Pros: Great people. Excellent facility. Surprisingly good food…read more Cons: None The twilight of life is often not an easy time. In late April 2018, my wife and I moved from Silicon Valley which we called home for more than 35 years to Nipomo, about 210 miles to the south. My mother relocated from Pennsylvania to San Jose in February 2015 and took up residence in a nice retirement facility (part of the Brookdale group). When we moved, there was little choice for her but to go with us. The Central Coast of California between San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria is a remarkably happy place. The weather is tough to beat. Vineyards cover many of the hills. The Pacific Ocean is never far away. People seem to be content...whether fellow shoppers in the stores, neighbors or drivers(!). Still, finding the appropriate place for an aging parent is not a simple job. If moving is one of life's toughest jobs for a person in good health and sound mind, it's a treacherous task for a 90 year old with many ailments, both real and imagined. A few minutes after arriving at Merrill Gardens, my wife and I turned to each other and said "this is it". My mother moved there 3 weeks after we settled into our new home. Any transition is hard, especially for an elderly person who established a life in one city and didn't really want to try it again in another. She only lived 5 weeks in Merrill Gardens before succumbing to a variety of medical issues, but the staff and people in that residence made our lives as sweet as possible, both before and after her passing. - Location: Convenient. Merrill Gardens is in the northern part of Santa Maria, about 3 minutes east of Highway 101 off the Donovan Road exit. - Exterior: Very attractive. There are 2 large 3 story buildings...one built in the early 2000s and the other around 2010 (I believe)...plus a circle of cottages to the north and east. Attention has obviously been given to the landscaping which gives the complex a residential appeal. You might say it's the nicest part of the neighborhood. - Interior (of the newer building where my mother lived): Bright and cheerful. The receptionist and concierge are just inside the entrance with a "great room" to the left. It's warm, colorful and cozy. The initial feeling you get is "they take care of things at this place". The dining room remains open from early morning to late evening since Merrill Gardens has a policy of "anytime dining". It's large and airy with tables spaced far enough apart to permit privacy yet allow conversation among friends. The hallways are more spacious and inviting than at similar facilities. There are several rooms for meetings and movies, the largest library I've seen in such places and a very active pool table nearby. - Apartments: Generous. My mother had a one bedroom unit on the 2nd floor with about 600 square feet plus a balcony of 100 square feet. When she arrived, there had only been one occupant since the facility opened. It was cleaned and painted with a bigger kitchen than she had in San Jose...including a large refrigerator, microwave and stove. Maybe not all the amenities of a real home (such as a lack of good storage), but not too shabby either. - Dining: Really good. My mother was a picky eater, but definitely enjoyed her meals at Merrill Gardens. While we were sometimes dragged to dinner in San Jose, we went willingly here. The food was tasty and the servers friendly and patient. - Senior Staff: The best. We can't say enough good things about the Chief Executive, Audie Sherberg and Community Managers Kim Adams and Gary Gross, but I'll try. Kind, accommodating, informative and willing to listen to a family's tales of woe. It was like having friends on the inside. The receptionists were always helpful, especially Barbara during the week. - Caretakers and Other Staff: More of the best. Kind, supportive and patient. They're not the most highly paid, but their jobs are tough. - Other Residents: Very friendly. It's as if the happy atmosphere of the Central Coast extended to the residents. Older age did not deter these people from smiling. - Cost: Reasonable. We paid $3,250/month for the one bedroom apartment which was roughly the same as in San Jose, but for a nicer facility. However, it can get expensive if you need ancillary services, including management of medicines and specialized care. NOTE: The initial "community fee" of $4,000 covers the facility's move-in costs. If your family member leaves within the first 4 months, you'll get a pro-rated amount back. Mr. Sherberg was very helpful in getting us the largest possible refund. - Value: Excellent. The best money spent in quite a while. I hesitated writing this review for a few months after my mother's death because I wanted to make sure the long process ended as well as it began. It did. There are no "ifs, ands or buts" to the 5 stars awarded to Merrill Gardens in Santa Maria.

Beautiful facility, kind and friendly people, and nice staff. Can't ask for more unless a…read moregood-looking young man comes with the deal.

My Dad is currently a resident. I was able to travel to visit him. The facility is gorgeous and the…read morestaff was great. My step Mom has said the staff has been wonderfully supportive during the tough transition to having my Dad live there. You will get your money's worth at Casa Rosa.

Our family could not be more pleased with the quality care and support provided to our loved one by…read moreRoxandra, Fabiola, and the entire Casa Rosa team. The facility and grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. We are truly grateful for their services.

