Merrill Gardens at Columbia

What does the DPH license show for Merrill Gardens at Columbia in Columbia?

The state's record lists Merrill Gardens at Columbia under license CRC-1979 with 52 beds and an expiration of March 31, 2027, larger than the Midlands midpoint of 39 beds per senior CRCF.

Each CRCF license covers twelve months, and this term started April 1, 2026. DPH bills the operator $10 for every licensed bed (never less than $75), so the bed figure above doubles as the building's paid-for capacity.

Sorted by license number, CRC-1979 falls at position 33 of 64 senior CRCFs in our six counties. Lower numbers generally mean an older license line, though not necessarily an older building.

Does DPH list an Alzheimer's unit at Merrill Gardens at Columbia?

Yes. DPH's record for Merrill Gardens at Columbia carries the Alzheimer's special care unit flag, meaning a secured program for residents with probable Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia that restricts their movement outside a designated area, as Regulation 60-84 Section 101.F describes it.

South Carolina's Alzheimer's Special Care Disclosure Act obliges any facility advertising dementia care to put in writing how its program differs: admission and discharge rules, staff training, staffing pattern, activities and the building itself. Request that document first; it makes the tour far more useful.

South Carolina's rules for these units are summarized on our memory care rules page.

Does Merrill Gardens at Columbia have any state penalties on record?

Not in the period we checked: Merrill Gardens at Columbia is absent from every DPH Healthcare Quality enforcement report from January 2025 to September 2026.

Routine deficiencies are handled with a written correction plan rather than an order, so the inspection report is still the document to read.

Are inspection results for Merrill Gardens at Columbia public?

Write to DPH Healthcare Quality and ask: South Carolina keeps CRCF inspection reports off the internet, but Section 202.E of Regulation 60-84 makes them, and the facility's response, available to anyone who requests them in writing.

DPH has no fixed inspection schedule for CRCFs, so ask when the last visit happened, what was cited, and to see the plan of correction the administrator signed.

Which licensed CRCFs are closest to Merrill Gardens at Columbia in Columbia?

The nearest other senior CRCF is Walters Residential Care in Columbia, about 1.6 miles away as the crow flies, licensed for 35 beds and not flagged for an Alzheimer's special care unit.

Where is Merrill Gardens at Columbia, and how close are the hospitals?

Merrill Gardens at Columbia is located in Columbia's Downtown, Shandon & Forest Acres area, and Prisma Health Richland is the closest general hospital on DPH's list, about 0.6 miles away by straight line.

MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown is next, roughly 1.0 miles off. All distances are straight-line measurements between mapped points, not driving times.

Should nursing care become necessary, the two nearest CMS-certified nursing homes are C M Tucker Jr Nursing Care Center Roddey Pavilion (0.3 mi; CMS rating 2 of 5) and Stone and Fewell Veterans Pavilions (0.3 mi; CMS rating 3 of 5).

Which questions matter most at Merrill Gardens at Columbia?

Begin with what the state's own record suggests: request the newest inspection or complaint report from DPH and the correction plan that followed it.

• With 52 beds full, Regulation 60-84 requires at least 7 staff on duty at peak times and 2 overnight; ask what the real numbers are.
• Ask for the written dementia-care disclosure and the number of beds behind the secured doors.
• Before counting on public help, ask whether OSS or the Community Choices waiver's Residential Personal Care is accepted here.
• Ask which charges rise as care needs rise, and check that the agreement promises 30 days' notice of any increase.
• The licensee's home state is WA; ask who runs the building locally and who answers above the administrator.