Merrill Gardens

No option for reduced meals. Management not accessible. New maintenance staff is still catching up. Would only recommend with qualifications.

We have had issues with staff (agency) coming and going so frustrating that the communication between staff is not great. Staff doesn't seem to get the fact that we, as a family, choose to do my Mom's laundry and things continue to go missing. As of last night my mother has had 3 falls- all from a wheelchair despite asking them to not leave her unattended in the wheelchair in her room! (the second time it was 10 hrs after the fall before I got notified of the incident!) Right now they are dealing with a covid outbreak but no communication of this to families despite going into the holiday weekend!!! So communication to families is a BIG issue! (lack there of!) The food is mediocre at best- they feed the bigger meal at noon, and lots of sandwiches at dinner in the evening- how about adding in some soup or something warm this time of year! Presentation of said food is poor-things are pretty bland looking- how about some fresh fruit and not always gross looking canned fruit cocktail!! With only 50 residents, I had hoped the food would look a little more appetizing since the description on the menu looked sounded pretty good! One of the main reasons we chose The Pines, was location to family and cost. The base cost is reasonable, and we pay [fee removed] on top of that for her "level of care/specific needs" So just under [fee removed]. I would have thought the extra care she needs would include better monitoring but l am beginning to have some doubts due to the 3 falls in 2 months!! Overall- things are average for the most part. Have I thought about looking for a different facility that is more nursing home, vs assisted living. I was told there is generally more licensed staff (RN, LPN) in a nursing home vs assisted living so maybe Mom needs that type of facility?

I picked it because of the synagogue being across the street not sure whether or not I'd recommend it although having been to two I guess to some degree either the same they both have problems maybe others do too don't know.

My loved one was previously a resident at The Pines and overall the experience at this facility was just okay. However, my loved one did not receive very proactive support and there was insufficient holistic care for someone battling Parkinson's. There was also a fair amount of staff turnover, which did not help.

What we like about the community - they are renovating the facility from the hurricane. However what we do not like about the community is the nurses personality, but we would recommend this community to other families. I would add that pricing is negotiable. We held out and got the activity fee waived and a lower rent rate for an upper studio with porch

It's really for independent living. Not enough assistance for those assisted living people. Not a good place for an active person, or a social person.We picked this community, because of proximity to my sisters house. It was small, my dad was very simple, so he didn't need a fancy place. And priced right. And it was clean and very quiet.

There have been many complaints about roaches in the rooms, overcooked food (ex. tough meat), and a lack of thorough cleaning by the staff. Overall, not a good value. It has been very disappointing.

mom Loves the staff there and other seniors there. She is happy, but i am not happy cause she earns [removed] for rent in Social Security funds and i have to now move her as her rent is hiked up, i took up a job to support her needs. Bring food for her so she stays connected to her roots. But the rent hike promised before move in was to be [removed]and i see it has increased by much more. Sad to take her away from an environment where she is happy. Hoping you can work with me to what was promised?

My sister is young for Merril Gardens. She has mild cognitive impairment, and even though we are paying for additional treatment, it's been a month until things were lined up. The facility is very clean. The price is reasonable, but it just isn't set up for someone who is in her 60s.

My family and loved one had an average experience with the community. The care staff are really wonderful. The community. The community is clean. There are meals and activities available for the residents to stay social.

We picked this community, because prior to my mother moving in my step father was there. I would recommend that others, visit and make an educated choice. It's okay, no other experience to compare to.

We picked this community, because of the location. It's a beautiful facility. Care staff has been more consistent however they are still learning how to run a memory care residence.

This community was out of my planned budget range based on my monthly retirement income. This was a newer community, and may be a bit better activities from the flyers presented to me. I did not try out their menus nor experience the security of the neighborhood.

Apparently the food served is good. There are LOTS of activities. The individual rooms are updated and clean. There is an equal balance of men and women. Negative: common areas desperately need updating/sense of organization. They don't keep them clean. It appears they never vacuum the floor. Only one common area and it doesn't accommodate enough people for popular activities. There is only one small, very slow elevator on the assisted side. Parking/ drop off at entrance only able to fit the resident transport bus. My loved one has adjusted and made friends. It's not all bad. There are plenty of upbeat residents who "still have life in them" which contrasts to other places I visited where the residents were all grumpy and complaining. I know that sounds unkind to say but it makes a difference. The residents are active and don't stay in their rooms all day, so they use that space (which is really good). My loved one is very comfortable here, it is just housekeeping that needs to step up.

Glen Riddle was along the lines or Rose Tree Place. I didn't find it as bright, an overwhelming, or an active community and pleasant staff for my loved one. Truewood Glenn riddle was also a good place but I did not like the feel and darkness of the memory care unit.

Our biggest complaint is maintenance and response. When the electricity went out, mom called 3 times for someone to help her out of her electric recliner. Each time, they said that no one was available and they would call back. They never did. In a couple of hours the electricity came back on. Twice the fire alarm has gone off for a long time. No explanation and when mom asked she was told only, "get back in your room and close the door." Mom can't use her thermostat. It's old, small, faded, and almost unreadable, even by me. Even the staff say it is one of the old ones. We have asked for it to be replaced several times and no response. We thought that Merrill Gardens at Campbell would be a first rate facility, but so far it has been disappointing.

Merrill Gardens at Ballard is a great place for highly independent seniors. It is in a location that is by a lot of restaurants and shopping. My dad was here for about 5 months and it was very poor for memory care. It would also be a poor place for individuals who have Parkinson's or any other neuro-degenerative diseases. I do think if they would have hired night time staff at the front desk, it would have helped a lot.

Our family had an in person tour with Truewood by Merrill, Henderson and we felt the tour experience was just average. It reminded us of every other multiple unit "big box" assisted living facility.

All the areas below 4 stars could use improvements. The activities and staff are absolutely fantastic. The food is awful, however based on the experience we have had so far with Merrill Gardens at Solivita Marketplace we would recommend them to other families.

The hallways need better cleaning. Their 'in house' transportation is mostly the city. I was there over the winter holidays and there were several days where there was no one at the front desk of the "newer" building. I understand people need time off but not having anyone at the front desk and leaving it as an honor system is extremely poor as most any resident will open their door if knocked on.