Merrill Gardens

The friendliness and compassion of some of the staff is what stood out to me at this facility. They did try to work with me when my father had difficulties adjusting, however, he had to move because it wasn't a good fit. There were activities, and the activity director did get a special activity for my dad because he was wanting to "fix" things. However, I never saw them using that activity with him. [Name removed] in the front office was a gem. When my father lost his glasses, she continued to be on the lookout for them even after he had moved. They were very accommodating when we had multiple family members visit and let us use the private dining room. Generally the cleanliness was good, although a couple of times there was an odor in certain areas. I feel like I would recommend the Pines with a caveat. They advertise as memory care/assisted living but they were not equipped to handle my father's Dementia. I was frequently called to come there to calm him down. I don't believe that they were staffed enough, nor did the staff have the training to be able to redirect him and not let situations escalate.

This facility has been great and we're really happy with our choice. The staff is really good. I really like them, they're pretty great people. You can tell that they like being here. They're very close knit and it feels like a family here. The family/community feel is very strong at this place. One thing that I've been impressed with is that the staff always seems to know where all of the residents are and what they're doing at all times. They're always aware, but still give the residents their space. I think that's really great. Also, there doesn't seem to be a high turnover in staff at this facility, compared to other places that I have experience with. They also try really hard with the activities. Mom is in Memory Care, so it can be a challenge. What's great about the activities here is that my mom is and feels included, even if she can't always participate. Housekeeping is good. Communication with the family is really good. I feel really blessed that mom is here. I would absolutely recommend them to family and friends.

Comfortable; friendly staff, but too few sometimes just like all places; good food; nice location.

The care services staff is so friendly and kind to my loved one. It's a fair price. They need to make sure there is adequate staff on the weekends - nursing & maintenance.

I toured this facility. It wasn't quite as nice as some of the others that I toured, but was still pretty good.

The interaction with the staff is really good. My loved one does not really like the food. The staff cares for the residents, and gets to know them really well. Overall, I would recommend to other families.

We love Merrill Gardens at Madison, and mom is doing wonderful there. The community has a great assisted living care side but our loved one is on memory care and they have such great activities. They have different scheduled activities that really get mom out of her room and keep staying active and involved with other residents. She has a place that feels like her own which has been great .

They were wonderful. Highly recommend but they are understaffed and that severely affects the dining experience.

I really liked the common areas. They looked full when we came to tour, which makes for a good place. But I didn’t like the overall setup - it reminded me of the quarters in Germany.

So far my mom has been well taken care of. There are some issues with communication from management to tenants and that needs improvement but it's mostly been a positive experience. My Mimi's very comfortable and pleased.

The moving in process was easy and well explained through all steps. The overall setting is convenient for residents and visitors. We like the layout of the facility. I would recommend Truewood by Merrill, Glen Riddle to others looking.

Mom really likes the social relationships she's making through activities. She loves the staff, but repeatedly comments how short staffed they are. She eats in the dining room, likes the flexibility, and looks forward to some items, but tends to be critical about the temperature of the hot food. Most of the time it's cold and she needs to ask for it to be put in the microwave. She's happy with housekeeping, but feels more boundaries need to be set with the maintenance staff. She would prefer a set date and time as opposed to the present, "knock knock" and walk in. We can see that for first and second floor, but not the third floor, Independent Living.

Overall it is a good facility and my loved one is happy. My loved one uses a walker and the bathroom is set up well with handrails and easy access to the shower. Sometimes they forget to empty the trash under the kitchen sink.

I liked this community. The proximity wasn't close to my home. I have heard great things about Merrill Gardens. The facility was nice.

They were very flexible with my parents changing needs and they were great during the hurricane

Merrill Gardens had a bright memory care unit, but little outdoor space and would not consider assisted living for an individual with any level of dementia diagnosis. Regardless of level of functioning and ability to do ADLs independently. It was a nice place, but just ultimately not the right fit for what we were searching for.

We picked this community because of the cost and location. The food and snacks available to the residents, needs to improve.

This is one of the nicest and cleanest communities we have found. They have decorated the community nicely for the demographic they are serving. The staff communication with the family is lacking a bit. The billing department needs to be better for internal communication and with the family. There are three meals a day served to the residents, along with snacks. There are several choices for the residents to choose from.

My loved one likes the food. They have an activities room, and they have Bingo/crossword puzzles. I feel like we are, paying money for things, and not getting a lot of things done. We picked this community because, the admissions girl was super nice, and everyone seemed to be happy. They need more staff. My advice to other families is to ask questions.

My dad seems to be happy there for the most part. The food is pretty good. The staff are really friendly and attentive. The facility is always very clean, and the décor is nice.