caregiver

dining room server

housekeeper

medical technician

dishwasher

Merrill-Gardens

I joined Merrill Gardens because I wanted to make a positive impact on the lives of seniors. The residents and many of the frontline employees are wonderful, dedicated people who genuinely care about providing quality care and service.

Unfortunately, my experience as an employee was overshadowed by inconsistent leadership, poor communication, and a lack of accountability in some areas. Expectations frequently changed, priorities shifted without clear direction, and employees were often left trying to manage problems without adequate support. This created a stressful work environment where staff frequently felt overwhelmed and undervalued.

One of the biggest challenges was the disconnect between what was communicated and what was actually happening at the community level. Employees were often expected to take on responsibilities outside their role while dealing with staffing shortages, competing priorities, and pressure to meet deadlines. Concerns raised by employees did not always appear to be addressed in a meaningful way.

The residents deserve excellent care, and many staff members work incredibly hard to provide it despite the challenges. However, employee retention, morale, and trust in leadership could be significantly improved through greater transparency, stronger accountability, better training, and more consistent support from management.

I would recommend Merrill Gardens to someone who is passionate about senior living and can thrive in a fast-paced environment, but prospective employees should be prepared for high expectations, organizational challenges, and the need to advocate for themselves professionally.

This was a great company to work for when it was a family business. Major corporate changes happened and so it became just another institution. Co-workers were great. I love all the residents and their families. They have great life stories and were very respectful towards the Dining staff. Some not so much but for the most part they were very appreciative towards the staff. Management is horrible and that's just sugar coating it. New General manager and Head chef. The General manager is a nice guy; at times he shows no appreciation for one's hard work and can sound all too made up. The kitchen or dining staff are always short staffed. Someone always calls out every day, so the servers have to pick up more work and do with the staff on hand. No one available to call in or back up workers. The new Dining service manager is very unappreciative of his staff. Shows no respect towards his employees and has very poor work ethics. Good workers are always over worked and underpayed considering how much the company charges for rent. Hard to find cover if needed to be off. Dining manager lacks the ability to perform his job requirements, so the employees picks up the slack. Dining service manager also has very poor communicatioin skills,is unorganized and has poor leadership. Annual raises of 3 percent for almost all employees. Also that is the standard raise. Medical and dental are great. Payed holidays and 401k. Week vacation after a year. Great co workers. Lacks structures. Free lunch. Non smoking community. No room to advance or grow in the company. And the turnover rate for this community is high. New staff members every 2 to 3 months.

My day focuses on running the dining room and acting as the link between the kitchen and the residents. A normal shift involves managing the front-of-house, handling the rush during meal times, and making sure strict dietary needs are followed. It is fast-paced and requires prioritizing resident needs while keeping operations running smoothly.

I have learned how to keep service standards high while providing compassionate care. Aside from mastering the computer systems and service skills, I have learned how to predict the needs of the residents and manage the challenges of a busy restaurant environment.

Leadership here is mixed. Immediate supervisors usually work hard and communicate clearly. However, upper management struggles to connect administrative goals with the reality of what happens on the floor. The work experience depends heavily on who is in charge that day.

The culture focuses on the residents. The staff has a good bond because we have to work together closely during busy shifts. However, the atmosphere can feel disconnected sometimes because of the differences in how managers run things.

The hardest part is the lack of clear communication from upper leadership to the floor staff. Important updates often do not get shared properly, which causes issues. This forces the team to react to problems as they happen instead of being prepared, which causes confusion during service.

The best part is the relationship built with the residents. It feels good to be a positive, consistent part of their lives. Learning their stories, knowing what they like, and making their day better turns the job into a meaningful connection rather than just serving food.

Housekeeping department. They pay too little and require too much for only 2 people to take care of an entire building. Didn't have time to take breaks. This building was totally unorganized with staff, My coworker and I lived far away and always made it to work early or on time we made sure that the residents felt welcomed and satisfied with the service we provide them. We took initiative to do things and never were told what to do. We had no supervisor over us just manager. No help from anyone. no backup workers so if one person called in then there was just 1 worker to take care of everything in the building this includes.. the residents rooms you clean by schedule plus your coworkers rooms plus the front restrooms in the lobby(refill with soap or paper towels, toilet paper, wiped down disinfect, mop, sweep, etc), plus trash pick up throughout the whole building and dispose. We made sure we washed, dried, and folded each of the residents linens all in the same day and returned it to them, make their beds the way they like it done (memorize it) and clean their whole apartment dust ceiling fans and other surfaces ,clean windows, mop, sweep, wipe down counter surfaces, clean toilets, showers, mirrors, vacuum. That was too much work and too many residents to take care of. We also had to vacuum hallways and polish elevators and clean them out. And make sure all the Exit stairways were all clean and vacuumed.

The Good:
The residents are the best part about working there. I wasnt sure if I could handle being a caregiver but helping ppl in assisted living was rewarding work and im thankful for the opportunity. The HR dept was extremely helpful and always available and the lady they have their goes above and beyond her job i hope they appreciate her. The GM was welcoming and seemed to sincerely care about his residents and employees. The employees and management at the restuarant in were great and helpful and i enjoyed working with them. 
The Bad:
Mismanagement and no organization make this job not worth it. Are you a caregiver? Well according to the nurse your a caregiver/ napkin folder/ custodian. Favoritism is rampant and employees are thrown into situations where they are not prepared and not given clear instructions on how to handle certain situations. Are you related to an employee already working there? If so good you can join the others. They do offer competitive pay but its not that competetive and they dont offer more to ppl who work over nights. They also require you to clock out for lunch so actually getting 40 hours a week is not possible. Also full time is 30 hours so if your needing 40 like every other working class person trying to take care of their family? Good luck.

