Merrill Gardens at Oceanside

I am disappointed and angered over how a close family member was treated by the director of the Merrill Gardens Memory Care facility. I am extremely close with my half-sisters, and when their father became a resident at MG, in 2017, I helped move him in and was very involved with his transition to the facility. He was initially part of the Assisted Living community, but by May 2018 he needed to be moved to Memory Care. This was when things started to go wrong. First off, within 2 years there have been 3 different directors of the Memory Care facility, which is a huge red flag in and of itself. The current director, Teresa, was by far the worst. I realize that patients with dementia or Alzheimer's can be very difficult to deal with, but we as a family hoped that staff would be adequately trained to deal with any problems, and the director would be both compassionate and communicative with us. She was neither. Before the shutdown caused by Covid-19, my sisters tried to have a constructive conversation with Teresa about their father's care, but she didn't seem interested in listening to them. This might have been overlooked if he was receiving quality care, and if my family was kept in the loop about how he was deteriorating mentally. But the director failed on both counts. First off, there were staff members who became good at dealing with him; he liked them and had developed a rapport with them. For some reason, Teresa decided to remove them from his case. I understand as a director she needs to move people around when the need arises. But difficult patients who act out because their independence is being taken from them need consistency, need to know they are dealing with the same reliable, kind people that have helped them in the past. Again, this doesnt seem that major but it only gets worse. He fell TWICE, and the first time no one in his family was notified! The second fall was very bad; on May 21, he was found collapsed on the patio and paramedics were called. He had been left alone on the patio for two hours! He was dehydrated, disoriented, and sunburned. And the only reason anyone in the family was notified was because the PARAMEDICS called my sister, not Merrill Gardens! Why was he left to fend for himself out in the hot sun? Bring him an umbrella to protect him! Give him a glass of water and MAKE SURE he drinks it! Coax him back into his room! Our family will be the first to admit he isnt the easiest person to deal with; the disorientation that overwhelms him can make him angry, and sometimes hell even lash out. But the fact that he was just given up on, that my sisters werent informed of his condition, this is simply inexcusable. While there, she discovered that his room was a mess and no sheets were on his bed. By the time we finally moved him out on June 2, it appeared that has room hadnt been cleaned in months. From his doorway we could see other rooms benefitting from deep cleanings, but when we moved his bed we found dirty pillow cases, handkerchiefs, paper towels and giant dust bunnies, even plastic cups with old food. Also, many items of clothing went missing, including a few pairs of shoes (he had NO SHOES AT ALL when we came to move him out!). A reputable Memory Care facility MUST do a better job at taking care of the elders in its community. He now resides in a much better and more caring facility, and we would not recommend Merrill Gardens at all.

The biggest problems with Merrill Gardens Oceanside is the lack of communication with family and the lack of understanding that not all dementia patients are the same. My father was in GH2. He was difficult to deal with especially during the Covid quarantine. He would get disoriented in the afternoon. When he was grabbed to help him move he was hypersensitive and became aggressive. He had stopped showers and refused meals. We were never told! He was left outside in the hot sun because he wasnt ready to go in He became dehydrated and collapsed. They found him on the ground. No idea how long he was there. No shoes. No hat. No umbrella . his bed had no sheets. His room was filthy. The current director allowed this to happen and did not communicate with the family. We moved him as soon as we could to Brookdale Oceanside. He is still the same stubborn dementia patient he was at MG but they treat him with dignity and have established a care plan tailored to HIS needs. Not theirs. My father is never going to get better. But at least we made sure that his last months will be in a place that treats him with dignity and respect. Something The director at garden house 2 never did

I have read the many positive reviews of Merrill Gardens memory care unit and I am happy that so many people have had good experiences. Unfortunately, this is not what my family has experienced in the past two years. As my fathers condition (dementia/Ahlzeimers) worsened, we realized that we needed help in caring for him. We entrusted his care to this facility. At times, we felt that he was respected by staff. Although he had real issues, the caregivers and director worked with us and communicated so that we could be a part of the team. That has changed overtime. The high turn-over of employees, including the director, has caused a breakdown in communication and care. We are fully realistic about how difficult it can be to care for my father yet we expected caregivers in a memory care facility to have the necessary training to address these issues. It's their JOB. I am a kindergarten teacher and understand how to speak to children to coax them into compliance - not unlike a dementia patient. Ive also had to tell parents difficult information, in a compassionate yet honest manner. Reflecting on conversations with staff, the tone has changed from what can we do to help your father, to he has a problem and you need to deal with it. We accepted that my fathers needs were greater than MG could handle and began looking for another facility weeks ago. When we went to pack and move his belongings, we were horrified at the condition of his room (which we havent been in since the Covid-19 quarantine). We should have moved him out much earlier. Teresa, the current director, seemed relieved that he was leaving. On move out day, she didnt even say goodby to him. Several of the caregivers, however, did reach out. We let them know how much we appreciated them.Overall, MG Memory Care wasn't prepared nor interested in the work involved in providing a quality living experience for our father.

My father has been in the Memory Care part of Merrill Gardens for two years. He has been treated very well by the caregivers and they know his likes and dislikes. The new supervisor is a good listener and works with you to solve any problems or concerns you have. The director Mariano is kind and caring and goes out of his way to be helpful. My family is very happy with the activities and my dad really loves the bingo games! We are glad we chose Merrill Gardens for our father and would highly recommend it if your loved one has memory issues and needs care!