Merrill Gardens at Rockridge is a senior living community in Oakland, California, that offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care. The building stands out with big bay windows that let in lots of California sunshine and an open, contemporary design with natural wood accents. People living here can walk through spacious common areas with comfortable couches, fireplaces, and areas for reading or conversation, and there's always a grand piano for music. The community has a rooftop patio where people can enjoy sunset views or sit outside under string lights at tables with umbrellas for shade, and the bright outdoor patio often becomes a spot for barbecues and evening gatherings.
Memory Care here happens in the Garden House, which has open-concept living spaces with large windows, its own inviting bar area, and intimate rooms. The memory care program uses the Montessori approach and has the Inspire Connection program, so it focuses on routine, personal history, and letting each person keep their role and sense of self. The staff has special training and stays on-site all day and night to care for those with Alzheimer's or other memory concerns, making sure the area is secure but home-like, with enclosed courtyards for safe time outside. Assisted living apartments have cozy living rooms and modern kitchens, and the program offers help with bathing, dressing, medication, and other daily tasks, all based on what each person needs.
Inside, the community offers lots of social spaces, including game tables, a salon for hair and beauty, and a theater for movie nights. The main dining area has big windows and opens out onto a patio, and meals use good ingredients with restaurant-style service. There's a library, sitting areas, and flexible spaces where people can pick how much privacy and independence they want, but support is always available. Independent living gives active seniors a worry-free lifestyle, with housekeeping, transportation, and plenty of chances to stay social and busy. Everything aims to help people make choices, keep their independence, and enjoy daily life, whether that means joining activities, relaxing by the fire, or joining a tour to see what daily life looks like here.
The building has won recognition for its friendly staff, quality of care, and activity programs that keep residents engaged-physically, mentally, and emotionally. Residents can also take virtual tours or strolls if they want a better look at what's offered before moving in. Designed to let people keep their dignity and individuality, Merrill Gardens at Rockridge keeps a neighborhood feel while offering a full range of services, from help with daily activities to skilled nursing, all on one campus run by a family-owned company.
People often ask...
Merrill Gardens at Rockridge offers competitive pricing, with rates starting at a cost of $2,995 per month.
Merrill Gardens at Rockridge offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement community.
There are 23 photos of Merrill Gardens at Rockridge on Mirador.
Yes, Merrill Gardens at Rockridge allows residents to age in place and adjust their level of care as needed.
The full address for this community is 5238 Coronado Ave, Oakland, CA, 94618.
Yes, Merrill Gardens at Rockridge offers respite care.
Respite care in assisted living communities provides temporary, short-term relief for primary caregivers by offering professional care for their loved ones. It allows individuals to stay in an assisted living community for a limited time, giving caregivers a break while ensuring residents receive necessary support and assistance with daily activities.
State of California Inspection Reports
53
Inspections
6
Type A Citations
16
Type B Citations
5
Years of reports
27 Dec 2024
27 Dec 2024
Found safety and care standards met, including adequate lighting, appropriate temperatures, sufficient food supplies, and secured medications and sharps; five resident records and five staff records were complete, with no deficiencies identified.
26 Jan 2024
26 Jan 2024
Identified proper safety features, including grab bars and non-skid mats, adequate lighting, and a hot water temperature of 106.1 degrees Fahrenheit; medications, sharps, and toxins were securely stored, and there was a one-week supply of nonperishable foods and two days’ worth of perishables. Reviewed five resident records and five staff records, and interviewed five staff and five residents, with no deficiencies identified.
26 Jan 2024
26 Jan 2024
Inspection of the facility found no deficiencies, with all areas inspected meeting safety and care standards.
05 Sept 2023
05 Sept 2023
Found allegations of rough handling of residents, smoking inside, and staff under the influence were unable to be proven.
05 Sept 2023
05 Sept 2023
Investigated allegations that staff handled residents roughly, smoked on site, and were under the influence; found insufficient evidence to prove or disprove these claims.
05 Sept 2023
05 Sept 2023
Investigated the allegation that staff engaged in inappropriate behavior in the presence of residents. Found insufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegation, therefore unsubstantiated.
05 Sept 2023
05 Sept 2023
Interviews conducted did not find evidence of inappropriate behavior by staff in the presence of residents.
31 May 2023
31 May 2023
Found a fire that started in a resident's room, causing damage to multiple apartments in the facility.
31 May 2023
31 May 2023
Identified that a fire started in a resident's room on 5/28/23 after cat food was left on the stove and the burner was on without the resident's knowledge. This caused fire and water damage to multiple rooms, with residents relocated and cleanup ongoing.
