Sunshine Villa, A Merrill Gardens Community - Santa Cruz, California

A Google User

I visited Sunshine Villa last week looking for advanced memory care for my mother and was so fortunate to meet Kathy. She listened, was patient, caring and supportive. She made me feel heard. I got the opportunity to tour the beautiful grounds and see the interactions between staff and residents for myself. It is very clean, organized, open, bright and spacious. While my mo is a bit too advanced in her illness to take advantage of everything amazing Sunshine Villa has to offer, I walked away from my visit feeling empowered, informed and ready to take on the next phase of my mother's care. Meeting Kathy and seeing Sunshine Villa was a game changer for me. Anyone fortunate enough speak Kathy about their loved one can rest assure their family member is valued. Visit Sunshine Villa for yourself and have a chat with Kathy...She embodies the best of Santa Cruz!

Kim Yglesias

My dad lived in Sunshine Villa in Santa Cruz for 15 months before he passed. He loved living there from the first week he moved in. They offered many classes like yoga, meditation, chair aerobics ballon volleyball. He went to most of the classes. Everyone that worked there was so kind to my dad. His room was beautiful and very clean. He had a view of the ocean. I was a nurse for fourty years. I felt my dad was very safe there.

Tracy Goyette

My parents have been living at Sunshine Villa for nine months. They are so happy! Every resident I’ve ever seen is happy!
The care they receive is beyond measure. I visit once or twice a week. My parents are clean, their darling apartment is clean, the facility is clean. All of their needs are taken care of. The outdoor atrium is beautiful. The activities are plentiful. The food is balanced and the dining room is spacious.
The staff is incredible! I cannot say enough positive things about them. Every single staff member goes above and beyond to be accommodating. They are so sweet and respectful to the residents and the families.
If I could give Sunshine Villa a ten star review, I certainly would. I feel so blessed that my parents have landed at such a lovely place to call home in their twilight years.

Jenny Jaeckel

My dad is a new resident of Sunshine Villa and we have been blown away by the care and support that he has already received. Right from the beginning, the staff went over and above to help us with the process of getting my dad signed up and moved in, and they made us feel welcome and attended to every step of the way. It will take some time for my dad to settle in, especially since he is recovering from being injured in a fall, but we feel confident that he is in good hands in a lovely place, and that any and all of our concerns will continued to be handled quickly and thoughtfully.

Jon Alvarado

The staff at Sunshine Villa are excellent and make my mom feel special everyday. She loves the food and the care and attention she receives every day. The beautiful location and wonderful facility has given her a great experience there and highly recommend it.

Kim Powell

Without hesitation, I highly recommend Sunshine Villa, A First Class Assisted Living and Memory Care “home” located in Santa Cruz, CA.

Our mother moved to Sunshine Villa over 10 years ago. After a major heart attack followed by a fractured lower back, mom needed a safe environment with a team of nurses and med techs, as well as RA’s visiting throughout the day. While the move was challenging, it was the best decision we ever made for her care and happiness. Our Mother is 92 years young. The regular visits throughout the day by the kind staff of Sunshine Villa truly gives our family a sense of peace. We are very impressed by the level of care and professionalism that is provided at Sunshine Villa.

Since either my brother or I visit Mom daily, we see the ebb and flow of life around Sunshine Villa. As you walk into “ the Villa” you are greeted by a wonderful receptionist who has a watchful eye on who enters or leaves the premises. Your eyes are soon filled with the glow from a cozy fireplace in a library filled with antique sofa chairs and an array of books to choose from. Its truly welcoming and feels like home rather than a facility. The new Director, Tami is watchful as family members enter the building. While extremely busy attending to administrative duties, Tami often greets us in the lobby for a personal check in. We certainly appreciate this level of attention, very impressive. I would say that the new chef is by far the best, creating meals that are delicious and nutritious. Residents also have the option to order off a menu. The dining room servers are well trained and caring, always trying to accommodate multiple meal requests. There is a private dining room with antique furniture and china available for families to use at any time for private gatherings. Over the years, we have enjoyed this feature with families and friends gathering on special occasions.

On the third floor is the nurse station. If mom ever has any medical issues, within minutes of calling I have reached a medical staff member. A nurse will check in on mom and promptly provide pertinent updates to our family. A phone call from Sunshine Villa always starts with “Kim, your mom is fine”, another testimony to the professional training the entire staff receives. We are extremely grateful for the care, love and attention that is provided by the Resident Assistants, the “RAs”. Luz is often the RA assigned to my mother. She is wonderful! As I approach mom’s room, I can hear Luz encouraging mom or taking time to listen to her stories. I always feel at ease knowing that Luz as well as the other RAs are visiting mom throughout the day.

For seniors who enjoy remaining active, the activities coordinator provides a unique daily repertoire of activities. Over the years, activities have included scenic drives, museum visits, walk abouts, luncheons, happy hours, art classes and bingo. During the era of COVID, appropriate adjustments were made regarding activities. Currently, all visitors wear face masks, temperatures are taken and a COVID-health form is required. We feel mom is safe on a multitude of levels.

If you are looking for the very best care for a family member, please consider Sunshine Villa. It provides a loving community in a safe environment that feels like home~ bright, cheerful and caring.

Andrew Fisher

Our father has been here for almost 5 years, and overall the experience has been very positive. Nice, skilled people help to look after father, manage meds, assist with participation in activities, getting to meals. He is safe and likes it there. He could use more help with diet management (does not self regulate well), and there have been some kerfuffles with billing and ordering meds over time. Things were rough during Covid lockdown, staffing challenges (turnover seemed high before Covid, then spiked), limited ability to keep guests engaged with activities. Things seems to be looking up in last several months, with some new (highly skilled) staff on site, more activities, etc. They are being very careful with requiring visitors to certify vaccination (yay!) and we appreciate attention to daily care and activities. Current SSV folks are excellent communicators, reaching out when needed to solve problems. The grounds and building are nice and well maintained, location is great in many ways, but can be hard to get to on weekends and tourist season because of traffic and limited parking. On balance, we are glad our father has been at SSV - it has worked well for him and we are grateful for the peace of mind.

Bob Halderman

Sunshine Villa worked with us to make it possible for my brother to live there. He feels secure and comfortable in his environment. The staff has been kind and supportive.