Merrill Gardens at Lafayette

Merrill Gardens in Lafayette has been a blessing to our family. My independent 90-year-old parents moved to Merrill Gardens in March 2025. My parents and our family are thrilled with the attentiveness of the staff, the quality and preparation of the meals by Chef Max, the cleanliness of the facility, and especially the wide variety of fun and creative activities that are offered by Social Director Julianne Pew. They love attending musical performances, museum shows, restaurant outings, weekly happy hours with live music, in-house technology help sessions, and exercise classes. The convenient location of Merrill Gardens allows my parents to walk to restaurants, the library and shopping. As family members, we appreciate Merrill Garden’s transportation to local shopping and medical appointments and the immediate notification when one of my parents has fallen. While the transition from one’s own home to assisted living is always difficult, we couldn’t ask for a better environment than at Merrill Gardens.

At 69, I moved my 96-year-old mother to Merrill Gardens in Lafayette. One of the criteria when looking for a place for her was that I needed to feel good about the place myself, knowing I was going to be spending a lot of time with my mother when visiting. Of course, her experience was primary in my search too. After 6 months, I can say that this was the perfect place for both of us. One of the most important concerns I had was staffing; everyone at Merrill Gardens is superior in every capacity, from the director on down. The facility itself is beautiful with rooftop gardens and modern interiors. My mother's room is full of light and has simple, but appropriate appointments, including a small stovetop and a washer and dryer, a safe walk-in shower, and a large closet. I feel that we have made the best choice. Again, I can't say enough great things about all of the staff; they make the place sing !

About 7 years ago, my mother's health condition became life-threatening and she was told to move closer to sea level (she and my dad lived at 8,000+ ft in Mammoth Lakes, CA) within 2 weeks or she could die. I'd heard of and driven by Merrill Gardens, so I toured it, loved it, and found, thankfully, that there was one vacancy! We moved my parents (and their pup) into a sunny, lovely MG apartment, thinking it would be a nice, temporary landing spot till they decided where they'd go next. Well, it didn't take long for MG to feel like home. Over time, my mother's health declined and MG, particularly Troy, was invaluable in helping to navigate her changing hospital, skilled nursing, and hospice needs, the most difficult of which was during the height of COVID. Troy was amazing. Since my mother passed, MG has embraced my father (and me), making him feel cared for and valued, such that much of his vitality, sassiness, and humor has been restored. A LOT of that is thanks to Julianne, Activities Director extraordinaire! She really listens to residents and curates a wide variety of activites (twice daily movies, clubs, games, parties, field trips, weekly happy hours with live music, and so much more!)--her sincerity, energy, and creativity is boundless. She is a treasure. Shout outs also to the always-on, cheerful front desk managers, including Danielle and Patty, who set a tone of vibrancy and good humor. A huge part of the MG Lafayette experience is provided by Chef Max and his team, who cook up delectable meals every day, and then really pull out all the stops for holidays and special occasions! My dad loves the food so much there that he now prefers that we eat there rather than go out to a restaurant! Thanks also to Kamal Singh who fairly recently became Director at MG Lafayette and, in short order, has expanded upon the warm, family-feeling culture, taking it to the next level! The history, the present, and future are all bright at MG Lafayette! THANK YOU!

My mother has been at Merrill Gardens for 2 1/2 years now. The staff have been kind and helpful. I can rest easy because I know she is being looked after. When she needs a little extra help they are there for her. And I know I can call at any time if I have any questions or concerns about my mother.