01 Feb 2023
01 Feb 2023
Found no evidence to support the allegation that staff did not answer call buttons promptly. Found no evidence to support the allegation that staff did not meet residents’ needs or failed to provide the quantity of food, noting hospice records indicated the resident had dysphagia and took longer to eat.
01 Feb 2023
01 Feb 2023
Confirmed physical abuse of a resident by a caregiver.
01 Feb 2023
01 Feb 2023
Confirmed that staff did not administer medication in a timely manner and did not update a resident's needs and services plan when their health condition changed. Unsubstantiated allegations of staff entering residents' rooms without consent and not communicating with a family member.
01 Feb 2023
01 Feb 2023
Allegations about response time to pendant calls and meeting resident needs were reviewed and found to be unsubstantiated in the report. Food quantity provided to residents was also determined to meet their needs.
01 Feb 2023
01 Feb 2023
Found that a staff member did not administer medication to a resident in a timely manner on 2/4/23 and that the resident’s needs and services plan was not updated after hospice admission in May 2022; privacy concerns regarding entering rooms were not established. Found that staff rang a door belt before entering residents’ rooms and did communicate with the resident’s POA on 1/2/23 and 1/3/23.
§ 87465(a)(4)
§ 87463(a)
01 Feb 2023
01 Feb 2023
Investigated a self-reported incident of physical abuse toward a resident after a neighbor's video showed a caregiver striking the resident during care; police were involved, and the staff member was removed from schedule and terminated. A deficiency was cited, and an exit interview with the administrator was conducted.
§ 87413
10 Jan 2023
10 Jan 2023
Conducted Infection Control Inspection on 1/10/2022, found no deficiencies in safety protocols and procedures.
§ 87465(a)(4)
§ 87463(a)
10 Jan 2023
10 Jan 2023
Found no deficiencies after an unannounced infection control check; observed central entry screening for staff, residents, and visitors, proper PPE use, cough/sneeze etiquette and hand hygiene posters, and adequate food and PPE supplies, with infection control and emergency plans in place.
13 Dec 2022
13 Dec 2022
Confirmed inadequate COVID-19 protocols, lack of current care plans, and insufficient staff. Unsubstantiated claims of inadequate food and inadequate training.
§ 87413
13 Dec 2022
13 Dec 2022
Identified an unannounced case-management visit prompted by recent resident moves and a self-reported suicidal ideation, with 14 residents from the other facility now living here, 3 new move-ins since the last visit, and 1 discharge on 12/12/22, and two residents stating they felt safe and comfortable. Noted adequate supplies, stable staffing, no imminent health or safety concerns, and an exit interview with the Resident Care Director.
13 Dec 2022
13 Dec 2022
Identified that staff training records prior to September 2022 were not available for review, resulting in a deficiency being cited. An exit interview was conducted with the administrator.
§ 87412
13 Dec 2022
13 Dec 2022
Reviewed that staff training records before September 2022 were unavailable for review, resulting in a deficiency citation.
13 Dec 2022
13 Dec 2022
Identified lapses in COVID-19 protocols and outdated care plans for several residents, along with staffing shortages in July 2022; found no conclusive evidence to support issues with paid services or staff training, and determined meals were generally adequate and delivered to rooms during the outbreak.
§ 87468.1(a)(2)
§ 87463(a)
§ 87411(a)
13 Dec 2022
13 Dec 2022
Visited facility, conducted interviews with residents and staff, found no immediate health or safety concerns.
§ 87468.1(a)(2)
§ 87463(a)
§ 87411(a)
06 Dec 2022
06 Dec 2022
Found 12 residents from a prior location were living at the site, with two new move-ins since the last visit; two residents said they felt safe and comfortable. Noted a resident's self-reported suicidal ideation; the resident remains hospitalized with no discharge date, and a physician's report and care plan were reviewed.
06 Dec 2022
06 Dec 2022
Visited residents from a specific location and reviewed a self-reported incident of suicidal ideation. Met with staff and residents, confirmed residents were safe and comfortable, and reviewed care plan for hospitalized resident.
§ 87412
23 Nov 2022
23 Nov 2022
Visited 10 residents, all confirmed safe and comfortable. No health or safety concerns noted during the inspection.
23 Nov 2022
23 Nov 2022
Found ten residents from another home currently residing here, with two new move-ins since the last visit. Three residents reported feeling safe and comfortable; supplies were adequate and staffing stable; no imminent health or safety concerns were observed; exit interview conducted with the Resident Care Director.
17 Nov 2022
17 Nov 2022
Visited facility, found no health or safety concerns, residents felt safe in the facility.
17 Nov 2022
17 Nov 2022
Found eight residents from another home were residing here, six of whom were new since the last visit. Met with five residents who reported feeling safe; supplies were adequate and staffing stable, and no imminent health or safety concerns were noted.
