Merrill Gardens at Anthem

Larry

My parents moved into Merrill Gardens at Anthem. It is close to family. It's clean, and the care workers know the residents by name. The food is first class and they can choose what they want to eat in each and every meal. The fees are comparable with other four or five-star care facilities. After a month, we're very happy with the care that they're receiving there and would recommend this facility to whoever needs assisted care or memory care. Because it's memory care, there's only one person per room, so they have to get two studios next to each other. My dad doesn't necessarily need memory care but needs assisted living. But Mom wouldn't have done well without him living next to her. There seems to be an activity both morning and afternoon for them to participate in. Whether they do or not is up to them. But they're active and they've made friends there. They transport him to dialysis, but because of the time he gets out, we transport him home. Pretty much, we're pleased with the facility, and their communication with us is top-notch. They have a nurse who comes to the facility and sees a lot of the residents. So that saves us picking them up and driving them to a doctor's appointment.

Provider Response

Harvey

I am choosing Merrill Gardens at Anthem for myself. The people were very, very friendly. I liked the external appeal of the place. When you first drive up to it, it doesn't look like a square box where you put people in. I got the feeling I would enjoy it there. It's got a very good curb appeal. The personnel greeting was outstanding. I liked the variety of homes, and I liked the way they were laid out. I liked the feel you get when you walk into it. It was just a place where I want to be, if I'm going to be there for a while. They had a good workout room. There were a couple of staff who assisted me with the tour, and they were both very, very good. They had a beauty salon, excellent health care, and recreational facilities. They had tours. They take you to the casino once a month if you want to go. They had all kinds of movie theaters. They had scheduled card tournaments. You can go in small groups and play cards or games or whatever you want. Some of them you could do on your own, and some of them were scheduled.

Provider Response

Susan

Merrill Gardens at Anthem is an integrated place. The assisted care and the independent living were all mixed together. It's quite new. I think it's only about 5 years old, and the thing I liked about it was that it had a lot of balconies. It had some first-floor apartments that had patios, so I could have my own patio right off of your apartment and take my dog directly outside. The staff were nice. There was a small library, an outdoor pool, and some outdoor areas where you could go out and sit. It's just that the amenities were very limited. The common area was a one gigantic room. It was like a gathering space living room type. The workout space was very limited. I think they just had a couple of machines and the art place was part of that same room.

Provider Response

Cheri

We found a place for my mom called Merrill Gardens at Anthem. It's a very nice place, very homey, and it fits into her budget. She's moving in this week. I went to see the place and toured the assisted living. They were very kind, caring, and very accommodating. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I've talked to some of the people that live there and they said the food is excellent. It serves restaurant-style. The facility itself was very clean, well-organized, and very nice. They have a gym, a theater, a salon, and a place for worshiping on Sundays.

deh60

As the CEO for a Life Plan Community (CCRC) I was very selective about my mom's next home. She wanted to stay in AZ, where she has lived the past 25 years and has built in support and community. Merrill Gardens was 100% the best choice and the right choice for my mom. It is small, but not too small, well run by the Executive Director and has wonderful caring friendly and competent team members. More importantly my mom is happy and making progress every day!

Her0731

Merrill Gardens at Anthem was really nice, but it was just too pricey. The rooms were also really nice, but the only thing I thought was weird is that there was no ceiling there. They're more on the small side, but they make your bed, and they include a lot. They have lots of activities for the residents. It's a well-thought out community for people that are getting old. You can actually walk into the pool. The staff bends over backward for you, and there's a lot of people who transferred from my previous community to here. The rooms were just a bit too small, but the quality of food they buy is really good; there's prime rib, shrimp, salmon, and so on. They have an excellent chef and you can also eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner there.