Merrill Gardens

We lived in the independent living section and getting our aides from another company which I paid separately and was very happy with. I felt that what I was getting for the amount I was paying Truewood wasn't worth it. They were short staffed so the staff was overworked although extremely friendly. The Companion Service was overpriced because I got less than half of the services quoted in the contract for the same price. My husband and I moved out and into a beautiful apartment complex after 11 months saving approximately [fee removed] a month. I did keep the separate company for my aides. We're so much happier now.

Do not expect concrete answers, Callbacks, or assistance if the resident is truly in need of any emergency type services due to unforeseen circumstances. The sales staff and the administration make promises of being there for residence, regardless of their status. However, if something happens to set resident who may otherwise be able to live independently, they will lie to you and ignore your calls and otherwise just seem to care about one thing: MONEY!

I was disappointed to realize there was no medical oversight. My mom has high blood pressure that she takes meds for. Fortunately she is in the habit of taking her blood pressure every day bc she caught it herself when it started to go up. I took her to the Dr & they increased her meds.

They are easy to deal with and pleasant - I do not really have many complaints. They are presently on food unfortunately activities are up to residents. If you are interested in what they have to offer I would recommend Merrill Gardens.

This place is depressing and a big disappointment.

[name removed] got Covid there, but their doc said cause of death was Alzheimer's which he was never diagnosed with. A simple worksheet on what do do when someone dies was not provided. Communication from staff was mostly good, but sometimes very bad. Activities were not done daily. Many food items were not easy for residents to eat. I moped his room floor many times myself. The cost was less than other places but not sure that is the case now. I was told there would be gathers for resident families that never took place.

The community was okay. My most urgent comment is that all the employees need intensive training in Alzheimer's/Dementia care! As a lay person, I had much more skill and experience in dealing with these behaviors in a kind, respectful, and effective way!

Initially experience was wonderful. When admitted it felt like we were on our own. Totally disorganized and lack of communication once admitted. Over promised and under delivered. For those looking ask a lot of questions about what is included and what isn't included for services.

As I said my mom went in for assisted living . She was not involved in any community . She stayed in her room . Ate by herself . She was left alone, she fell multiple times and broke her teeth and bones. It was not a good fit to say the least. The staff were not very attentive or kind. Except one nurse assistant. I don't think they knew what they were doing. It was not organized for an elderly client who needs assistance.

I would tell friends that Truewood is part of a difficult business. During times of stability things have been very good. But there is a lot of turnover in staffing in this business from director down to cleaning staff. We've been thru at least two significant staff shakeups in our two years there. Those times are scary, as folks like my mom don't deal well with transition, so if staff falls apart, moving to a new facility is very difficult. Truewood appears to have weathered the latest turnover, but it's early. I have no experience with other locations, so I would not recommend any place over another not knowing which would be a good fit. I would say that I feel my mom has been safe at Truewood and they seem to be good at hiring caring competent aids who work well with my mom, though they do seem to struggle with retaining those hires.

The amenities and apartments are great!! Social life is great. The older couple that is in independent but needs a little more help left us a little unhappy. The cleaning services would not Insist on cleaning each week. They need to insist and be stronger with the tenant. Although my mom was not in memory care a little more attention to older people leaving and walking two miles away, falling and no one knew she was gone was not good. I don't feel they were responsible for this, but a little better communication would have been great. Especially when an employee found my mom another time walking up the street without my dad.

The staff are dedicated to the residents, but their is an unknown authority that seems to circumvent their efforts. There are no waivers. If you cannot consume the meals for health reasons, you still must pay for meals or move. Overall I would still recommend this facility. I have toured much worse.

There are 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's very disappointing.

My loved one is currently a resident at Truewood by Merrill Glen Riddle. This is one of the cheapest options close to the city and the quality is bare minimum. If I had more money, I wouldn't have my loved one here. I would not recommend Truewood by Merrill Glen Riddle to others, based on our experience.

when it comes to the cleaning in my opinion the first main entrance lobby was the only area that is nice and clean. The second floor carpeted area is in bad shape, that includes the big dining area. I remember the first day walk through with [name removed], she said they were going to clean the carpets soon. However at our 3 months nothin has happened and now we notice bad odors. We would recommend families to probably walk through first before signing any documents. With the foods, at our 3 months we never saw anything but bananas and oranges low quality.

They make everything sound great when your shopping but then dont follow through with what's promised. We are looking soon for a new home for my parents if you have any suggestions....Truewood food is really disgusting and they really limit what you can have (neither of my parents are big eaters but when you can't have a salad and other vegies on your plate that seems very stingy, they also run out of food way to often!).

Overall & comparing to other facilities nearby I think Merrill is in the top 5 but as I mentioned above there is room for improvement in the meals and needed staff for maintenance & housekeeping... always short!The people that live here are lovely and very diverse! There is a lot of participation in Resident meetings and activities.

The manager is difficult to work with and insists it is her perogative. Staff turnover is constant.The manager should be more concerned with pleasing the paying tenants rather than being recognized by the city for allowing them to hold mtgs at Merrill Gardens.

The facility looks good. It is clean and the staff is friendly. But I would not recommend them. The medical staff misses important details. They do not have the ability to transport patients. They overcharge for services they do not perform. Much of her jewelry disappeared. And they staff took advantage of her, knowing she had frontal lobe dementia.

There have definitely been some ups and downs. There is now a new general manager who seems to be on top of problems. Hopefully it gets better.