Pricing ranges from
    $6,187 – 7,424/month

    Lake Merrit Care Home

    576 Valle Vista Ave, Oakland, CA, 94610
    3.5 · 6 reviews
    • Independent living
    • Assisted living
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    3.0

    Friendly staff, pricey and unresponsive

    I toured the place and liked the friendly, caring staff, clean bright rooms, spacious house with a wide safe staircase, and lots of activities - staff seemed knowledgeable about medical care and my mom was comfortable. However I couldn't meet the manager, many questions went unanswered, assistance and communication were lacking, and the price felt unaffordable. Overall a warm, well-kept facility, but the cost and poor responsiveness gave me pause.

    Pricing

    $6,187+/moSemi-privateAssisted Living
    $7,424+/mo1 BedroomAssisted Living

    Schedule a Tour

    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Coordination with health care providers
    • Medication management

    Healthcare staffing

    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Transportation arrangement (medical)
    • Transportation to doctors appointments

    Community services

    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    3.50 · 6 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      4.5
    • Staff

      3.5
    • Meals

      4.0
    • Amenities

      3.0
    • Value

      3.3

    Pros

    • good food
    • caring staff
    • friendly staff
    • knowledgeable about medical care
    • spacious house
    • wide safe staircase
    • bright upper rooms
    • clean accommodations
    • flexible with residents
    • comfortable for resident (mom)
    • residents happy
    • nice tour
    • lots of activities offered
    • reasonable price
    • overall terrific experience

    Cons

    • price too high / unaffordable
    • unable to meet manager about expenses
    • insufficient staff availability
    • unanswered questions
    • failed communication
    • lack of assistance
    • small room

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment in the reviews is mixed but leans positive on several core quality-of-life aspects while flagging important operational and communication concerns. Multiple reviewers praise the basics that matter to residents and families: the food, cleanliness, the friendliness and caring attitude of many staff members, and a comfortable, home-like physical environment. Praise for medical knowledge and the perception that residents are happy suggests a satisfactory level of daily care for many occupants. At the same time, there are repeated and specific criticisms around communication, staffing availability, room size, and cost that create notable inconsistency in the overall impression.

    Care quality and staff: Reviews repeatedly describe staff as caring, friendly, and knowledgeable about medical care, implying that clinical needs and daily caregiving are handled competently at times. Several comments state that the facility was “comfortable for mom” and that residents were happy, which reinforces a generally positive view of direct caregiving. However, these positive statements are tempered by direct complaints that staff were not available when needed, that assistance was lacking, and that questions went unanswered. This contrast suggests variability — some interactions and shifts are perceived as excellent, while others experience staffing shortages or lapses in responsiveness. The presence of both strong praise (caring, knowledgeable staff) and serious service failures (no staff available, lack of assistance) is one of the clearest patterns in the reviews.

    Facilities and accommodations: The physical environment receives largely favorable comments. Reviewers mention a spacious house, wide and safe staircases, bright upper rooms, and generally clean accommodations. Tours are described positively (“nice tour”), and the facility is portrayed as bright and well-kept in several summaries. At the same time, at least one reviewer called out a “small room,” indicating that room size may vary and that some units may feel cramped. The overall pattern is that common areas and many rooms are pleasant and safe, but prospective residents should be aware that private room sizes and layouts could differ.

    Dining and activities: Dining and engagement opportunities are strengths noted across the summaries. “Good food” is explicitly highlighted, and multiple reviewers mention “lots of activities offered,” which supports a positive view of resident life beyond basic care. These factors likely contribute to comments that residents appear happy and that the environment feels comfortable for family members who visited.

    Management, pricing, and communication: Management and administrative communication are the most significant areas of concern. Reviews show a stark contrast on cost: some reviewers describe the price as “reasonable” or even “terrific,” while others say it is “too high / unaffordable.” Additionally, there is a concrete complaint about being unable to meet the manager to discuss expenses, which ties into broader themes of failed communication. Several summaries explicitly mention unanswered questions and failed communication — not limited to billing but extending to help and assistance expectations. These recurring issues point to inconsistency in how administrative matters and family concerns are handled and suggest that transparency and availability of management are uneven.

    Overall assessment and notable patterns: The facility shows many strengths in resident experience — good food, cleanliness, friendly and, in many cases, competent caregiving staff, and active programming. However, the reviews collectively reveal variability that matters: staffing availability and responsiveness are not uniformly dependable, room sizes are not consistent, and there are conflicting impressions about affordability. The most actionable pattern is the coexistence of high marks for hands-on care and environment with repeated operational red flags around communication and access to management. Prospective residents and families should weigh the positive reports about daily life and care against the risk of inconsistent administrative responsiveness and potential cost concerns when making decisions.

    Location

    Map showing location of Lake Merrit Care Home

    About Lake Merrit Care Home

    Lake Merritt Care Home offers a warm and inviting environment for seniors, nestled along the border of Oakland and Piedmont in a peaceful and highly desirable residential neighborhood. The home boasts a beautiful deck that provides a stunning view of the surrounding hills, offering residents and their visitors a tranquil spot to relax and savor the calming scenery. The proximity to vibrant local amenities ensures that residents can enjoy everything the area has to offer, with a variety of shops, theaters, and churches easily accessible nearby. Renowned Lake Merritt is just a few minutes away, providing wonderful opportunities for outings and leisure.

