Pricing ranges from
    $5,545 – 7,208/month

    Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place

    36 Barkley Cir, Fort Myers, FL, 33907
    • Independent living
    • Assisted living
    AnonymousCurrent/former resident
    4.0

    Warm community, some maintenance issues

    I live here and overall I'm very happy - the staff are warm, caring and responsive, the community is clean and secure, apartments are large and comfortable, meals are tasty, and there are abundant activities and useful amenities in a convenient location. It's a smaller, welcoming place with lovely grounds and lots of social options. Be aware it's an older building with occasional maintenance issues (and a few pest/mold reports), dining can sometimes arrive cold, nursing/care quality is mixed, and costs can be high. I'd recommend it - just confirm the level of care, unit condition, and pricing before you commit.

    Pricing

    $5,545+/moSemi-privateAssisted Living
    $6,654+/mo1 BedroomAssisted Living
    $7,208+/moStudioAssisted Living

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Coordination with health care providers
    • Hospice waiver
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Memory care community services

    • Dementia waiver
    • Mild cognitive impairment
    • Specialized memory care programming

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (medical)
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)
    • Transportation to doctors appointments

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination
    • Swimming pool

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    4.46 · 121 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.1
    • Staff

      4.5
    • Meals

      4.0
    • Amenities

      3.9
    • Value

      3.3

    Pros

    • Friendly, caring and attentive staff
    • Long-tenured staff / high staff retention
    • Extensive, varied activities program
    • Ambassador program for new residents
    • On-site physical and occupational therapy
    • On-site nursing (LPN) and lab services
    • Transportation to medical appointments, shopping, and churches
    • Multiple social spaces (library, lounges, game rooms)
    • Fitness center and exercise classes
    • Indoor swimming pool
    • Hair and nail salon on-site
    • Restaurant-style dining with varied menu options
    • Many reviewers described meals as delicious and freshly cooked
    • Beautiful, well-kept grounds and gardens with seating
    • Pet-friendly community (dogs brighten days)
    • Strong safety and emergency preparedness (generators, hurricane response)
    • Clean and inviting common areas reported by many reviewers
    • Apartment options include full kitchens and laundry hookups
    • Resident Association and Safety Committee involvement
    • Active social community where residents make friends
    • Responsive communication with families (texts, proactive updates)
    • Seamless / helpful move-in and orientation experiences often noted
    • Supportive dementia and higher-care services on site
    • Central, convenient location near medical care, shopping, and churches
    • Good value for some reviewers given amenities and services
    • High demand / waitlist for apartments (indicates popularity)

    Cons

    • Aging building with areas that need updating and fresh paint
    • Variable maintenance issues (mold under AC, leaking A/C, broken dishwashers)
    • Inconsistent housekeeping and cleanliness in some units (lanai carpet, trim)
    • Occasional pest reports (isolated roach complaint)
    • Food quality/temperature can be inconsistent (meals sometimes cold)
    • Small portion sizes or insufficient food reported by some residents
    • Dining understaffed at times, causing long waits
    • Occasional rude dining or management staff reported
    • Some apartments are small or cramped
    • Dark common corridors and limited natural light in parts of the building
    • Perception of being overpriced by some reviewers / rent increases
    • Inconsistent or disorganized nursing services noted by some families
    • Some residents reported slow maintenance response due to short staffing
    • Accessibility and safety concerns (small showers, lack of rails, no walking path)
    • Resident cliques / social exclusion reported by some
    • Outdoor furniture and exterior fixtures sometimes in disrepair
    • Variable level of post-COVID activity restoration reported
    • Seasonal or unexpected pool closures
    • Mixed reports on value-for-money and occasional supply shortages

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the reviews for Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place is broadly positive with a consistent emphasis on the staff, social life, and on-site services. The most frequently cited strength is the quality of the staff: many reviewers describe the team as friendly, caring, professional, and person-centered. Several reviewers specifically commented on long-tenured staff and excellent staff retention, which contributes to continuity of care and familiarity between staff and residents. Staff praise spans front-desk reception, nursing and therapy teams, activity coordinators, and administrators; families repeatedly mention proactive communication (regular text updates, check-ins) and helpfulness during crises such as hurricanes or COVID-19. The community’s culture is often described as warm and home-like, with many residents making friends quickly and even becoming ambassadors to help new residents acclimate.

