The Ackerly at Sherwood

My fiercely independent and wonderful parents, at our insistence, reluctantly joined the Ackerly Sherwood Community (now Merrill Gardens) a little over two years ago. We have witnessed such a positive evolution in their well being and happiness thanks to the comfort, care and kindness that was always present during a very difficult transition. The building is beautiful inside and out. But it is the Ackerly then and now the Merrill Gardens team (many of the same wonderful team members) have been nothing short of remarkable in every way in partnering with my my husband and I in providing not only the assistance my parents and I need to create a sense of welcoming and belonging. The staff work together with each other, with the residents and their families as a caring and compassionate team in every element of community life. Everyone is addressed by name and their strengths and dignity are honored, even when resistance to care presents itself. My parents regularly share what a beautiful place Merrill Gardens is and how kind the staff and other residents are to and for each other’s well being. We are grateful to the entire MG team with special recognition to Stefanie, Michael, David, Heidi, Jolene, Christi, Vanessa, John, Nancy, Quinn, Robert, Willow, Gayle, Rebecca, Kristen, Judy, Linda, Gwen, Madison, Veronica, Kathy, Scott, Omar, Maria, Lizbet, and so many more… These housekeeping, maintenance, receptionists, med-techs, aides, bartenders, servers, event planners, calendar designers, CNA’s, nursing and coordination of care and guest service professionals along with their general manager are the heroes that weave the fabric of a truly welcoming, safe and caring community where independence and dignity are at the core of the culture. Thank you all for the commitment, partnership and kindness you bring to each of your areas of expertise as one united team! We, my parents and other joyful members of this community are so very grateful!

I have toured Merrill Gardens at Sherwood several times with clients and it’s amazing! One of the unique and very appealing features is the extra licensing they hold so that if you move in as Independent, if or when you may need a higher level of care or need to transfer to assisted living, you don’t have to move, you can stay in your apartment. In addition to that, the place is beautiful, the food is amazing, and the people who work there care about seniors.

Dining room staff are kind and helpful to my mother, as well as me while I am visiting. Also, there are many choices on the menu, including delicious cheeseburgers.

My mother in law texts my husband and I several times a week complaining about the food there. My father in law was not eating as he said the food was so terrible. He is currently at at Avamere for rehab and has gained weight in his 2 week stay, saying he is sad to go back to the meals at Ackerlly, ( now Merrill gardens). This is the photo my mother in law sent us tonight, ( supposed to be salisbury steak) She said the baked potato is so hard she cant even get her fork in it to cut it with a knife. Hoping this gets the attention of management. With the amount of money these people pay to stay here, the food should be better than prison quality. That is what she calls it. My dog eats better than this!

My mom only lived there a month before she passed away. Here are my thoughts and experiences: The Ackerly at Sherwood is a gorgeous place. It truly is. It has a lot to offer residents… My mom was quite ill when she moved in and was immediately placed on hospice. There are SOME amazing caregivers and medication aides. But- BE WARNED! They use a lot of agency caregivers who don’t know what they’re doing! One had my poor mom in an absolute pretzel trying to transfer her. They treated my mom like a kid, quite honestly. She had Alzheimer’s Disease and was already stripped of her dignity. One day, my daughter and I came over and had the caregivers put her in her favorite chair (which she really enjoyed). The caregiver came to check on her around 4 and said “she needs to go to bed now. It’s 4 and that’s when we always put her to bed.” What on Earth? My mom isn’t a toddler and we don’t think she should be getting put to bed before dinner time!!! Also, can a medication tech leave a pill (narcotic) with me to give to my mom??? I sincerely doubt this is legal as a narcotic is a highly controlled substance. Someone offered this choice to me the weekend before my mom died.and it didn’t seem like that would be following protocol. I expressed all of these concerns to The Ackerly via phone, email and in person. I got no response (despite being told they were “discussing my complaints”). As I said, The Ackerly is beautiful. But, it’s messy where it really matters… Understaffed, lack of communication, VERY disorganized.