    Residents at Lake Merritt Care Home benefit from the convenient access to public transportation, as the facility is located just a block from Grand Avenue where buses and taxis are readily available. This ease of mobility enables residents to maintain their independence and enjoy life outside the home when desired, while also providing peace of mind for families and loved ones. The location strikes a perfect balance between urban accessibility and serene retreat, making daily life engaging, safe, and comfortable.

    The philosophy at Lake Merritt Care Home centers on maintaining a family-like atmosphere among residents, staff, and administrators. There is a strong focus on both attentive care and support for independence, recognizing the importance of preserving each resident's dignity. Every effort is made to help individuals feel at home, respected, and valued. The dedicated staff members build close-knit relationships with residents, providing daily assistance while encouraging residents to retain as much autonomy as possible.

    Lake Merritt Care Home is dedicated to fostering a compassionate and homely environment for seniors. The commitment to personalized support, meaningful community, and enjoyable surroundings sets a high standard for elder care. Visitors are welcomed to experience the calm and friendly atmosphere that makes Lake Merritt Care Home a special place for seniors to thrive.

    People often ask...

    State of California Inspection Reports

    20

    Inspections

    6

    Type A Citations

    4

    Type B Citations

    6

    Years of reports

    11 Aug 2025
    Found compliance with the stipulation, including posted documentation, up-to-date staff clearances and personnel records, complete weekly shift schedules and payroll records, secure storage of medications and hazardous materials, and kept training records.
    • § 9058
    11 Aug 2025
    Found compliance with all stipulation aspects: stipulation posted, staff criminal record clearances maintained, personnel records current, weekly staff schedule complete, payroll records available, medications and other hazardous materials stored securely, and training records kept; no citations issued.
    • § 9058
    17 Dec 2024
    Found a clean, well-lit site with ample food, centrally stored medications, functioning bathrooms, and working detectors; hot water was 109.8 degrees, room temperature 72 degrees, and the fire extinguisher last serviced on 07/15/2024. Found five resident and five staff records complete; required postings in place; toxins and sharp objects secured; administrator on site beyond the minimum hours; and routine screenings for residents, staff, and visitors maintained.
    16 Sept 2024
    Identified that notices about the accusation were not distributed to each resident, their responsible parties, or the long-term care ombudsman, and only two of four residents confirmed reading the notice. Imposed a civil penalty that will continue to accrue until the deficiency is cleared.
    16 Sept 2024
    Found deficiencies related to a notice not provided to all residents. Civil penalty assessed.
    28 Jul 2023
    Found that important background information—prior misdemeanor convictions and a suspended business status—was not reported. The administrator was unavailable to meet and authorized a staff member to sign off on a document; an exit interview was conducted.
    28 Jul 2023
    Identified deficiencies were observed and cited during the visit.
    • § 1569.38(b)
    21 Jul 2023
    Verified the individual is not present, employed, or residing at the site. Advised disassociating the person from the roster and submitting an updated LIC 500; exit interview conducted.
    21 Jul 2023
    Verified individual not present or employed at facility during case management visit.
    • § 1569
    • § 87405(d)(5)
    19 Jan 2023
    Identified that the civil penalty issued on 12/20/2022 was not generated correctly in FAS; a corrected penalty of $500 was issued using LIC809D, and an exit interview was conducted with the back-up administrator.
    19 Jan 2023
    Re-issued LIC809D and corrected civil penalty during a case management visit.
    20 Dec 2022
    Found unlocked disinfectants, paint cans, and construction tools in bathrooms, closets, and common areas, with broken closet doors and drawers in several resident rooms and a broken toilet on the first floor; also found a staff member not yet associated and not screened.
    20 Dec 2022
    observed deficiencies during inspection resulted in a civil penalty assessed.
    • § 87355
    01 Dec 2021
    Identified infection control measures in place, including universal screening at entry, hand hygiene stations, posters on cough/sneeze etiquette, and proper PPE use; noted a two-day perishable and one-week non-perishable food supply, a 30-day PPE stock, and routine screening records for residents and staff; no deficiencies cited.
    01 Dec 2021
    Conducted an infection control inspection, observed compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols, and found no deficiencies.
    • § 87355(e)(2)
    • § 87309(a)
    • § 87303(a)
    • § 87411(f)
    23 Jun 2021
    Investigated the allegation that the administrator asked a resident to pay rent to her personally. Based on licensing records and resident interviews, the allegation was unfounded; one payment was made payable to the licensee’s name, while other payments were made to the care setting.
    23 Jun 2021
    Investigated allegation regarding rent payments, found to be unfounded.
    17 Dec 2020
    Found that a resident left the premises on 12/10/2020 around 4:55 pm, did not inform staff or sign out, and was fatally struck by a vehicle, with video showing the departure. Noted that the resident regularly went to Safeway, and a follow-up visit was planned with requests for the physician’s report, police report, admission agreement, and records of the resident’s history during stay.
    17 Dec 2020
    Confirmed a resident left the facility without notifying staff or signing out, resulting in a fatal accident.
    31 Dec 2019
    Conducted unannounced visit for required annual review and completed tour of facility's interior and exterior. Needed to return for follow-up inspection.

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