We've had a very positive experience, and we feel very lucky Merrill Gardens at Rockridge had space available. We did our homework, and some of the other places we looked into were a little scary. I like the layout here. The staff is professional and does more than I was expecting. The facility is very nice, and the dining room is as nice as any country club. I really like the neighborhood - it's very pleasant, with shopping and restaurants close by. It could not have worked out better for us.... Read more
This community understands that transitioning to a retirement community can be challenging — so Merrill Gardens at Rockridge is intentionally designed to offer residents a warm atmosphere with resort-like amenities. The stately, polished design has been recognized and awarded, so families can trust the Rockridge staff to maintain a well-kept environment. Large, bay windows welcome in the California sunshine and light up the interior, providing a cheerful ambiance.
Within the prestigious neighborhood of Rockridge, the community’s location offers several off-site options for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Down the street, residents can enjoy global cuisines, visit fascinating local shops, or unwind at the country club. Merrill Gardens at Rockridge strives to accommodate every lifestyle. The community currently offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care options.
It is the goal to make sure each resident feels safe and cared for. The community provides 24-hour staffing and a resident call system to always help ensure security. To help residents lead a worry-free lifestyle, the courteous staff handles daily chores and caretaking by offering weekly housekeeping, on-site maintenance, scheduled transportation, and a wellness program. The community also offers anytime dining daily, so residents can savor delectable, nutritious meals at...
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Total monthly costs depend on room type, select services, and the level of care needed.
*Prices quoted are monthly rental charges and are provided by the communities themselves. Actual prices may differ due to one-time fees, timing and care services required. Speak with your Senior Living Advisor to learn more.
Review Score
15 reviewsOut of 10
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A Place for Mom has scored Merrill Gardens at Rockridge with 8.4 out of 10 using our proprietary review score based on 7 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time, Merrill Gardens at Rockridge has 15 reviews with an average "overall experience" of 4.3 out of 5.
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Merrill Gardens at Rockridge was expensive with a buy-in fee of $8K! Was told over the phone that rent started at $3700 but once we got there, it was $4500!!! There was absolutely no visitor parking available, even on the street. The tour was great, [name removed] was a very nice guy. I really liked this place because it was smaller. And everything was centrally located on the first floor.
We've had a very positive experience, and we feel very lucky Merrill Gardens at Rockridge had space available. We did our homework, and some of the other places we looked into were a little scary. I like the layout here. The staff is professional and does more than I was expecting. The facility is very nice, and the dining room is as nice as any country club. I really like the neighborhood - it's very pleasant, with shopping and restaurants close by. It could not have worked out better for us.
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The staff has been wonderful. They offer a variety of activities. They are a really wonderful, and welcoming community. They are always responsive, and interactive with my love done, and other residents. They seem to value the residents. I have nothing but good things to say. I picked this place because of the location, cleanliness, and overall the building is lovely.
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Response from Merrill Gardens at Rockridge
September 21, 2022Hi there, thank you for taking the time to leave us this review. We are so happy to hear that you have nothing but good things to say about your time with us so far.
My mother lived at MGR for nearly 2.5 years, [dates removed] She thrived there. The social aspect alone really made her blossom: she never missed a meal, because sitting with her friends was so appealing to her. The food was always good. The restaurant staff were friendly, personable, and accommodating. There were issues with delays answering calls for aides. Each resident wears a lanyard with a call button, and there are call buttons installed in the rooms and bathrooms, but there can be a delay up to a few hours sometimes. That was discouraging. The monthly cost was not small: started out about [price removed] for the 1-br (a perfect size for her), and rose to [price removed]. On reading other reviews, it reminded me of the horror that was the move-out process after my mother passed. The manager at the time was incredibly unhelpful (e.g. didn't point out that I could use the trash bin on the first floor) and at no time did she offer condolences, either in person nor with a simple card. Shocking.
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Response from Merrill Gardens at Rockridge
September 1, 2022Hi Jennie, thank you for taking the time to leave us this review. We are happy to hear that your mom thrived during her time at Merrill Gardens. We would also like to speak to you about the issues you touched on. Please contact us at jeris@merrillgardens.com.
Our family had an in person tour and it was a really nice tour experience that staff were all very helpful with answering all the questions we had
Response from Merrill Gardens at Rockridge
June 30, 2022Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us this review! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you ever need anything.
They were very caring, everyone there. They truly cared about the people who lived there. The building was very nice and clean, which is one of the main reasons we put her there. It didn't feel like a facility. It felt like a home.
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Our family had an in person tour and the lady who showed us around was not the most knowledgeable - but to her defense she was subbing in for the lady who was actually supposed to give us the tour. The finishes are more down scale which we were not very impressed with, but we absolutely loved the rooftop gardens. We were able to sit up there for awhile and actually speak with another residents. However the residents told us the meals were dreadful, and if you need assistance and call a staff member for help it could take hours for them to come.
