Tendring Meadows Residential Home

My father, a Dementia sufferer, moved in on 8th Oct 25.
He was allowed to wander at night, exiting the building unsupervised twice and falling each time, resulting in head injuries & serious arm injuries.
Hospital staff raised concern about his injuries and whether he had eaten in recent days due to his low blood sugar and being hypothermic.
Whilst in the care home, he was often found without glasses and hearing aids and also wearing strangers' clothes.
His false teeth were lost and his mobile phone destroyed and thrown away by the home.
He was often soiled (faeces) and more than once found (by visitors) in bed at lunch time soiled, unshaven and unfed.
He had a third fall on his last day at the home only 16 days after first moving in. A CT scan revealed a bleed on the brain.
He died in hospital on 8th Nov 25. The hospital & consultants raised serious concerns over multiple failures in care at the home.

The care home management were obstructively unhelpful and uncaring throughout.

Dad has been a resident at Tendring Meadows for dementia care for about 16 months. We have found the staff to be extremely caring and helpful. This is a very tough role they need to perform but every time I have visited my Dad they always have a smile on their faces and are very balanced and in control. The Management Team have also been extremely helpful, always available to answer any questions we have and always in attendance and fully engaged when we have to have professional meetings with my Dad's wider social care and mental health team. They are also always available to spend time with my Dad and we often hear stories of my Dad sitting in the Managers office having the most kind and funny conversations.

Any family member being placed in care is a very heart wrenching experience filled with many conflicting emotions for the family. The level of care, reassurance and education the staff at Tendring Meadows have given us is amazing and we couldn't be happier with my Dad's care.

My mother very recently went into care at Tendring Meadows, and the whole process was completely new to us.
From the very beginning, Georgia and the team have been incredibly supportive, making sure we understood everything that was happening and taking the time to explain each step in detail.
They have also joined us on video calls with social services whenever we needed the extra support, which made a huge difference.
While staying at Tendring Meadows, my mum sadly lost her beloved dog. The team handled the situation with such compassion, keeping her fully informed and showing genuine sympathy throughout.

We've always received prompt updates whenever we've asked about Mum's progress, and they've kept us well informed of any changes to her needs. As a family, this has been a tremendous comfort. Knowing that Mum is receiving the best possible care at this time.

I have been very pleased with the care my mother is receiving from the care home . All staff are attentive and helpful. She is very happy and content.

If I do have any issues or concerns then they are dealt with appropriately.

AVOID, Social care should not be placing vulnerable people here. Complaints not taken seriously.
Lack of any kind of communication with family - Dad is often dirty. Food is sub-standard. Clothes and personal items missing although named. No named person to contact or who seems to now what's going on with him. Staff are nice when you see them. Often 1 staff member in the whole of the upstairs. Nowhere near enough staff to keep the environment a safe one - often no one around to ask questions to or if so don't know anything relevant to my dad. Had to ask for the doctor to come and see him and its a worry for any resident who has no visitors, room is dingy and often in need of repair

No time has been spent outside since being there. Might be cheap in comparison to other care homes and this shows why!!!

Tendring Meadows fell short of acceptable standards of care. My father's basic needs and dignity were not maintained. His hearing aids, glasses, teeth and clothing were frequently missing. His toilet was often left dirty. He was often found soiled and we have serious concerns about whether he was consistently supported to eat. He lost significant weight and was later admitted to hospital with severely low blood sugar and hypothermia.

There were major safety failures. Despite having Alzheimer's, my father managed to escape the building on multiple occasions and suffered several falls, including head injuries. Communication about these incidents was poor and at times contradictory. He was admitted to hospital with a brain bleed resulting from the final fall. Inaccurate medical and personal information was provided to the hospital. Incident records did not match verbal communication. His health, mobility and confusion deteriorated rapidly during his stay and he died in hospital.

My mum had to have some respite care during February and March 2024 I cannot fault the care and kindness she received in this care home. The staff there were friendly, kind helpful and attentive. Nothing was too much trouble for the care staff, the cleaning staff worked all day to make sure every area was spotless. The food was plentiful and always prepared well. The maintenance man brought her in a morning paper every weekday. There was a hairdresser once a fortnight and activities nearly every day. Such a lovely environment and a great relief for me knowing that my mum was in a safe caring place.

Definitely wouldn’t hesitate using again if the need arose.