10 Nov 2022
10 Nov 2022
Found 10 residents relocated between settings, with supplies adequate and staffing stable. Found two residents reported feeling safe, and no imminent health or safety concerns were identified.
10 Nov 2022
10 Nov 2022
Confirmed no safety concerns, adequate supplies, stable staffing, and residents feeling safe.
29 Aug 2022
29 Aug 2022
Found two self-reported incidents: one about a resident's elopement with a 24/7 private caregiver and discussions about moving the resident to memory care or another place, and another about a resident's head and finger injuries after a heavy washer/dryer in a closet fell when not secured. No deficiencies noted; an exit interview was conducted with the administrator.
29 Aug 2022
29 Aug 2022
Identified incidents of elopement and injury, prompting discussions on increased supervision and securing heavy appliances in residents' rooms.
10 Aug 2022
10 Aug 2022
Identified a medication mix-up where a resident received another resident’s Levothyroxine, prompting a hospital visit after 911 was called; no injury or ongoing symptoms were reported and no civil penalties were assessed. A deficiency was cited.
§ 87465
10 Aug 2022
10 Aug 2022
Identified a medication error resulting in the wrong medication being administered to a resident, leading to a health complication. No civil penalties were imposed due to no harm being caused to the resident.
11 Jul 2022
11 Jul 2022
Found no evidence of staff member kissing and hugging resident, allegation unsubstantiated.
11 Jul 2022
11 Jul 2022
Investigated the allegation that R1 was kissed and hugged by a male staff member; interviews and records did not establish that the event occurred.
11 Jul 2022
11 Jul 2022
Found that one staff member on duty was not cleared or associated with the location, and a $500 civil penalty was assessed.
§ 87355
11 Jul 2022
11 Jul 2022
Confirmed shortage of staff during pandemic and technical issues with call button. Call response times varied from 1 minute to 11 hours. All activities of daily living were completed as listed.
11 Jul 2022
11 Jul 2022
Confirmed one staff member was not cleared to work at the facility. A civil penalty of $500 was assessed.
§ 87468.2(a)(4)
§ 87303(a)
11 Jul 2022
11 Jul 2022
Found that the allegation of delayed responses to residents and call button issues during the pandemic staffing shortage, with agency staff assisting on shifts, was supported by interviews and reviewed records.
§ 87468.2(a)(4)
§ 87303(a)
29 Jun 2022
29 Jun 2022
Found no evidence to support the allegation that staff failed to seek timely medical attention; the resident was alert,.call button responses occurred in a timely manner, and a physician's order was in place. Found no evidence to support the allegations that resident care needs were not met or that medication management was mishandled; care was provided per needs and followed physician orders.
29 Jun 2022
29 Jun 2022
Investigated allegations of staff failing to seek timely medical attention, not meeting resident care needs, and mismanaging medication; determined that allegations lacked a preponderance of evidence to prove occurrence, thus were deemed unsubstantiated.
§ 87465
03 Mar 2022
03 Mar 2022
Confirmed no deficiencies found during health and safety check. Staffing levels adequate and residents' needs met.
§ 87355
03 Mar 2022
03 Mar 2022
Investigated allegations of missing jewelry and overcharging; found that the jewelry claim was unsubstantiated and the overcharging claim was unfounded.
03 Mar 2022
03 Mar 2022
Found the jewelry-missing allegation unsubstantiated. Found the overcharging allegation unfounded.
03 Mar 2022
03 Mar 2022
Found food supplies sufficient and a weekly menu posted in the kitchen for staff and on dining tables for residents, with dining room hours 7am–7pm. Found staffing adequate, and the impact of schedule changes on residents' needs and services not observed. No deficiencies noted during the visit.
02 Feb 2022
02 Feb 2022
Found infection-control measures were in place at a central screening point, with temperature checks, handwashing, PPE use, and posters on cough etiquette. Found adequate food and PPE supplies, plus mitigation and emergency plans and routine screening records; no deficiencies were found.
02 Feb 2022
02 Feb 2022
Conducted inspection did not find any deficiencies during the visit.
29 Nov 2020
29 Nov 2020
Found that the pest presence allegation involving rodents or roaches was unfounded. Interviews described routine trash disposal and safety practices, with no evidence that pests were present.
29 Nov 2020
29 Nov 2020
Investigated an allegation of pest presence and determined it unfounded, with no evidence of rodents or roaches, while procedures during COVID-19 ensured cleanliness and safety for residents.
22 Jan 2020
22 Jan 2020
Confirmed no deficiencies during inspection, facility ready for final approval by CAB.
22 Jan 2020
22 Jan 2020
Confirmed no deficiencies during inspection; facility in good condition with adequate staff and proper safety measures in place.
