Questions about The Lake Merritt - Independent Senior Living
Describe the overall population of independent living residents at The Lake Merritt - Independent Senior Living. What is their average age? What are their favorite things to do?
Our resident are so unique. The ages of our residents range from 70 - 96 years of age. Our programming/activities are resident-driven so they give an excellent picture of what our residents like to do. We have monthly trips to museums/art galleries, parks, live theater, as well as movie trips. We have up to 23 activities per week which include art classes, book club, album club, political discussion group, English tutoring of local Oakland residents, philosophy discussion group, 6 different exercise classes which include yoga, tai chi, aerobics, etc. We have resident facilitated activities such as meditation sessions and craft classes.
What places are nearby for independent living residents to enjoy?
The Lake Merritt is in the middle of it all in uptown Oakland. We sit on Lake Merritt - the Jewel of Oakland - and its 155 acres including a bird sanctuary. We are 4-5 blocks from 2 different BART (Bay Area Rapid Station) stations and many AC Transit bus lines. We are walking distance from the Oakland Museum, the Main Oakland Library, Cathedral of Light, and a plethora of restaurants in Uptown Oakland district. We are an easy distance from major shopping areas of Oakland - Grand Avenue, Piedmont Avenue, Rockridge, and Lakeshore Avenue.
What are some recent off-site events that the community activity director at The Lake Merritt - Independent Senior Living has organized?
Our programming is quite unique, as it is entirely resident driven. We center our programming on what our residents are interested in. Our programming director provides:
1) Destination day trips to places like Napa, Benecia, Angel Island and more.
2) Monthly dining trips to local watering holes and fine dining establishments
3) Live cinema screenings of the Metropolitan Opera, National Theater, and more
4) Monthly nature walks such as Baker Beach, Redwood Park, and more
5) Berkeley lectures and storytelling events, such as Ethics & Justice undergraduate studies at UC, Berkeley Book Festival and The Moth in Berkeley
6) Mystery Tour - These tours are entirely a surprise and include many stops and remarkable activities throughout Oakland, all created by our own Programming Director. These tours are always sold-out, and rather famous within our community.
What transportation services does The Lake Merritt - Independent Senior Living offer to independent living residents?
We offer transportation within an 8 mile radius of The Lake Merritt. Transportation is offered 7 days per week from 8:30am - 5:00pm. We have 2-3 regularly shopping trips each week. The transportation is first come-first serve.
What makes the chef or dining program at The Lake Merritt - Independent Senior Living exceptional? What kind of menu can independent living residents expect?
The dining experience at The Lake Merritt is different than what you will find in any senior community. Our Terrace Room Restaurant & Bar is a restaurant that is open to the public. Our residents dine in this restaurant as well and enjoy restaurant quality dining. We are closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays. On these days, our Chef provides themed meals, such as Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and other ethnic foods for variety.
What common areas are available for independent living residents?
The Lake Merritt has many additional areas for residents to use. Our community room is our multi-purpose room which we use for many of our 23 weekly activities. We have a resident managed library. We offer a conference room for our residents to use for meetings. Our Family Room is for movies and television watching. This room also has our computer lab and is used for other discussion groups. We have an exercise room. There is also a spa room that has a special bathtub with a seat that can be elevated for ease of use. It has a fireplace and heated floors. There is another section of the spa room that is used for haircuts, manicures, pedicures, and more.
What safety features or security measures does The Lake Merritt - Independent Senior Living offer to independent living residents?
The Lake Merritt provides a pendant system free of charge for each resident. This pendant is worn by the resident to be used in case of emergency. We have 24/7 concierge service. Our concierge contacts each resident to ensure that each resident is up and about in the community on a daily basis. We provide each resident a FOB for the elevator so that only residents (and staff) may have access to the resident floors above the main floor.
If The Lake Merritt - Independent Senior Living accepts dogs or cats, what indoor/outdoor areas can they enjoy?
We accept both dogs and cats. We do interview the dogs to make certain that they can reside in a community. Within a 2 block radius, the City of Oakland is building a dog park which is very exciting to our current dogs and their owners. The Lake Merritt sits right on Lake Merritt which is 155 acres. There is a walking path that surrounds the lake.
Does The Lake Merritt - Independent Senior Living work with an agency or registry to provide nursing and medical assistance as needed?
The Lake Merritt can provide a list of preferred partners for our residents if they require any medical or non-medical assistance. The Lake Merritt is an independent living community, but we encourage our residents to age in place. Several of our residents use care givers to help them with specific task.
