The Hampshire

Mom has been here a couple of years now and is still trying to get the fireplace fixed. The dishwasher that has to be fixed almost immediately is currently leaking from the overflow every time so she has to keep a towel there. Appliances are old, except for the stacked washer/dryer unit. Meals are included in the the price, which was increased significantly this year, but the food is pretty bad, according to Mom. They have on occasion brought meals to Mom that I had opportunity to taste and was so salty that neither of us could eat it, and we love salt. If it weren’t for the cost being absorbed in the monthly rent I wouldn’t care but as justification for the price I don’t buy. They have brought Mom meals that did help supplement when she wasn’t feeling well, before we started having care providers come help. There have been recent upgrades to the main building and two of the four cottages. Mom is wondering when they plan to make upgrades to her unit to justify the price increase. Many issues have been resolved, and the staff are generally thoughtful and caring. It feels a bit like there are challenges retaining employees which stresses service. But as I have said…Mom is still waiting for her fireplace to work for this winter, and the food is unworthy of the claim that it is included. There are no comparable options in this area and that was a primary concern when she moved here. There are much fancier options in big cities or coastal communities, but if you want to live in a Senior Living Merced County it’s Merced County, you have to be realistic about the standard. On the other side of that, the manager and owner need to also be realistic about just how much they can fleece seniors without upgrading quality. That said, my Mom has a premium unit because of the fenced yard which she has brought back to life. Her flare for decorating has made the unit very nice. So for now, this helps her be near familiar resources and some family. Just would think that the fireplace would have been fixed and the food improved by now since they felt comfortable raising the price. 🤷

I moved in Oct 2024. When I did my tour I was told by Robin Martin (the Mgr) that they have 3 meals per day. Yes they do but the Meals a ALWAYS cold and you better like Onions & Bell Peppers. And it’s ALWAYS the same stuff just a different week. The Bowls, glass ware, silverware ARE ALWAYS Filthy. And if you do move in here your allowed animals but appropriately 3 weeks ago a guy named Doug in room 333 has a 65# red lab that likes lg. dogs & people but HATES my little 11# Service Dog. Also Doug DOES NOT pick up his dogs poop. Doug is Unable to control his dog and it’s came after my dog 5 times. I’ve had to pick my dog up by her Harness or otherwise this lab named Luna would have Killed my dog. At one point when I did screamed at this dog I use a Very bad word and Robin told me to get out and I didn’t so she called the Police Department (like they have nothing better to do.) but they told me I can’t stab the dog with a knife but they said to get some kind of a stick and hit it as hard as I can to stop it. So I have a 3” around dowel I carry with me on my Electric Scooter. After this incident Robin came up to my room and gave me an Eviction Notice to move out. I am 100% Disabled and I told her that I’ll be living in my car and she told me that wasn’t her problem. So I’m packing up my belongings as we speak and putting Everything In Storage and going to live in my Car. But Robin doesn’t worry about it cuz she has a roof over head. So needless to say I’ll be parking out on Donna Dr and R Street. Because I’ll feel a little safe out there since It is in a nice neighborhood. So BEWARE of the problems and the people (Doug) in here with a Lg. Mean Dog. Also last night I got up to get a drink of water and turned the light on and what Ran across on my Refrigerator was a Cockroach. I’ve had spiders now Cockroaches but atleast living in my car I won’t have to worry about Bugs.

Well first off I would like to say a BIG HELLO to whom ever might be intentionally reading my/this review. I guess you are looking for an Independent Senior Living Community for either yourself or a loved one. Which I know can be a challenging I’m journey. Especially if it is your first time, in what we will call uncharted waters for many of us. I totally support anybody's approach of researching the prospects for this kind of change in their life. The change for myself was a total 360. Moving into a shared community from living a where all my needs were for myself alone to deal with. I did take the time to visit a few different options before I chose to make The Hampshire here in Merced my new home. In my search I was looking for a place where I did not have to deal with the preparing and cooking of my meals. Some of the benifets of the group dinning experience is that it provides the opportunity to mingle and build new friendships in the community in the comfort and safety of home with an abundance of grownups that are pretty much in the same boat so to speak…collectively. And it is here at the Hampshire where I found a whole gathering of just these types of folks to meet and live with in a peaceful and comfortably safe environment. And as for the day to day business of the running of what it takes to keep our home a float here at The Hampshire - A Provincial Independent Senior Living Community we are gifted with the management and a supporting cast of staff which collectively are doing a stellar and professional job to keep the wheels greased and our facilities appearance and cleanliness to a standard that I have heard referred to by folks around Merced as "The Cadillac" amongst all the like type of places around here in Merced and the neighboring towns. Our management is always available and willing to listen and hear things that you might want to share or suggest or even complain/discuss about. As well as being most willing to work with you to reach a mutual solution for your concerns. Providing that it’s something reasonable of course. And I am certainly not going to fail to mention about the excellent job that our house cleaning crew does once weekly for each apartment. They come through and do a complete and thorough lite cleaning and sanitize your place for you. The balcony's or porches are wiped down each month. Weather permitting of course. And all the rest of the building gets maintained and cleaned via the staffs scheduled daily operation of their job responsibilities in a nonintrusive manner. I’m constantly seeing everyone that works here doing any and everything they can to make it a joy to be a resident here. I have become aware again since moving into the Hampshire about how when you least expect is when things materialize right under your nose. Always be open to running into the unexpected. I moved in here about 3 years or so ago. Started playing cards with Mary (our Matriarch at the time 101yrs old ant the time) and another gal, Jannis. Didn’t take long for us to see that her and I mutually were ready to become…WE. Now, for the last two and a half years we are so happily enjoying a relationship exclusive to each other that came into our world only because we both happened to land here at the Hampshire. Thank you very much. Now if I have anything to share that I feel could be improved I would probably suggest that it would be the meals. The food temperatures when it reaches the table is not consistently hot. Although it does seem to be improving. It's my opinion that the menu offerings consist of a lot of carbs and gravy's and often with to much salt in it. When it’s not a salt issue it might turn up as pepper in the soup. I heard from at least a few But in keeping this review totally hones I must include what are for me... along with the many pro points the con points need be included. And these are only my opinions. So you come check out The Hampshire... A Provincial Senior Independent Living Community. I am living here by my choice and do not have any regrets about the choice that I made to do ed

Outstanding customer service 🙏❤️. Lydia Gambo the sells manager is a pleasure to work with. She is a very bright and caring person. Thanks for helping us old folks 😄