Loving and caring atmosphere, where families can come in and be by their residents. Good meals and…read morewonderful caretakers makes this facility above all the rest . They have Hospice and Doctors and the care is wonderful. They are like family here and I have never seen such fun, they have parties and games , staff dresses up on Holidays, Prayers and understanding. I would recommend this as a excellent choice for my family member. Laughing and loving is the best medicine for anyone's health, as the staff are employed there for years, some have been there past 20 years. This is a home feel and there is nothing like home as Dorothy would say. What can I say it's just a wonderful place to be............

This is a very emotional review for me. My mother passed away on Sept. 15, 2012 from complications…read moreof Alzheimer's disease. For the last 2 years of her life she was blessed to live at the Hillside Villa Retirement Home in Arroyo Grande California which is near Pismo Beach. I had the pleasure of visiting her there 3 different times during this period (it's a long drive from San Diego!) and I was always amazed at how well she was treated by the staff. The building itself is literally a large home converted into a private health-care facility for women. The owner had parents with Alzheimer's and she wanted to provide a special place for patients suffering from this very debilitating disease. Her motives are all about helping and NOT about making money. This attitude prevails throughout the house and staff. She was so successful that she opened another facility nearby. Although Hillside can only house 6 patients (2 in each of the 3 bedrooms) there is a very spacious living room area for family visits. There is also a small outdoor patio area with seating adjacent to the kitchen. Also there exists another large room which has been setup with comfortable reclining chairs and a television to help pass the time. All meals are homemade and lovingly prepared by the wonderful young ladies who work on staff. The staff were always getting my mother to laugh with silly jokes and often kissed her forehead to greet the day. The patients there are basically getting 1 on 1 care which is literally unheard of these days. One of my visits there coincided with Thanksgiving, and another with Halloween. On both occasions, the house was adorned with festive decorations celebrating the holiday. The staff really REALLY cares about the patients, and they are all like family. It almost seemed unnatural to me to call them patients as it feels more like a home, and these gals are all roommates; kinda like the Golden Girls! The last visit with my mother was October 2011 to celebrate her 80th birthday. I was blessed to be accompanied by my Michael who was instrumental in helping with taking pictures; some of the last photos of my mom that exist while she was alive. Thank you honey I couldn't have done it without you! I want to personally thank the entire staff of Hillside Villa Retirement Home for the extreme professional way they lovingly cared for my mother Alice during the last few years of her life. I don't think she could have been in a better place. I miss you mom!

Right now I don't really recommend them. While they were helpful for my father until he passed this…read moreJanuary, they have dragged their feet for almost 2 months getting me the rental credit of ~$1100 they owe me. The manager has been giving me one excuse after another, but still no check. 5/4/26 Update: I finally received the check (early last week). Still not as quickly as promised, but this last time may have been due to UPS delays. In any event, all is wrapped up.

Excellent interview by administrator. Was very concerned for…read moremy 95 year-old father. All costs were 'up front.' Highly recommended

I worked the night shift at this facility years ago as a Medtech. This R.C.F.E. facility offers…read moregreat amenities and provides top quality care with attentive staff. I can't say anything positive about the prior owner Iris. I enjoyed my position the one year I was employed here. O yea, this place is haunted as heck, strange occurrences between the hours of 11pm and 7am. Hall lights flickering on and off, t.v. channel changed on it's own, empty room's equipped with floor sensors would sound alarm notifying movement. But other then those particular events, Top Notch Establishment!!

I love this place. The best staff anywhere, and the best ratio of staff to patients. I wrote my…read morereview on the other Yellow Rose Inn page and posted photos of my mom. After she broke her hip at home, she has lived at the Yellow Rose Inn where she gets superb care, PT and nurses visit residents every day, and wonderful meals. The price is affordable.

If I could select a rating below one star I would. Rick Brown and his son Dan are the most…read moreunprofessional cabinet makers I have ever met. We had a small kitchen remodel that should have taken one week to complete and due to their incompetence and poor workmanship it took us 6 months to get our kitchen back in order. Examples: We asked for 37 inch counter tops and no subtop and they made 36 inch cabinets and gave us a subtop. Eight inch error in measuring our cabinets under the sink, causing an 8 inch error in our counter top measurement. Measuring cabinet doors wrong twice--same doors! Screw coming out multiple cabinet faces which they claimed was "standard" and thought I was a bitch for mentioning. If I wanted to buy cheap cabinets I would go to home depot. Gifting us banister railings because they were 10 days off schedule and then claiming it was a "freebie" Not taking responsibility for defective workmanship; not completing job on agreed upon time Showing up for work at 10 am and leaving at 2 pm. Who has workdays like that? Just finish the job. Refusal to meet with us and the project manager or leaving right before the project manager showed up. They also like to blame others for their mistakes and got mad when I had another cabinet maker look at the work they did. In the end we had to have someone else finish the job because I didn't want them in my home again. I am happy to supply pictures if you need proof that this is not bullshit.

