Mercy Retirement & Care Center

The caregivers and staff at Mercy are as good as it gets! My mother has been a resident for 3 years and I visit one to two times a week. It is a friendly, clean environment with very little turnover in the staff. Everyone there is caring!
The meals, activities, and surroundings are excellent. They decorate each floor and the lobby for every holiday, making it homey. My Mother entered assisted living because of a sciatica issue and intended staying a month. Once she was there, SHE decided that it was time she moved in full time and moved up to her own unit. It gives incredible peace of mind to all of us to know that should she need further assistance, she can move down to assisted living or over to the care center without having to change addresses! I would highly recommend Mercy Retirement Center to anyone, and I have recommended it often.

I believe John D’s review of Mercy is poorly written and gives the wrong impression of Mercy.
Mercy is a non-​denominational, full service facility, with a secure campus that has ²⁴⁄₇ Reception, beautifully landscaped gardens, and every service a resident could want: three nutritious meals every day; a variety of daily activities and special events; housekeeping service; ²⁴⁄₇ floor staff for night or day emergencies. Mercy is run by the non-​profit Eldercare Alliance. They’re associated with the four AlmaVia facilities in the Bay Area.
We needed a facility for my 85-​yr old MIL who is physically healthy, but has a mild-​to-​moderate case of dementia. We wanted a full-​service facility so that as she declined, we would not be forced to move her somewhere else (disruption is highly stressful for dementia patients).
My MIL is in now in Asst. Living. Although reluctant (as many elderly are) to make «the move» out of our home, she quickly adjusted and in less than a month’s time was telling her friends she absolutely loves it at Mercy. She loves how caring and friendly all the staff is, and how quick everyone was to learn her name. She loves the reassurance that she will be escorted to and from her bath, so that she need never worry about falling. She enjoys the food, which is quite good (we’ve eaten there with her a number of times). She appreciates the choice of activities and for the first time since being widowed, is making new friends, because Mercy provides a supportive sense of community for its residents.
Unlike John D., we investigated seven different senior facilities nearby our home. There are many different types, but we needed a full service facility with a Memory Care unit. But what makes one facility different from another is the staff. And Mercy’s staff is VERY, VERY GOOD — at all levels! There were some minor issues at first because moving in and getting her settled was complex; but Mercy was always responsive and showed themselves willing to go that «extra mile» for my MIL’s comfort.
We have visited elderly friends at other (even more expensive) facilities where the night staff was sullen and uninterested when a resident comes to ask a question. We have had many interactions with Mercy staff and all have been 100% positive. We are convinced that Mercy was the right choice. They are a caring, compassionate, and highly professional care facility. Oakland seniors are lucky to have Mercy in our city!
(Note: edited June 2014 to reflect that Salem is being sold to finance an expansion of Mercy’s campus to provide additional Memory Care units. Salem is being purchased by a for-​profit corporation, similar to Sunrise Living and AgeSong.)