Working in the Dining Room was fairly rewarding. Everyday, you got to see the same smiling faces waiting for you bright and early because your serving the same people you begin to memorize their likes and dislikes. Their was almost nothing that made a resident happier then to see you walking toward them with their favorite food item without even having to ask for it. I think that is what was the most rewarding thing about the job. The kitchen, staff was was usually a mess but, having a huge turn over rate will do that to you. Overall management within the community was not so good. They began to cut hours, and create little jobs for you to do between meals which, I thought to be kind of a health hazard...for example, having to clean floors, railings, resident rooms in between meal time while you were in your uniform. Their were often several complaints from residents, and their family members about how it was just un- sanitary. My co-workers were generally all okay people to work with. Like any other company you'll always find those one or two people among the rest that like to create a uncomfortable work environment for other people.Overall, I enjoyed my job here mostly because of the residents. There were some things that I just didn't agree with as my time her came to an end.

It's always the kitchen. The kitchen is unlike any other department. The other departments have it made, with their cushy offices and high salaries, always taking holidays off. It's always the kitchen where things are the most difficult. Short handed, rude superiors, condescending, belittling, inappropriate joking, cramped quarters, confusion. Not a fun place. Indifference by management, failure to implement team building. Instead, it's subtle insults and belittling that destroy morale. I thought Merrill Gardens was different, better than the rest, but I see its the same thing every where I go. It sucks when you dread going to work when you think, what will they say next that is insulting or what will they be micromanaging me on this time. Very uncomfortable work environment. I regret now choosing culinary arts as a career, I should have stayed with mechanics or computers, administration. 
  To the managers, I say, Try working in the kitchen for a week to see the difference between day and night, the completely different attitudes and stress levels absent from the nice cushy office jobs where everybody is happy. Try actually doing some real, actual work and then see how you feel as opposed to just reciting mission statements and policies.

When I got hired at this establishment, everything seemed great. The staff were friendly, management was inviting, I was working full-time hours making minimum wage (back then minimum wages was $8.00/hour) and after a year I received a $0.24 raise for a total of $8.24/hour.
Shortly after my one year mark, everything did a complete 180 and suddenly this establishment was the exact opposite of what it was when I started. My manager was let go and was replaced by someone less respectable, staff were becoming very unhappy which also affected the residents that lived there. After a while, my hours got cut to the point where I could no longer afford to live. 
When I was almost at my three year mark, I was still making $8.24/ hour while new staff members were making the new minimum wage of $9.00/hour. I was only working one day a week for four hours while new staff members were working full-time hours. Some of my friendly co-workers I met when I started my first year were now lazy and backstabbing while telling the management that I was the lazy one. Management no longer cared about the employees. My new manager stayed in his office and didn't observe anyone's work but would write bad reviews about me which explained why I was still making less than the new minimum wage. 
The only enjoyable part of that place was some of the co-workers that I befriended.

As a server in a retirement home, a typical work day consists of clocking in, checking the work schedule, reviewing the menu of the day, checking with the DSM and team members about what the day is going to consists of and catering to our resident's needs. Working at Merrill Gardens I have learned a lot about time management being that the kitchen and dining room is open for anytime dining. This means that Residents get to eat whenever they want. At times it could be an easy paced work day and other times it could be a crazy fast paced work day. It just all depends on the resident's mood for the day. Working together as a TEAM with your co-workers (fellow TEAM members) is an important aspect of the job. It's good to communicate to your team members about what hasn't been done, what needs to be done, and how things should be done because it'll make your day so much more easier. I would say that the most enjoyable part of the job is being able to interact with your co-workers and our residents everyday. Over time you learn so much about the residents and your TEAM that it's like you all are one big family. No matter what, the upside of working in a retirement home is that you will never feel left out.

Everyday was always a new and different day at Merrill Gardens. Working here, I got to meet so many sweet and loving people and learn of their life experiences and listen as they tend to give you advice on life in general. I also learned to be more patient and understanding of so many things and oh boy do you really need it when you work with the elderly. A typical day at Merrill Gardens as a server was coming into the kitchen and having the cook brief us on what was on the menu for the day. I would then go out to my section of tables in the dining room, greet the residents,and get started on taking their orders. During the slow hours of the day, I try to get as many side jobs done and reset all my tables. When the dining room closed, my coworkers and I would split up closing duties, spend time on our ticket order sheets together, and then all head home..My co-workers were like family to me and we all worked very hard and very well together. We always had fun yet kept everything on the professional side.The hardest part of the job was getting so close to the residents and then finding out that they had passed away. It's almost like losing your own family member.The most enjoyable part of working at Merrill Gardens is that there is always something going on! Whether its with the residents, the staff or visitors, you will never ever be bored.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Caregiver 70 salaries reported	$22.61 per hour
Dining room server 68 salaries reported	$21.86 per hour
Housekeeper 39 salaries reported	$20.61 per hour
Medical technician 67 salaries reported	$22.23 per hour
Dishwasher 25 salaries reported	$19.23 per hour

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