The Old Downs Care Centre

My mum has been a resident at the Old Downs Residential Care Centre since December 2022. The staff are absolutely brilliant with her, caring for her every need, as they do with all the residents. She always looks well presented and her smiles tell me she is very happy there. Her room is lovely and always kept clean. I've had some lunches with mum so I know the food is lovely and delicious too. They have a good selection of activities every day so the residents get involved if they choose to. I really can't fault The Old Downs and it's so reassuring to know mum is getting the best care she needs. My family and I enjoy visiting her as the staff are so welcoming. Such a lovely place.

My husband has been a resident since May 22nd 2023. I couldn't have chosen a better place for him. The care and attention he gets is wonderful. My husband, as well as his vascular dementia, he is almost blind. I can't thank the staff of The Old Downs enough. My family and friends all enjoy visiting and staff are always welcoming.

I can not praise The Old Downs enough. The staff are brilliant with my mum. Always discuss any concerns I have. I feel they really know mum well which is really reassuring. I know my mum is happy there and I can see the care to others. Truly amazing staff.

A very nice experience. Well done to all who made it a lovely day. With thanks.

I am always made so welcome when I visit my husband and when we sit together in the conservatory or weather permitting the garden overlooking The Downs, we both feel content. Thank you to all concerned for making this possible after what has been a stressful 10 years plus on my husband's Alzheimer's journey.

My mum has only been at The Old Downs Residential Care Centre for 2 weeks. In that time the staff have really been making sure Mum is settling in her new home. She loves all the activities and has already been out on a trip. The food looks lovely and I had lunch with Mum, really good. I am looking forward to Mum settling into her new home.

My mum has been in your care home for the last seven years, during which time she has been well cared for and loved by your long-standing staff, which is why I was shocked when visiting Mum to see one of her key workers who has been with her for years limping very badly when I asked her why she was working in such a bad way, she replied that she has to as she doesn't get sick pay? If you have members of staff who are loyal to you and your clients why do you not look after them?

They did not even have the decency to contact us to inform us of their decision. Instead, they left it to the hospital to tell us and refused to elaborate on their decision when we contacted them for answers. Now our Father is unintentionally bed-blocking in the hospital as another home has to be found for him. Utterly disgraceful!

The Old Downs really feels like and home and not an institution.

My wife has been a resident for just over a month and she seems to be settled and getting used to her new home. I try to visit once a week and take her for lunch. She is always well groomed and presented but I was disappointed to find her blouse and skirt very wet at 11am, probably since breakfast. The facilities and activities are restricted due to covid regulations. Hopefully, they will soon end and everyone can enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere. Overall, very good and most importantly, the staff are excellent.

My husband suffered from rare early onset Dementia and Motor Neurone Disease and the lovely staff looked after him brilliantly. He spent a lot of his time walking and the layout of the home made that easy for him. It is always a difficult time when a loved one needs extra care but made so much easier when you know the team are caring, compassionate, knowledgeable and capable of dealing with all the different personalities in a quiet relaxed manner. There was a lot of fun and smiles!

When visiting my sister-in-law I am always made welcome. The staff are always helpful and friendly. She always gets involved in the activities. She loves the food at meal times, I always get good comments from her about it.

My father has been well cared for and loved over these last three years. The staff have been brilliant, especially in the extremely difficult circumstances with the pandemic, and have treated my father like their own relative. I am pleased that The Old Downs Residential Care Centre places a big emphasis on activities and special day celebrations for the residents. The Old Downs Residential Care Centre is situated in a lovely location and the home is not laid out with long corridors like other homes I have visited which makes the Old Downs seem much more like a family home.

Lovely staff here at Old Downs, always willing to chat and listen to any concerns or worries and act on them. They put on a jubilee party last Friday, the residents had an individual named picnic box full of goodies and there was also BBQ food available for all with chilled drinks, and lovely cakes. There was a lovely lady singer there too, who had the residents up dancing and singing, it was lovely to see the residents dancing and drifting back to their younger days, enjoying themselves with staff and partners. Their little faces were beaming. For me, it was lovely to see what our families get up to when we have not been able to see them so much, due to the pandemic. The staff went above and beyond for their residents and I hope other families appreciated the effort too. Well done to the manager and her loyal team.

The care at the home has been in the most part very good, some staff have gone the extra mile and been brilliant. My mother has always to my knowledge been treated with dignity and respect. The building is an old manor house though there have been a lot of modernisation and improvements. I would recommend The Old Downs Residential Care Centre to someone who is looking to place a friend or relative in a residential care setting because they have a high level of need due to dementia as they are very experienced in caring in this field.

It is always difficult for a relative to make that decision about a loved one moving to a care centre from living at home or community. I am pleased that I selected the choice of The Old Downs. I praise the manager and all of her team for their professional care and support given to my dad during his time at the care centre. They made his last few months of life comfortable, and he was engaged in all the activities on offer. He was a big part of The Old Downs community, always a smile on offer! I thank them for their support and kindness shown to me, it was faultless, even in the most difficult times of the pandemic.

Sadly in May last year, my husband had to go into a home. At the time of the NHS response, we did not know about The Old Downs, even though we knew the area. We cannot express enough our gratitude to the manager and her team, and our delight that this is where he should be. As a manager, she is an absolutely amazing person - and all her staff whom we have met or spoken to during these difficult Covid times, are incredible people, each and everyone, who do their job so devoutly, with care and compassion. They should know how much this is appreciated by me and our family because we could not ask that he be in a better place. In every conversation, he says he loves the food, the people are kind and that he "could not fault it". Hearing those words is more than we could have asked for.

I am glad I placed my Dad at The Old Downs. The staff are very friendly and caring and answer any questions we have about my Dad's care. The staff keep on top of his medical needs. He is well looked after and I can now rest easy knowing he has the 24-hour care he needs. The staff always keep me informed as to his general state of mind and any health issues. The home is clean and tidy with lots of activities for my Dad to join in if he wishes.

My father has been in The Old Downs for nearly 8 months now, and our whole family are extremely satisfied with the care he receives. He is very content in himself and all his medical and personal needs are met with a high level of care and dignity. The manager and staff are superb and extend their care to my mother and all of us. They went the extra mile on my parents' 64th wedding anniversary, laying on a special lunch for them both. It meant the world to my mum to have something special on their day.

Staff have always taken a person-centred approach, making every effort to understand my mother's individual needs and wants. Especially as dementia has exerted its ever-tightening grip but staff have been consistently kind, caring and attentative. Despite their busy, demanding days, the staff still find time to smile, wave and exchange a few cheerful words as they tend to everyone's needs.

Staff also work hard to create a warm and friendly atmosphere for visitors, appreciated when we too are adapting to this unfamiliar environment. Staff are welcoming, reassuring and proactive in providing support and advice.

While my mother lacks the capacity to involve herself in activities, every effort is made to include her on some sensory level, be it the opportunity to sit outside over summer and feel the suns warmth or hear trees rustling. My mothers sense of taste is certainly being stimulated by the plentiful and wide-ranging food available.

I really do appreciate the level of care and safety provided.