    Activities, social programming, and resident engagement are other standout themes. Reviews highlight a wide variety of activities—coloring, Wii bowling, gardening, card games, bingo, movies, bridge, exercise classes, happy hours, shopping trips, worship services, and outings—along with ample common spaces (library, game rooms, lounges, pool table room). The ambassador program, resident association involvement, and an active Safety Committee were listed as positive features that facilitate social integration and resident input. Multiple reviewers credited the community with transforming their relatives’ social lives (residents thriving and making friends after moving in), indicating the programming succeeds at reducing loneliness and supporting engagement.

    Dining and on-site services receive mostly favorable comments but with notable inconsistencies. Many reviewers praise the dining room atmosphere (table settings, friendly wait staff), varied menu, and meals described as delicious and freshly prepared; several singled out grilling and special menu options. Conversely, others reported issues such as meals served at suboptimal temperatures, small portion sizes for some residents, breakfast monotony, and occasional rude dining staff or understaffed meal service resulting in long waits. On-site services—physical and occupational therapy, LPN coverage, lab work, hair and nail salon—are repeatedly named as convenient and valuable features that support independence and make the community attractive for residents who want both independent living and access to clinical services.

    Facilities and grounds are generally appreciated for being well-kept and attractive, with many reviewers noting lovely gardens, outdoor seating, and hotel-like apartments. The community offers desirable amenities: pool, gym, salon, library, and multiple activity spaces. Location is often cited as a positive (close to shopping, medical care, churches, and beaches). However, an important pattern is the building’s age and mixed condition: while common areas and grounds are often praised, multiple reviewers report aging infrastructure and aesthetic issues—dark, long narrow halls, areas needing paint or touch-ups, and specific maintenance problems such as mold near the pool AC unit, leaking air conditioning, inoperable dishwashers, and lamp posts or outdoor furniture damaged after storms. A few reviews raised more serious cleanliness or pest concerns (an isolated roach report) and several mentioned that certain apartments are small or have design issues (high cupboards, small showers) affecting accessibility.

    Care quality and management responses show both strengths and areas for improvement. Many families commend the compassionate, attentive caregivers and the availability of higher levels of care (assisted living, dementia support) as needed. Instances of personalized, family-inclusive care and strong pandemic safety measures were praised. At the same time, a minority of reviews allege inconsistent nursing oversight, disorganized nursing services, or lapses in responsiveness. Management generally receives favorable comments for being organized and helpful—especially around move-in and orientation—but there are recurring critical comments about managers who can be defensive, inconsistent follow-through on fixes, and occasional supply shortages. Maintenance delays appear tied in some reports to short staffing. These mixed signals suggest that while operational leadership is effective in many respects, there are sporadic issues in execution and follow-through that affect resident experience.

    Value and pricing are mixed in reviewers’ minds. Many feel the community represents good value given the combination of amenities, services, security, and staff quality, and some emphasize reasonable pricing compared to alternatives. Conversely, a number of reviewers consider it overpriced or note rent increases and view the aging physical plant as not matching the price. Several reviewers pointed to a waitlist for apartments, indicating demand and perceived desirability despite differing opinions on pricing.

    Safety and emergency preparedness are frequently described as strong. Multiple reviews highlighted effective hurricane preparations, on-site staffing during storms, and generators—giving families confidence. Security and a safe-feeling environment are recurring positives.

    In summary, Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place is widely regarded as a caring, socially active community with strong staff engagement, robust programming, and useful on-site clinical services. Its amenities, central location, and welcoming culture are major draws, and many families report that residents thrive there socially and medically. The principal areas to watch are building age and maintenance consistency, some variability in dining and housekeeping, occasional management and nursing coordination concerns, and mixed perceptions on cost. For prospective residents and families, the community’s strengths in staffing, activities, and emergency preparedness make it worth serious consideration, but an in-person tour should include inspection of specific apartments (for size, recent updates, and appliances), direct questions about maintenance response times and dining routines, and discussion of pricing/fees to ensure the fit meets expectations.

