This is a factual overview of Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre, a 110-bed assisted living in Renton licensed by Washington DSHS (#2598) — what the record confirms, what it costs in the area, and how to evaluate it.
| Provider | Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre |
|---|---|
| Type | Assisted Living (BH) (DSHS-licensed) |
| City | Renton, WA 98057 |
| Address | 104 Burnett Ave S |
| Licensed beds | 110 |
| DSHS license # | 2598 |
| License status | OP |
| County | King County |
| RCS region | 2D |
| Specialized Dementia Care | Not indicated |
| Apple Health (Medicaid) | Not indicated |
| DSHS lookup | DSHS provider record → |
How Washington regulates assisted livings
In Washington, assisted living is licensed by DSHS (ALTSA / Residential Care Services) under RCW 18.20 and WAC 388-78A. A facility's license can include endorsements — such as Specialized Dementia Care — that let residents stay as needs increase. Always verify the exact license and endorsements; they determine how long your parent can remain as care needs grow.
Renton location & hospital context
Renton is a diverse south-King County city of about 105,000 at the south end of Lake Washington, with an affordable, established housing stock and a large adult-family-home network serving a multicultural senior population.
Nearby hospitals: Valley Medical Center (UW Medicine), Swedish (Seattle, nearby), St. Francis Hospital (Federal Way, nearby). Proximity matters for hospital discharges, emergencies, and specialist visits, so families weighing Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre often factor drive time to these. Nearby areas: Downtown Renton, Highlands, Kennydale, Talbot, Benson Hill.
What assisted living costs near Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre
Assisted Living in the Renton area typically runs $5,500–$7,750/month (2026). Pricing at any specific provider depends on care level, room type, and size. Washington's Apple Health (Medicaid) with the COPES waiver and VA Aid & Attendance can offset much of the care cost for those who qualify — ask us what applies.
How to evaluate Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre
When you tour an assisted living community like this one, the things that predict a good experience aren't in the brochure. Ask the overnight staff-to-resident ratio (daytime numbers hide the real picture), the staff turnover rate over the past year, and how long the administrator and head caregiver have been in place. Ask what care needs would force a move-out, how the care plan is built and how often it's updated, and who administers medications and how errors are tracked. Walk the halls at a meal and an activity, notice whether residents are engaged or idle, and ask to speak with a current resident's family. Confirm the DSHS license and any endorsements — especially Specialized Dementia Care — because they determine how long your parent can stay as needs grow.
Is Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre the right fit?
Assisted living fits an older adult who needs daily help — bathing, dressing, medication reminders, meals — but does not require round-the-clock skilled nursing. It's the most common first move when living alone stops being safe. Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre is licensed for this level of care in Renton; whether it's right for your parent depends on their specific needs, budget, and preferences. A free advisor can compare it head-to-head with other licensed Renton-area options.
What's typically included at a assisted living like this
Usually included: housing, three meals daily, 24/7 awake staff, housekeeping, laundry, scheduled transportation, social and wellness programming, and a basic care plan. Typically billed separately: medication management above a basic tier, two-person transfers, incontinence care, on-site hospice coordination, and one-on-one aide hours. Ask Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre for an itemized monthly rate sheet so you can compare it honestly against other Renton options.
Questions to ask when you tour Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre
- How fast can staff respond to a call button at night?
- What would trigger a move to a higher care level?
- What's the true all-in monthly cost for our parent's needs?
- How are falls and med changes communicated to family?
- How long have caregivers worked here on average?
Common questions about Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre
Is Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre licensed in Washington?
How many beds does Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre have?
Does Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre accept Apple Health (Medicaid)?
What does it cost?
How Renton families actually pay for care
Very few families cover senior care from a single source. In Renton, the typical plan layers several of these, often shifting over a multi-year stay:
- Personal savings & Social Security. Most Puget Sound families self-fund the first 12–24 months from savings, pensions, and monthly Social Security before tapping other sources.
- Long-term-care insurance. If a policy is in force, it can cover a large share of assisted living or home care — check the elimination period and daily benefit cap. Washington's WA Cares Fund also provides a state long-term-care benefit for eligible workers.
- VA Aid & Attendance. Eligible wartime veterans and surviving spouses can receive roughly $1,800–$2,900/month toward care — a major lever in a metro served by VA Puget Sound (Seattle and the American Lake campus in Lakewood).
- Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) long-term care. Washington's Apple Health long-term care — delivered in the community through the COPES waiver, administered by DSHS Home and Community Services — covers personal care and many community-based services for those who qualify by income and assets. Adult family homes are a common low-cost, Medicaid-contracted setting.
- Home equity. Selling the family home or a reverse mortgage frequently funds sustained care once a parent has moved.
- Family cost-sharing. Siblings often split the monthly gap; a written agreement keeps it fair and durable.
Because Renton assisted living can run into the thousands per month, mapping the funding plan early — before a crisis — often saves a family tens of thousands of dollars. A free local advisor can tell you which of these you qualify for and which Renton providers accept Apple Health (the COPES waiver).
Washington programs & protections to know
Washington senior care is licensed and inspected by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) — through its Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA) and Residential Care Services (RCS); you can verify any license, inspection, and complaint history free at fortress.wa.gov/dshs/adsaapps/lookup. Service funding and in-home support are coordinated through the local Area Agency on Aging — in the Seattle metro, Aging and Disability Services (ADS) for King County, Homage in Snohomish, and Aging & Disability Resources of Pierce County. Long-term-care help runs through Apple Health (Medicaid) and the COPES waiver, and residents are protected by the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and DSHS Adult Protective Services. These are the same programs our advisors help families navigate at no cost.
How we help with Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre
We're a free, local senior-care advisory service — families never pay us. If Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre is on your shortlist, we can tell you how it compares to nearby licensed options on cost, care level, and availability, join the tour or the call, and help you read the DSHS record. We only earn anything if you choose to move in somewhere and are glad you did, so our incentive is a genuine fit, not a particular building. We'll also flag good alternatives in Renton that don't compensate us.
About this page: the facility facts above come from current Washington DSHS (ALTSA / Residential Care Services) licensing data. We don't publish unverified reviews or ratings — we share the public record and help you evaluate the provider in person. Confirm the current license at fortress.wa.gov/dshs/adsaapps/lookup before you sign anything.