Honey Lane Care Home

Our mum was admitted to Honey Lane Care home last summer and we were so happy with the care and support she was given. She found it hard to cope with the change at first but the team were very kind and patient with her and she soon settled into the routine. She enjoyed taking part in, or at least watching, the wide variety of activities put on for the residents. She especially enjoyed the days when the animals came into the home. The staff were always kind and welcoming when the family came to visit mum. I was very impressed that all the carers seemed to know all the residents which made me feel that mum was being looked out for by all the staff. For someone with dementia, it is important that they are able to build up good relationships with the same staff over a period of time and this happened with mum. I would highly recommend Honey Lane. It has a safe and caring environment and the staff are kind and supportive.

Although 93 years old now, Mum is very happy in the homes happy environment. It is obvious that all the staff are very caring and professional in their duties and care. This gives my brothers and I perfect peace of mind. Our visits are always very welcoming.

Honey Lane is a family and all residents are adopted into its care. The staff seem to have tireless patience and empathy with the residents and everyone always seems so positive no matter what the circumstances. I especially appreciate that Dad gets taken out on some occasions and that he is finding ways to express himself in the crafts activities offered. Dad has not been at Honey Lane long, but I feel he is flourishing in this environment. He is treated with respect and is clearly happy to be given freedom in his own choices. I hope the staff are truly as happy as they appear to be.

The manager and her team have created a safe, loving and stimulating environment for my dementia-suffering dad. He is treated with dignity even in those difficult times. The staff demonstrate genuine care for the residents and the catering service is as outstanding. I love that the family is able to keep up to date with activities in the day from pictures on their social media page and there are regular opportunities for us to join the residents in special fun events throughout the year. This is in addition to the regular activities and entertainers that visit. A particular highlight for Dad is the local toddler group where toddlers, parents/carers interact with residents and break down social barriers. The staff go out of their way to create positive memories for us all. I genuinely feel that Dad has been adopted into the Honey Lane family.

I have nothing but admiration for the staff at Honey Lane. They work. Under some extreme conditions, with good humour and dedication. It is a traumatic experience to leave your loved one in a care home. The staff have made it considerably easier for me.

I cannot speak highly enough of the support and services provided by the manager and her team. They have given my mum a real boost in her life. Mum attends the care home twice a week for daycare and occasional respite care. The manager and her team take time to ensure all my mum's needs are met and that he has the best time possible.

Thank you, Honey Lane.

She is always spotlessly clean and changed promptly should the need arise and nothing is too much bother for any of the staff - We are able to hold reasonable conversations with her now and she has got her sense of humour back. It's a real pleasure to go and visit which we do regularly now and see she is so settled and happy, Honey Lane always goes the extra mile for their residents and always makes the individual and their relatives feel part of the family there.

Couldn’t ask for a better care home for her dementia

Our mum went into Honey Lane from October 2023 to December 2023. When Mum first went into respite she was really not looking forward to it. After a couple of weeks, Mum changed, she was the happiest I had seen her in years. This is all thanks to the amazing staff, always encouraging Mum to get involved with activities and trips out and making her feel part of the Honey Lane family. The manager has been so supportive of the difficult times we had with Mum at the beginning. Senior staff members were always so helpful with her medication and understanding her needs. All the staff there were absolutely amazing to Mum, but also to us as a family, any help, questions, worries nothing was any trouble. When Mum came home, she said please when I get too bad (she has vascular dementia), please can I live in Honey Lane permanently. Of course her wishes will be granted, when it comes to it the family will have no hesitation in her moving into the home. I would highly recommend Honey Lane.

My mum has been here for the last 4 months, as she is unable to look after herself, all of the staff here are great, so helpful and friendly. My mum is well looked after and kept busy with the activities too.

Reflecting, Mum was happy, clean, safe, her skin intact. This comes from good quality care. We highly recommend Honey Lane, the manager and her team.

My Aunt spent most of her time in her room. The cleanliness of this room was a big concern for me (both in appearance and smell). For example, on one visit my Aunt was out of the room when I arrived. I was shocked to see the soiled, smelly, faeces stained cushion she'd been sitting on, it was disgusting! As the manager wasn't available, we sent her an email enclosing a photo of the offending cushion. Eventually, her deputy replied stating ‘I do apologise for the state of the cushion, we have now replaced it with a brand-new cushion’. She went on to say that she and the manager ‘were not made aware that she was sitting on that.’ Imagine my shock on my next visit to find that the same cushion had been put in a new cover and was back on her chair! There was no 'brand new cushion'. I had been told an outright lie. When I followed up on this I was told that the manager would now be restricting communication to the NOK (who lives abroad and rarely visits) and would no longer be taking feedback from regular visitors.

There are many aspects of this home that don't meet my expectations but given the character limit I'll focus on 'safety and security'. This home has no CCTV. On numerous occasions this could've helped, e.g. we (myself and my mum) were shocked to witness a resident attempting to strangle a carer. As the carer opened the door to greet us the (male) resident tried to push her out of the way to get out. It all escalated so quickly - the carer tried to stop him, an altercation ensued. My Mum got pushed aside (as she was standing nearest the door). We were trapped on opposite sides of the vestibule - the resident had his hands around the carer's neck and was throttling her. Fortunately, other carers and the manager (whose office is close by) heard our calls for help and prised him off of the carer. The carer came by later to assure us she was OK (albeit shaken and very bruised neck and arms). However, the manager did not come by to check we were OK nor to reassure us that this was an isolated incident.

The care my mum has received for 3+ years and continues to receive is outstanding. The staff show her so much love, compassion and attentiveness. The home is so clean and fresh and has a great range of activities and entertainments on offer. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

My mother was placed in Honey Lane for respite care as both my parents suffer from dementia and neither my brother nor myself were able to be available to them in an emergency. I would have liked both to be placed there but my father declined support. Mum had a brilliant time and joined in a lot of the activities - Dad suffered from loneliness while she was away but it was his choice. Staff were able to update me on Mum so I could keep Dad informed. I would thoroughly recommend Honey Lane Care Home.

Overall we are disgusted with the level of care my Aunt had received.

The management team are fantastic and adopts a very hands-on approach. They are also extremely knowledgeable with regard to their residents.

Had a lovely time with my dad on his birthday, the care home staff made a fuss of Dad buying him a gift, a birthday balloon and a card. The cook baked him a chocolate cake which was shared among the residents. What with all the other regular day trips and other fantastic activities the staff arrange for the residents, I think this is a fantastic care home and would recommend it to anyone who needs a love one cared for.

As my sister's primary caregiver, it was up to me to look out for her. I raised the same concerns repeatedly. Each time I was assured they'd be rectified but it didn't happen. After 18 months I realised verbal feedback was making no difference, especially as the manager/deputy manager was rarely available to speak with directly. So I put my concerns in an email. The manager apologised again and promised to put a plan in place to rectify. Two weeks later, same issues. I sent a follow-up, this time including photos. At this point, the manager spoke to the next of kin (who lives overseas and rarely visits) and agreed that he was now to be the only person who could communicate with the home! Two weeks before my sister died I discovered that I'd been removed from the emergency contact list. Thankfully I became aware of this 'error' just in time to get her next of kin to rectify it. If I hadn't done so I'd have been unaware that my sister had been taken into hospital and she'd have been alone when she needed me most.