    Location

    Map showing location of Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place

    About Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place

    Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place is a senior living community that offers different types of care, including independent living, assisted living, memory care for dementia, home health care, and adult day care, so folks can get as much or as little help as they need depending on where they're at in life, and they don't make residents pay large upfront fees for independent or assisted living either, which is something many people appreciate. The apartments come in studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom layouts, and some have extras like sunrooms, lanais, patios, or balconies, plus there are floor plans to choose from with up to 88 options available, all featuring private bathrooms, walk-in closets, and kitchens or kitchenettes, which adds comfort and privacy for residents. The community has many features meant for daily living, like housekeeping, laundry rooms, an emergency call system, Wi-Fi, transportation services, and help with medication management or daily activities like bathing and dressing, and you'll also find computer areas, a library, fitness center, pool, landscaped grounds with walking paths, and a game room with billiards, giving people choices for staying busy or relaxing in a safe environment. People can gather in the spacious community room or elegant dining room with white tablecloths and fresh flowers, and an executive chef prepares meals from flexible menus every day, so meals are served in a restaurant-style setting with fresh, healthy ingredients. Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place allows pets, offers pet therapy, and includes special social and cultural activities to help residents feel connected-there are regular programs for both residents and family caregivers, as well as resources for family support. They're known for having friendly staff and a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere, and they've received awards like the Best of Senior Living, which shows they're recognized for good care and resident support. Tours show the whole place so people can see dining, activities, and daily routines firsthand. The beautiful sun porches, elegant lobby with its round table of orchids, built-in entertainment in community rooms, and outdoor spaces give many spots for meeting friends or having some quiet time. The focus at Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place is on making sure each resident keeps as much independence as possible while getting help when it's needed, in a place designed for comfort, safety, and easy living every day.

    About Merrill Gardens

    Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place is managed by Merrill Gardens.

    Founded in 1993 with a single community in Seattle, Merrill Gardens has grown into one of the nation's most respected senior living providers, operating 65 communities across 17 states. As a fifth-generation family-owned company with roots extending back to the 1890s, Merrill Gardens is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and maintains the values of integrity, compassion, and excellence that have defined the Merrill family for generations. The company has expanded strategically through both organic growth and selective acquisitions, recently adding five new communities in 2024 including locations in South Carolina, Missouri, and Oregon, while maintaining its commitment to quality over quantity in expansion decisions.

    Merrill Gardens offers a comprehensive continuum of senior living services including independent living, assisted living, and specialized memory care programs. Their innovative Anytime Dining program provides restaurant-style meals seven days a week, while their assisted living services include personalized care plans covering bathing, dressing, medication management, and safety checks. The company's memory care communities utilize a Montessori approach designed specifically for residents with Alzheimer's and dementia, creating environments that promote independence and well-being. Through their Inspire Connection program, Merrill Gardens focuses on connection and community, ensuring residents can engage in meaningful activities that bring a sense of belonging and purpose to their daily lives.

    The company's philosophy centers on their "Yes You Can" mentality, believing that life should be defined by possibilities rather than limitations. Merrill Gardens emphasizes person-centered care that celebrates each resident as a whole person, honoring their individuality and supporting their ability to make their own decisions. As innovators in the industry, they invest in technology and data-driven operations to enhance resident care while maintaining the personal touch that comes from their family-owned heritage. Their approach focuses on treating residents like family, with staff who are passionate about senior care rather than simply collecting a paycheck, creating environments where residents can live their fullest lives.

    Merrill Gardens has earned significant recognition for their excellence, including being ranked #6 in the nation by Fortune Magazine as a Best Workplace in Aging Services and receiving Great Place to Work certification for three consecutive years. The company has been honored as Family Business of the Year by both the Puget Sound Business Journal and Seattle Business Magazine, recognizing their longevity, community commitment, and long-term vision. With over 2,500 reviews averaging 4.4 out of 5 stars, multiple communities have received Best of Senior Living Awards, demonstrating their consistent delivery of high-quality care and services. Their commitment to innovation and excellence has established Merrill Gardens as a leader in the senior living industry, with a satisfaction guarantee that reflects their confidence in providing exceptional lifestyle experiences for seniors and their families.

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