Brookdale Olympia East

Emeritus at Olympia was an older facility and was not as clean as the others we visited. The staff was kind enough, but wasn't really cooperative and wasn't willing to bring my aunt into that facility. They weren't willing to work with me because they felt my aunt was a fall risk and I didn't see it that way. However, their rooms were spacious enough for my aunt. They had a restaurant style dining area. We had lunch there and the food was fine.

I liked the atmosphere at Emeritus. It’s just very friendly and very nice. It was very well-maintained and very well taken care of. It is bright and cheerful. The rooms were very nice; they have a kitchenette and bathroom. I like how people are treated there.

I cannot say enough great things about this community. It's clear, from the moment you walk through their doors, the staff genuinely cares for their residents and the family members as well. I have never seen staff (aides, housekeeping, management) stressed, unhappy or flustered. Everyone has a kind heart and sturdy backbone. I hope the culture never changes. From the bottom up to the top down, everyone is a part of a team and it shows by how happy their residents are. Mark and Cindy are amazing the work with and set a great tone for the organization. They are special folks and Emeritus (or any organization for that matter) would be lucky to have them!

We chose Merrill Gardens (Emeritus) because few of her friends were there and it was just two blocks away from where she had been living so it's convenient. Some days the food is good and some days she does not like it. It's being taken over by United Health Care so they are in transition right now. Sometimes her meds in the morning, they don't come in until 11 o'clock which is a little late for her meds, but other than that it's fine. They clean the apartment once a week. She has a nice apartment with a little balcony and the rooms are of decent size. The kitchen is very small, you really can't do a lot in the kitchen. The refrigerator is half size and you really can't put anything in the freezer because it's very small and it does not work properly.

I chose Merill Gardens because it's convenient; I work just across the street there. They're friendly and knowledgeable. They have anytime dining between seven in the morning and seven at night. It's high quality food and mom's happy with it. They watch movies and some live entertainment. They have other different games and cards. My mom's not really social so she doesn't get involved. She's got dementia. It's clean and she has a nice one bedroom apartment. They already have a cat for her. I wish they would give me a little bit more feedback and keep track. They have a buddy system for a couple of days; however I'm not sure if my mom actually remembers to go down to eat and take vitamins. With what they're charging, I think they should offer a system where you don't have to pay a lot of extra money. She's in independent living but I'm seeing now that it's not going to work out for her. She needs more assistance. Overall, the food is good, the people are friendly and nice. They maintain an environment that's pleasant and my mom's very happy there. She has a nice corner apartment with windows and a kitchenette even though she doesn't do much cooking.