Merrill Gardens at Carolina Park — Local services in Mount Pleasant

If your loved one is independent and doesn't need any help, then this place may suffice for a time. While it looks nice and the food is actually good, the management is terrible. The total lack of leadership trickles down to negatively affect the residents who may actually need assisted living. I personally witnessed staff "hiding" in a vacant room so that no one could find them. This was after I pressed the call bell on a random visit and waited for over an hour until I went out and started looking for some one on my own. The director at the time fell all over herself apologizing for this incident but it happened again and again to my mom and to many of the other residents according to the families and residents I spoke with. Many of the staff are nice but don't get attached or confide too much because they will only be there a short while until they literally walk out the door mid shift. The management treats the techs and possible head nurse (4 different head nurses came and went while my mom was there for a year and then no licensed nurse for a while) like dogs until they just quit. This is probably a result of "corporate" treating the directors badly and it is just passed down the line while the residents are the ones who actually suffer. There were two directors in the course of the year my mom was there and I see that the second one didn't even last a full year. If your loved one actually needs help, you will be on egg shells worried that you will get a 30 day eviction letter at any time. The first time my mom fell, I got warned that she may be evicted. She fell again a month later and low and behold, I got a 30 day eviction letter. I hired a elder company/patient advocate who worked it out and she stayed a while longer but I was in constant fear of them kicking her out. I was told by staff members themselves that Merrill's true business model is to have residents that can take care of themselves completely without help, which is fine but that is not the way it was sold to me. My mom payed through the nose for very little, other than a nice looking room. We payed for weekly house-keeping that rarely actually happened. When it did, it was sub-par at best. I would like to mention that there were two people who were absolutely above the fray the whole time. Judy and Scott were a married couple who worked there and they were the kindest and most caring people I have experienced since my mom has lived in assisted living. They were too good for this place and I would be surprised if they were still there. The experience my family had with Merrill Gardens was an absolute nightmare! And don't respond with some random robot email address I am supposed to contact to discuss my experience because you "take it seriously". Too late! If that were true, then I wouldn't be compelled to leave...

The absolute worst. While the building is new and mom liked the food, those are the only decent things I can say about this place. After we got my mother all moved in we went looking for someone to ensure she had her call bell (which absurdly you have to pay extra for), we looked and looked and it took us over a half an hour to find anyone in the building. Mom needed, and we paid a pretty penny for it, level 4 care, which supposedly includes a check in by a staff member every 2 hours. I had my suspicions this was not happening when I would find her medication laying on the counter hours after she was to have been administered the same and I was proven right when my mother had a stroke and the EMTs noted that she had to have been laying on the floor, alone, covered in her own vomit, hurt and scared for over 8 hours. She obviously could not have pushed her call bell as the stroke was extreme and she was not conscious. To add insult to injury I received a notice today from a collections agency about a past due account. Unbelievable. We moved mom out over a year ago. These folks have had my contact information and never once sent me a final bill, just forwarded it to collections. Insensitive, cheats and cowards.

Update: To add insult to injury the President of Merrill contacted me from Seattle hours after this review was posted to assure me the she would help me resolve the collections issue (though I’m not sure how since I of course paid it upon receipt). Not surprisingly I never heard...

As a Certified Senior Advisor®️, I cannot speak highly enough of the exceptional experience my clients have had at Merrill Gardens at Carolina Park.

The amenities are top-notch, providing a range of activities and services tailored to meet the diverse needs and interests of each resident. Whether it’s enjoying chef-prepared meals, participating in fitness classes, gardening, or engaging in stimulating cultural outings, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

What truly sets Merrill Gardens apart is the genuine care and attention given to each resident. The staff takes the time to get to know each individual personally, fostering meaningful connections and providing personalized care that enhances quality of life.

Another feature that my clients have enjoyed is that residents at Merrill Gardens can move into an Independant Living apartment & never have to move when care needs increase since all Independent Living Apartments are also licensed for Assisted Living; this is truly a unique feature. Furthermore, the community is immaculately maintained, creating a comfortable and inviting environment.

In my professional opinion, Merrill Gardens exemplifies excellence in senior living, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a vibrant and supportive community for themselves or a loved one. I would also like to applaud David and Brayan for their excellent communication and follow up. They consistently go above and beyond to make the move in process easy...