I toured Sunrise of Mercer Island. Everything was very good, very well maintained, clean, smelled nice, and the atmosphere was inviting. It had beautiful views for residents who want to look out the window to see the view of Mercer Island. The rooms are very, very nice in the sense that the residents can decorate and bring their own home furniture from their home to the apartment they rent or the place they get, so that could be nice for certain people. For me, it was a disadvantage because then I would have to buy a special bed for my dad, which I didn't want to go through that process because his bed is not going to fit in the room size that they had, it would have been too big, probably. It would have been more money out of pocket for me to buy some of the things that would be needed to fill the room. The staff was excellent. They were very caring and very thoughtful. I noticed that they were engaging with the memory care residents, so that was a very positive attribute for them because you want these people to be having a social engagement, which is what they need. Other than the dining room, I saw the living area where the TV is on, and there are puzzles and other tables with activities that the residents can participate in or utilize. They had a center desk in the middle that's focused on when people come off an elevator or up the stairs, and that person was there to answer any questions the residents may have like if they lost their way to their room or need help. That's nice that there's a person physically stationed at that site always to help the residents with memory issues. They had a person also who was there for activities, and she was helping those who wanted to participate in flower arrangements, so they were making flower arrangements, which was very cheerful and engaging for some of the residents who wanted to do that. So that was another little area separate from the TV room. They have an open area with chairs and sofas and then it's got windows looking out over the city. Other than watching TV, you can look out the window, so that's very beautiful. They have another little alcove around the corner, which is another section where you can sit and relax. There's a view outside, so you can see the sky, the trees, the city, and the grounds. It's separate from the other area. If you don't want to watch TV, you can have another quiet, secluded area there to do things. They have a table there and so you can do activities if you wanted to. I saw the rooms, and they were very clean and nice. The one I saw that was available had an ensuite bathroom shower thing. The cost is high. There would have been incremental additions of costs that would be added up and be higher than the others, so that would have been more of a cost-prohibitive issue for my dad. I also think that they should have devoted time every day (if the weather prevails) that they should take the memory care, people, down in groups to be outside where they don't have an area that they can be outside from their top floor. They would have to be taken out by their family to be able to go outside to get fresh air. The access outside is the ground floor, and they're up on the top floor, so they can't go down the top floor just willy nilly because they're memory care, and they have to have a person with them to guide them and be there in case they get lost.

I liked Sunrise of Mercer Island. It's a beautiful facility, but we wanted more of a home setting. It's in a beautiful suburbia. Mercer Island is where Paul Allen lives, so it's going to be a nice neighborhood. The apartment was beautiful, clean, and modern, but could use a remodel. It was a little worn, but it was still beautiful. It reminded me of a school dormitory. There were a lot of activities going on. They keep them busy all the time. The staff was friendly, upbeat, and very attentive. The kitchen was homey, but it was old country style.