Response from Merrill Gardens at Rockridge
December 17, 2021Hello, thank you for taking the time to leave this review - we always appreciate the feedback and would like to speak to you about your experience. Please email us at jeris@merrillgardens.com with your preferred contact information and we’ll reach out to you.
We chose Merrill Gardens because it was modern and bright, it is a dog friendly facility, and the overall atmosphere and the location as well for us. She has a very nice 1 room apartment that is large and spacious and she has a large patio off her apartment. The director and the community relations director are very personable and friendly. I would absolutely recommend them to others who are looking.
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It was beautiful. I really liked the facility & I had an excellent tour guide.
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My husband and I are doing very fine here. A lot of what we’ve liked has been location and we’re closer to family here, which means we get to see them a lot. We’ve been very pleased with the meals because of their variety and it’s been served well. There are a core group of foods that are available and they have 3 new entrees, a new soup, and a different dessert every day. They aren’t mammoth portions but we don’t really need that anyway. We have 2 rooms with a full sized kitchen, a washer and dryer, and we’re quite comfortable with the space. We’re quite pleased with the whole arrangement. The staff is easy to communicate with and seem knowledgeable and we actually had a “town meeting” to go over fire drills and other information. The staff was very cooperative with showing us what we needed to do and they’ll take complaints to make sure everything is going okay. They have exercise every morning at 10 and another one usually in the afternoon that you can go to that has music. There’s a happy hour every Friday where they serve wine and there’s someone that comes in that will play the piano and have a sing-a-long with music that we all know. We have no complaints concerning the cleanliness and the housekeeper that was assigned to our floor has been very awesome. The thing I like the most is that she even changes the bed for me because I have trouble doing it myself. There are things they’re still working on but they’re still very new and they’re doing a good job. I would recommend them and even our kids talk about moving in.
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Response from Merrill Gardens at Rockridge
December 1, 2017Thank you for sharing this feedback! We are happy to hear that you and your husband are enjoying Merrill Gardens.
Merrill Gardens at Rockridge was the best fit for our memory care needs. It is a beautiful and clean community. Our friend loves to eat and the food is very good here. They offer a wide variety of healthy choices, the meals are well balanced. There are plenty of activities for the residents that can and wish to participate. It is in an urban setting and they have a common patio area with a view of the bay. There is also a rooftop terrace with a garden and an amazing view for the residents to enjoy. I would recommend Merrill Gardens at Rockridge.
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Lovely new apartments and definitely has the beat of the local Rockridge neighborhood. Also the community members appear to be varied and engaged. Definitely not the typical suburban, cookie-cutter senior facility. Was quite refreshing compared with so many of the other places we have seen. Also like the idea that all the units are independent living and the assisted care is added in, so assisted living residents are not separated from everyone else.
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This place was a win for my mom. She loves being here she is doing very well. The food is wonderful in fact that is one of the major reasons why I chose this place and the location as to where it is to my house. The community is brand new everything is clean and updated the staff is friendly and encouraging. The communication between myself and the staff is great. I honestly have no complaint and would highly recommend them.
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For the most part, everything is going just fine! Our only issue is that, since it is a new facility, the staff are still in the process of finding ways to become more efficient, but this is to be expected. It's been a bit of a bumpy road so far, but the experience has been good.
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They are a new community and they did not have a lot of things there. It was a rough start when they were opening during our first week of having my mom moved in. While my mom is getting adequate care, sometimes their staff are untrained and they are not coordinating together. I also see they don't have enough activities. Most of the staff are pretty good for the most part. The meals are so great, it is the best part.
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See what the neighborhood has to offer and what’s nearby:
Merrill Gardens at Rockridge offers Studio, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedrooms and Semi-Private. Learn more.
A Place for Mom has scored Merrill Gardens at Rockridge 8.4 out of 10 using our proprietary review score.
We assign review scores to give a more reliable view into senior living communities and home care agencies. Our review scores prioritize reviews that are recent — the past 24 months — because we know families need current information when choosing senior care.
Those with many recent, positive reviews receive a high review score, while providers with few recent reviews — regardless of how positive — receive a lower review score. Communities with no recent reviews will not have a review score, even if older reviews are positive. The maximum A Place for Mom review score a community can receive is 10 points.
Call (510) 338-4543 to reach a resident at Merrill Gardens at Rockridge.
To reach a resident at Merrill Gardens at Rockridge call: (510) 338-4543
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The features and amenities that are displayed on this page contain marketing information provided by the community. A Place for Mom has not confirmed the completeness of the provided information, and cannot guarantee its accuracy.
To conduct a complete investigation, seniors and their families should:
If you become aware of any information that should be updated or noted, please contact A Place for Mom.
A Place for Mom uses the term “assisted living” to indicate that the community provides some level of assistance with daily living activities. It does not indicate that the facility meets official state requirements for level of care.