Merrill Gardens

I eat here twice a month and the food is good. It's like a restaurant with a salad bar with a menu, and you can order whatever you want, they have lots of choices. They have breakfast, and they serve lunch and dinner from 11-7, so you can eat when you want. We go and play cards with the card club, and they give us a room. I just wouldn't want to live there. A lot of the people need a lot of assistance, and it's a lot like a hospital, they only have on gathering room, and it's where they have their entertainment. There are a lot of people slumped over sleeping. They don't have an outdoor garden or area. They have very little parking. It's on a busy street so there isn't somewhere to go for a nice view. My friends are happy there, but it's just not where I would want to be.

Good but not as nice as Summit and Belmont now; maybe in time, too new now.

Mother has only been at the Courtyards for 1 week. She seems content but is still in the stage of only wanting to come home. I am impressed with the special time they are giving her during this transition. Shortly after arriving, the recreational director brought her into the beading class, getting her mind off our departure. This made it easier for her and us. Her room is spacious and will look even better when we move in her recliner and bistro table. There is plenty of room for familiar and personal items. The facility is beautiful, the staff were quick to aid in setting up her room. I want to thank Eric from engineering for his friendly assistance plus Mom thinks he's cute!! Ashley and Kristi from sales have answered every question and set us at ease. I recommend this facility highly.

It's a nice place, they are pretty friendly, and I think they take pretty good care. It's one price for the shared room and then it's extra for the levels of care. They add things on the price for each thing. The memory care could use a little more activities. The food is carted in, it's okay, no major complaints. I think if they are going to charge me a couple of hundred dollars more for care, I would like to see more. We chose it because it's nice, and there aren't a lot of places here that offer the care we needed.

Staff was very personable and friendly. A new component called Independent Plus helps folks stay in their apartments with support from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. Facilities were very clean and tastefully decorated. Lots of walking on sidewalks outside. The assisted living section was clean and no offensive odors were present. Most rooms were doubles. A detractor was a B rating from the health department for the kitchen. Lots of activities both on and off site. I was impressed. Additionally, it seemed to be a good value for the money. In the independent section, clients pay for phone and TV service, but electricity and water is included.

They need really check out what you’re being told you’re being offered. It’s extremely expensive and the owners don’t have much flexibility in helping new residents. It’s very clean though and the staff is great.

Took a tour of this facility and thought it was nicer than most. The rooms were newer and a bit larger than you would expect. Liked the full size refrigerator and stove.

My mother is usually very independent, but this community has been great for her needs. She does not always need the care services, but whenever she does need extra care the staff are always very accommodating. They seem to have just the right amount of activities for her, considering her age and ability to participate. There is always a friendly face around, whether from the staff or the residents. The food is great as well. The maintenance staff respond quickly to any issues we bring up, and they've been great about helping us make changes to make the space her own. The value for the money is great. Great place!

The food is actually pretty good, I have had mostly trouble with communication with the administrative staff. When we got there no one had told the nurse or the administrator we were coming and the call button wasn't programmed, even though we were there earlier that day giving them thousands of dollars. This seems to be a continuous pattern. The nursing staff and the help seems great, it's just the administrative staff's communication. When choosing between our top two it turns out that they had the nicer facility, and the better price which is why we chose them.

Merrill Gardens at Santa Maria CA is a great place. Everything is clean, and the staff are happy friendly people! They answer questions with care and empathize with family when issues arrive. Large apartments makes transition from larger homes easier! The manager is trained in the hospitality field and has improved quality of food and overall atmosphere of the community!

It's a fantastic place, I think it's a good fit. There have been some issues with the drug regement, in the beginning. The communication around that issue was not good at all. The communication definitely needs to be improved. They started adding a lot of add on charges. I get calls all the time when things come up. The food is about a 3 the chef is a little below average. It's pretty generic and not very tasty, some stuff has been cold. It looks like a good menu and the facilities are fantastic. The facility is new clean and in great shape and the staff was friendly, and the staff and residents all knew eachothers names. This became our standard sort of our litmus test.

This is very much a first impression. My mother has been at Merrill Gardens University for less than a week.

Nice new construction, but rooms were very small. I was there on a Sunday, so it was pretty quiet, and not a lot of staff. New construction. I didn't like that only a certain amount of meals per month were provided; I felt that the add-ons could get pricey. It was clean, and would have been a great back-up.

The value is good, you get what you pay for. The food is fine, there's plenty of options available. They've done a great job. It's the best place for our situation. We're lucky to have found them. They take good care of the residents, and they are safe and looked after. I would recommend it to anyone in my situation.

If income is 2500 or less they offer reduced rates of Studio 1695 1Bdr 2400+ I've beeen there and would like that area. Spoke with Linda [Removed]

We're pleased overall with how things are going here. The facility itself is well kept and clean, and they do a good job keeping everyone cared for and entertained. The staff are all friendly and professional. In terms of the food I'd give them a 4 out 5, it generally pretty good, but it has room for improvement.

The staff is great. My mom is in the memory care unit and they really try to keep her occupied. From what I have observed, no one goes back to their rooms after lunch. There are games or music, dancing and I'm not sure what else. Their meals are good and everyone congregates into the dining room with all their new friends. So far, this has been a wise decision.

Very nice property. $3995/mo all inclusive except phone. No addtl for memory care. Specific times for meals - otherwise snacks in room. Fridge, cabinets incl. Can bring microwave. Carpeted. Type B facility.

I liked Barkley Place and have passed the info to my parents to look over.

The intake staff are helpful, friendly, and supportive.