Merrill Gardens

I was impressed with the staff, most have been there at least a decade which is unusual. They have 4 RNs on staff which is also uncommon. The program they have, Bridges, allows for care plans to change and grow as a resident's needs change allowing them to remain in assisted living longer than in other facilities. The entire building is bright, clean and open. They offer a variety of room sizes and every one I saw was in great shape. They offer a large variety of activities both scheduled and impromptu. I appreciate that they will honor a resident's individual routines. If they have a morning routine then the care givers adjust to that routine rather than forcing residents to conform to what the facility wants. One thing I found especially impressive was the fact that many of the employees have been there many years and have simply moved up into management positions. I can easily see my mom living here.

Very nice staff and facility. Just not the right fit for my dad's needs

Really great place. Small but lovely. [name removed] was great and I had a chance to meet with residents and daughters and they love it. Definitely a possibility.

Was absolutely wonderful. Staff, residents couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. Gave us a wonderful lunch and the studio that [Removed] is seriously thinking about was wonderful. A little patio overlooking a garden area.

I loved it.

Our tour of Merrill Gardens was absolutely wonderful! Even my father, who is not "all-in" with this search, was impressed. Before [Removed] could come show us around, one of the residents came into the bistro to speak to us. She told us how much she enjoys the people and atmosphere of this community. My parents were not only impressed by the friendliness of the residents, but also with the spacious community area downstairs, the wide hallways upstairs, the inviting exercise room, the options of places downstairs to sit with friends (or alone), the light and open areas, and the details of the apartments. We looked at both one- and two-bedroom apartments and liked both. The details in this one year old building were so nice: textured walls in the hallway, nice colors, non-slip flooring in the apartment kitchen and bathroom, the high ceilings, and even a drawer in the kitchen that locked (for medicine?). [Removed] gave us a nice tour calling residents - and even a few pets - by name. She seemed to truly care about us and to understand what we're going through in this decision-making process. We appreciated the inviting atmosphere and the no-pressure tour. Merrill Gardens isn't a community that needs someone to "sell it." Its atmosphere, spaciousness, beauty and available services all take care of that without a word being spoken. When my parents are ready to make a move, I truly hope it will be Merrill Gardens of Woodstock.

We couldn't find a fault with what we saw. We have always heard how expensive Merrill Gardens is, but all we saw was value for our money!

My mom was in respite care here for about 3 weeks and it was great. We liked the brightness of everything and the wide hallways. The food seemed good and everyone was pleasant to deal with. The place was beautiful and clean. I would recommend this to other families.

I went on a tour here and the staff was helpful and answered all of my questions. This was an overall nice facility but wasn't in our price range. I would recommend families tour a few different places before making a decision.

Very nice facility. Residents seemed very friendly and actively engaged in a number of activities. The rooms were very modern. The place was very clean. Staff was very friendly and seemed genuinely interested in the residents. Loved the dining room.

Beautiful facility. Great meeting room. Very friendly and courteous staff.

This facility is wonderful and hands down the best in the area. They have independent, assisted living, and memory care all in one building and facilitate that very well. The services and medical care they offer are exemplary and excellent. The main reason why I chose this for my loved ones is because it doesn’t feel like a hospital setting and it’s like home. For activities, they offer things like live entertainment, movies, games, bingo, and a book club. Food, room cleaning, and laundry are included in the rent. Without a doubt I would recommend this facility to other families.

This facility has been beyond what I’ve expected. The building itself is well kept and always looks clean. They are far better than other places I had toured. The atmosphere here is welcoming and quiet. I really like that the staff members here know all of the residents by name. For activities, they offer things like bingo, games and shopping trips. I would recommend this facility to other families.

My parents live here currently. [Removed], the director, really made sure to make things happen. We had a bit of a difficult situation, but she was able to get everything together. The staff has been excellent and is always available. Anytime you need anything, all you have to do is ask. My Dad and all the residents are always clean and well taken care of. They appear to be very concerned with the residents’ dignity. The food is okay; it’s well-balanced and there are plenty of options to choose from. They have lots of activities available like bingo, exercise classes, music programs with entertainers, piano recitals, and field trips to different places. There’s a schedule made every day of different things to do. The facility isn’t the newest but it looks clean and my parents’ rooms are always clean. I would recommend this place.

A very good-looking facility, but oriented vertically rather than horizontally which caused some concern for my dad. Otherwise the amenities looked great, the one bedroom apartments were spacious (for a facility of this type) and offered stove/oven and 3/4 fridge. Proximity to high quality grocery and nice restaurants (all within 200 yards of the front door) was a key selling point.

This place was brand new when I took a tour. They offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care. It seemed to be a pretty active place. When I toured, there were people in the lobby reading and chatting with each other and it just seemed like it was the type of place where things actually happen. The marketing person that gave me the tour was very nice and was able to answer all of my questions. The cleanliness was very good and the food looked good as well. The dining room looked more like a restaurant where there was a wait staff that would take your order. Ultimately, the location was just a bit too far for our needs.

This facility is doing really well in taking care of my Mother-In-Law. She has a special service called the ridge program and the staff takes a little extra care of her and they check on her every 30 minutes. They look out for any special needs that she has and they are quick to communicate with me if anything is out of the ordinary. They are even really good at inviting her to join in on some of the activities like bingo, flower decorating, exercise classes, and field trips. This facility is meeting her needs very well and I would recommend them to other families.

My sister is doing well here and is happy. The staff is always friendly and willing to help. They are fed 3x a day and the food is excellent. It is always clean and kept nice. She enjoys some of daily activities the offer. I would recommend this community.

Things are going very well here and my family is very happy with the care our loved one is receiving. Everyone seems to be very proactive, open, and responsive to any feedback we have. They’re also good about being able to redirect her if she gets upset about something. She seems very happy anytime I see her, though. They have what’s called a Bridge Program which is geared towards residents with moderate dementia. They have specialized activities for them and they seem to be able to focus more of their attention towards those particular residents. The food’s pretty good and I think she’s happy with it. They’ve worked on seating her with people that she’s already known for a while so she’s comfortable in her surroundings but if she doesn’t feel like going to the dining room then they’ll bring her food to her. All in all, it’s been a good experience and I highly recommend them.

My Mother is very happy here and the staff is treating her wonderfully. It’s a very beautiful facility and it’s a great fit for her. The community has a lot of activities like singers who come in, a library upstairs, trips to go shopping, and bingo. A few of the amenities my mom likes is they have an in-house stylist, trips to the casino, and they are pet friendly! They also have a pretty dining room with white table cloths and she enjoys the food. I would recommend this community to other families