of routine personal or health-related care is required on task sheets. If tasks are doctor-ordered, the tasks shall be part of the medication administration records (MARs) 481 IAC 69.25(1)q
- October 14, 2024: Incident, no state violations listed · report
- April 24, 2024: Complaint, 1 state violation · report
- 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)
- February 19, 2024: Complaint, Incident, Other, 21 state violations; Fining & Citation · report · citation
- Tenant Rights. To receive care, treatment and services which are adequate and appropriate. 481 IAC 67.3(2)
- The program’s policies and procedures on incident reports, at a minimum, shall include the following: e. All accidents or unusual occurrences within the program’s building or on the premises that affect tenants shall be reported as incidents. 481 IAC 67.2(1)e
- The program shall follow the policies and procedures established by the program. 481 IAC 67.2(3)
- Tenant Rights. To be treated with consideration, respect, and full recognition of personal dignity and autonomy. 481 IAC 67.3(1)
- Number of staff. A sufficient number of trained staff shall be available at all times to fully meet tenants' identified needs. 481 IAC 67.9(1)
Show all 9
- Nurse delegation shall, at a minimum, include the program's newly hired registered nurse shall within 60 days of beginning employment as the program's registered nurse document a review to ensure that staff are sufficiently trained and competent in all tasks that are assigned or delegated. 481 IAC 67.9(4)a
- Nurse delegation shall, at a minimum, include within 30 days of beginning employment, all program staff shall receive training by the program's registered nurse(s). 481 IAC 67.9(4)b
- Dependent adult abuse training. Program staff shall receive training relating to the identification and reporting of dependent adult abuse as required by Iowa Code section 235B.16. 481 IAC 67.9(6)
- and 13 more
State fines
- Visit February 19, 2024: fine issued May 23, 2024, $2,000, adjusted to $1,300; paid $1,300, owed $0 (enforcement no. 10383)
DIAL Health Facility Database record → (Bickford Cottage Urbandale)
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 98 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, dementia specific
- License number
- S0042
- License status
- Active
- Licensed capacity
- 98
- County
- Polk County
- Executive Director
- Alexzandrea Millonig
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.
Staff pay and workplace safety1 federal wage case with violations found
Federal records about how the employer here treats its staff.
Federal wage and hour cases
The Department of Labor checks that staff are paid minimum wage and overtime as the law requires.
- Findings for Aug 24, 2014 to Aug 21, 2016. Violations found: Fair Labor Standards Act (pay and hours). Employer as DOL recorded it: Bickford Senior Living (Bickford Senior Living Group, LLC). Case 1796255.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division enforcement data, loaded Oct 15, 2026. Concluded cases only. The dates are the period in which DOL found violations, not when the case opened or closed. Back wages are what the employer agreed to pay; penalties are what DOL assessed. DOL does not publish a page for each case, so search the dataset by case number.
Location and nearby careNearest hospital 3.7 mi, nursing home 0.9 mi, pharmacy 0.7 mi
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Broadlawns Medical Center, Des Moines. 3.7 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 3 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Childserve Habilitation Center, Johnston. 0.9 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Childserve Home Care Inc, Johnston. 0.7 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Price Chopper Pharmacy. 0.7 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 50322 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Davita Windsor Heights Dialysis, Windsor Heights, 3.5 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Davita Central Des Moines Dialysis, Des Moines, 5.2 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Fmc - Mercy, Des Moines, 5.3 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 2 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 13 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 50322.
Hospice Of The Midwest, LLC, office in Johnston, 2.5 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars)
Unitypoint Hospice, office in Urbandale, 4.0 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars)
Wesleylife Hospice, office in Urbandale, 4.0 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Ch Specialty Services Ia PC, Osceola. 42.4 miles away, straight line. 2 geriatric medicine doctors 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 very 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: very low. By hazard: hurricane very low, inland flooding very low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively moderate, heat wave relatively moderate, 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 March 2025. 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 work in memory care during the day, the evening and overnight, and for how many residents?
- What dementia training does each caregiver get before working alone, and every year after?
- How do staff respond when a resident is agitated, frightened or tries to leave?
- 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?
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 | See above |
| 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 Urbandale provide?
Bickford Cottage Urbandale is licensed by the state of Iowa for assisted living, memory care in Urbandale, Iowa. Its licensed capacity is 98 residents.
Does Lilisity rate Bickford Cottage Urbandale?
No. We publish state licensing details for Bickford Cottage Urbandale 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 Urbandale 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 Urbandale?
Use Bickford Cottage Urbandale's website, bickfordseniorliving.com/branch/bickford-of-urbandale, or visit at 5915 Sutton Place, Urbandale, IA 50322.
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