Merrill Gardens

After touring several assisted care homes for my parents we chose Willow Park. This was a hard decision for my parents and a big adjustment. They both need care and could no longer do it alone. It has been a big relief to them and myself to get the level of care that they need. They are very pleased with Willow Park. It is a clean, friendly, and vibrant environment. They were able to personalize their apartment. The care providers are considerate and kind. My parents really like the meals and the dining environment. Not having to worry about preparing meals or shopping for food is a relief. They have only been residents of a week now but I really think that they are adjusting and happy with their decision.

Our friend Frances Hammerlund has been deaf since the age of 6. She reads lips, speaks (but is difficult to understand) and is now 92 years old. Up until about 6 months ago she lived by herself in an apartment in Hollister, CA. We met Frances about 12 years ago as we all went to the same Lutheran Church. We became friends with her, being drawn to her wonderful smile and christian positive attitude. After her brother died we became more involved with her as her only close by relative is a sister-in-law who is 83 and not able to drive. We started a few years back taking her to Fremont to a Lutheran Church for the deaf and became friends with the pastor and his wife who also visit Frances on a regular basis (about once a month or every other month). We realized after a fall and later trouble walking that it was not safe for her to live alone so we contacted A place for Mom and started checking out facilities that would be safe for her to live in. We (along with her sister-in-law and Pastor) decided Village Green would be a great place. So we moved her in on Sept. 26, 2013. She has been very pleased and even discovered that two of the waitresses in the restaurant do sign language. We are very happy with Village Green and enjoy visiting there and seeing Frances so content.

It's nice! I went to the open house. It's obviously very expensive. It was so new. It had just opened a couple of months ago. The only impression I got was that it's a very nice place but you have to have some money to live there.

It's very clean and the staff is very friendly. I think you probably get as much or more value there for your dollar. There are a lot of amenities and little things that they do that you might not find other places. It's expensive, but not any more than other places. They have things like cloth napkins on the table and a dining room where you can eat at any time. They do a lot with entertainment. The keeping you busy with happy hours and shows of different kinds. They do a nice job. They've had recently, a change of management and there was a gap there were you had temporaries filling in and people doing two jobs. The management seems to be good now but there was a period of time there where it was uncertain. It's better now.

I can't give it a 5 because of some of the complaints my mom had, but to be fair I could not trust what she was saying was accurate either. The facilities were great and the food looked great to me and my mom really liked most of it but complained a couple times. The staff really seemed to care and we're very helpful. My only complaint is that they were not straight with me about charging for care when she spent time in the hospital. Two of the executives lead me to believe care charging was suspended if she was in the hospital. Not true, there are stipulations (these were in the document she signed but she did not understand this and I was told differently when I picked this place for her). Overall, very good experience.

Everything is fine except the food service is not very organized. The staff is very nice and helpful and apt size is fine.

The staff is great. The monthly rate is affordable for my cousin. That was the main reason for her leaving the other facility. She has made friends and is happy at Truewood. She likes doing craft projects and is looking forward to making a fall wreath. The fact that there is only 1 elevator and it's slow is not so great. The residents seem to handle the issue. I usually take the stairs.

The paperwork was challenging. Once paperwork was in it's been good. Need to stay on top of them to get anything finished. Older will have a challenge with this.

They have been really great they communicate really good if something happens and they really seem to care about moms well-being. I would recommend to others.

The things i like best are all the amenities that they have. So much to do if you want to do it. They can improve a 100% on food. It is approximately 95% bad. For the amount of rent that we pay, the food does not even compare or come close to what we should be getting. If we talk to the chef during meetings, nothing ever gets changed. Never an improvement.

I reviewed 10 different communities in the San Jose area to help find the best place for my mom. Once I narrowed down the search, my mom visited two of the facilities, Merrill Gardens was the second, and she immediately chose this to be her new home. The residents were very welcoming and friendly, as were the staff members. She’s been there for approximately eight weeks and has a new lease on life! This assisted living has actually given her more independence. She’s made new friends, enjoys the activities. So far, this has been a positive experience.

Everyone that works there are very kind, and care about my Mom. Her studio apt is just big enough for her and they clean it weekly. Meals are good but Mom feels like she at times may get a little less than others, but she thinks maybe it's because they see she doesn't always finish her meals. I told her to ask for more if she wants it. She enjoys the activities and sometimes there is a bus that takes them to Walmart.

The staff is very good. They are very caring and just nice people. The food is also very good with several selections each day. The activities are also good. They do lots of things for the memory care people that live there!

My mom has made friends and most of the staff are very nice. Overall my mom is happy for what her options are she cannot live alone

The nursing staff keeps in contact with you, especially when you are on vacation away from the facility. The CNA's server breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. There is usually something to eat and drink. My Mom missed lunch because she went to the Emergency room, due to a fall. The staff was able to get the chef to make a grilled cheese sandwich for my Mom! She really enjoyed it

Lack of leadership. Staff allowed on their phones all day. Showers not being given as they should. I went almost everyday to make sure my husband was taken care of. At the beginning of my husband stay I would recommend, even though staff are on their phone a lot. I have never seen a work place that allows staff to use their phone all day long. Interaction with residents would be better or picking up cups, sweeping crumbs, etc. At the present leadership I would not recommend Truewood to my friends.

Food and dining and activity experiences are great. The cleanliness is good about 90% of the time. The level of service for the assisted living portion of the monthly fee is where I feel we don't always get our value.

Positively, my mother is happy she has not seen any bugs in her apartment and no flies in the dining room. Also she is happy with her caregivers who are friendly, attentive and responsive if anything is needed. Also, the many activities available for residents has been a good experience. Negatively, the dining experience is a bit underwhelming and does not meet her standards. Let's just say the meals aren't the highlight of the day.

Issues on arrival with people unaware and she then fell with us finding her on the floor. All resolved and great care. Would recommend for placement. Mom loved it and said she would recommend to anyone. She did not love it initially as giving up your home is difficult but the joy she had with her new friends was beyond compare.

Just make sure that assisted living is the correct environment and that they don't require extra care. I would recommend to others.