45 years doing this work and ran into the first contractor be ware customer. Told me how they hated…read morethe roofer then the window deal that one put them over the edge and at the end we were to blame..I am glad I am retired from this business. Might I add they are enjoying their new kitchen

We had my mom at Ingleside Park, one of Ingleside's new assisted care facilities about a block from…read moreAtascadero Lake Park. We were very impressed at the amount of care and compassion the Ingleside staff gave my mom. When we moved mom from a larger facility in San Luis Obispo where she wasn't getting the amount of care she needed, Ingleside sent a wheel chair assessable van to pick mom up and even sent along their nurse to ride along with her. My mom recently passed and we were so glad we moved her to Ingleside Park. They took great care of her all the way to the end and we were able to visit her any time, day or night.

My late husband had dementia and this was such a great place! I highly recommend it.read more

On the plus side: My…read moremother made some good friends at Maravilla. On the minus side: Food is generally good, but not great. Maravilla does not know how to do pastries, and deserts are often very disappointing. As a rule, vegetables are undercooked. Maravilla business practices are somewhat unfair. When one is absent for two weeks or more, one gets vouchers for half the meals that one missed. Why not all of the meals? And, why does one have to be absent for two weeks or more? Overall, I'd say that Maravilla does not offer good value for the money.

The holy grail of retirement communities!…read more It's really feels like a high end resort. From the grounds to the amazing lobby, to the many amenities: all top notch! It you can afford it, your last years could be your best years at Maravilla!

If I were considering putting my loved on in Atascadero Christian Community,…read more I WOULD: *Contact DSS Licensing ( 1 844 538 8766) and  and ask for a history report Licensed Assisted Living Facility  #405802003 and get a full report of the history of complaints and concerns. *I would Google pcseniorservices.org , ask what is Country Care, or what WAS country care? Who the former admin and controller were for both Country Care and ACC, and what salary they paid themselves. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/952078722_202009_990_2021040617904406.pdf ( ACC is a non profit, and non profit financials are public information). https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/assisted-living-administrator-salary/ca I would be like, Wow! Almost double the national average, that must have been some amazing Directing!  *Just to be safe, I would ask about  allegations of elder abuse https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-26-me-abuse26-story.html https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article110262942.html * I would ask about bankruptcies https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article171928897.html *I would ask what ties the current administration have with the previous * I would ask if there is a nurse on staff ( not home health, not hospice.....on staff) *I would ask about PCAs and Med techs, med errors, Ask if ANYONE has ever made a joke about a "benzo. cocktail and what does that really mean? And if yes, it was joked about (over and over again) who made the joke? And how high up the leadership chain are they? Are they regular staff? Are they Senior Staff? *I would ask how many physicians represent a majority of the residents. Ask for a name (s) * I would ask for an estimate of how many meds are passed in the AM med passing. *I would ask specific staff to resident ratios and how many days/ hours straight these girls have worked( And the PCAs do work incredibly hard) *I would ask to tour and meet with the Administrator, not his " right hand gal/ fellow Senior Staff" not the new CEO. Do a deep dive! *I would ask to tour the bottom floor of the 20 building * I would ask to spend 20 to 30 minutes near the smokers shed by the back gardens ( then I would do a surprise follow up visit a day or so later, just to make sure  I got a full picture) * I would ask about rodents, big rats, specifically * If it's the name "Christian" that drew me to the facility, I would ask to meet with the leadership ( Wellness Director, Kitchen Manager, Activities Director,, Bethesda House I would (hurry on that one)) I would interview them, ask them how their faith and values line up with ACCs promise to "Lead and care for our residents with a  christ centered lifestyle" I would always check individuals fb's, you know how this younger generation loves to just "put it all out there" *I would ask if any of those two glowing reviews came from a staff member, because I know that you really need to fact check all reviews, good and bad, that people put on the internet. * Lastly I would say, Hey, wait a minute! "Why aren't any of the staff asking these questions or telling the truth about and to the current administration?" Maybe they DID, and they're no longer employed with the company as a result!   If you're considering Atascadero Christian Community,  you should: *Do your REAL research. What  does it matter how beautiful the outside of anything is? Dig deep!!! * Just because something was founded on certain values and principles, do not assume they still hold them today. * And lastly, do not be blinded by titles like, Pastor, Professor, Dig deep! Your loved one depends on you and your level of research.

One of the best senior care facilities I have ever seen. My mom spent 2 years there before she…read moredied and they took excellent care of her. She loved watching the deer and wildlife wander about the property. The staff was extremely kind and supportive. She even like the food!! Before covid they provided great activities and classes. I would highly recommend sending a senior to this facility!!