
My husband has been a resident since May 22nd 2023. I couldn't have chosen a better place for him.Jean B(Wife of Resident/Service User)

I can not praise The Old Downs enough. The staff are brilliant with my mum.Dawn F(Daughter of Resident/Service User)


My husband has been a resident since May 22nd 2023. I couldn't have chosen a better place for him.Jean B(Wife of Resident/Service User)

I can not praise The Old Downs enough. The staff are brilliant with my mum.Dawn F(Daughter of Resident/Service User)


Situated in the pretty village of Hartley, near Dartford, The Old Downs is a residential dementia and nursing home caring for up to 41 residents. Nestled in beautiful surroundings, the character home has been at the heart of the local community since 1887.
Beautifully retained period features complement the modern facilities and the spacious home has been tastefully extended to provide a light and airy conservatory that boasts beautiful views across...
Care Provided by The Old Downs Care Centre
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Physical Disability
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Dementia Residential Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 41 Service Users
Dementia Care TypesMild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
Mild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
- Mild Dementia
- Moderate Dementia
- Advanced/Complex Dementia
Other Care Provided
- Parkinson's Disease
- Stroke
- Palliative / End of Life Care
- Bariatric Care/Obesity
- Convalescent Care
- Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
- Day Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Smoking not permitted
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Minibus or other transport
- Lift
- Stairlift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Residents Kitchenette
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
Fees do not include hairdressing, chiropody or occupational therapists.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact The Old Downs Care Centre for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact The Old Downs Care Centre to confirm what's included and get a personalised quote:
Funding Types Accepted
- Self-Funding (Private)
- Local Authority with Top-up
- Local Authority
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
Good to Know
Group / Owner
- Nellsar Care Homes
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Nicoleta Cristescu (Home Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Mixed (no single-gender units)
- Ages 55+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: No
- Last Refurbishment: 2025
- Number of floors: 3
Room Information
- Single Rooms (37)
- Couples/Companion Rooms (2)
Visiting
- The home maintain an open-hours visiting policy, which means relatives and friends are welcome to drop by and see loved ones at any time. Families are always welcome to join relatives for afternoon tea or lunch if booked in advance.
Parking
- Plenty of onsite parking available.
The Old Downs Care Centre Reviews (60)
The Old Downs Care Centre has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.824) out of 10, based on 21 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Old Downs Care Centre has 60 reviews.
A very nice experience. Well done to all who made it a lovely day. With thanks.
Thank you so much for such positive feedback. Your opinion is very important to us.
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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write these lovely comments for us. Having spent some time recently with your dear husband, I can honestly say it is a pleasure for us to offer him a home with us at The Old Downs. We believe in supporting families to remain close and to be able to enjoy...
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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your positive review of The Old Downs. We are so pleased to hear that Mum is settling in well, we really do understand what a difficult fraught time this is for families and the resident. So, it is really good to hear that Mum is settling, and that she...
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?
Because of GDPR I am not at liberty to discuss individual staff members or their personal...
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!
On reading this review, please let me express my apologies that you feel disappointed in The Old Downs. I am aware that we responded fully to your concerns regarding our request for your dear father to move to a more suitable care environment, but feel that you haven't fully understood our...
The Old Downs really feels like and home and not an institution.
Thank you for this positive review. Although your dear Dad has only been with us a short time, we are pleased that you feel our home is homely and not institutionalised. The team at the home dedicate their time and energies to making The Old Downs a 'home from home' as far as possible, and it is...
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.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review for us. I am really pleased that your dear wife has settled into the home well. You mention that she is normally well groomed and presented. I am sorry that on this one occasion we had not met the previous standard you both rightly expect. The wetness...
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!
Thank you so much for the glowing review for The Old Downs home and our team. It is appreciated very much and will be by all the staff team when we share this review with them. I know the staff were eager to do their very best for him, undertaking additional and specialised training to manage his...
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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to review our home. It is a privilege to be caring for our lovely residents and we are so pleased to hear that your family member is happy and enjoying the care provided. We do have a wonderful, warm, kind and caring staff team at the home and they will be very pleased to hear your positive feedback - thank you.
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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this very positive review. It is important for us to know if we are doing well and that residents and families are happy with the care we provide - I will ensure that the staff team are made aware of your lovely comments - especially the activities...
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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely review. I am really happy that you had a lovely time with your loved one and the other relatives and friends. Your opinion is very important to us.
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.
Thank you for your review and for recommending The Old Downs for prospective families and for the recognition of our brilliant staff.
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.
In these days of covid-19, it has fallen to the team in the care home to try to...
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.
Thank you for the wonderful review of The Old Downs. After such a tough year it really does bring us joy to have such kind words. It is lovely for the staff to have this recognition especially as we have been unable to see many relatives face to face at the moment. It is a pleasure looking after your Husband.
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.
Dear Sharon, thank you for your lovely review of The Old Downs. We kindly welcome all feedback, as it is invaluable to us in supporting our Continuous Improvement Programme. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us and are delighted that your father is so happy with...
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.
Very satisfied with the overall care and professionalism of the staff. Improvements could be made in the common areas as there is always a very unpleasant and unfortunate odour which could be mostly eliminated with a review/improvement to the air circulation, also air fresheners. As my grandchildren alway ask why does it smell so bad.
My mum has been in the Old Downs for nearly five years now. I can only praise the manager and the entire team for their care, support and dedication to all the residents needs. Their continuing support for both my mother and I has been amazing. I cannot thank them all enough in what at times has been very difficult circumstances.
When my mother first took up residence in The Old Downs the atmosphere in the home was happy and jolly if at times a bit chaotic! I was always offered a drink and if it was a meal time when I was there, something to eat.
Sadly it no longer seems a happy place, this may be due to the very high dependency of many of the residents and seeing to their personal needs is a non-stop occupation. I travel almost three hours to get there and I am never offered a drink even when the drink trolley is being bought round. If the home was as it is now when I was looking for care I do not think it is the place I would have chosen.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 29 July 2024Good
- CaringGood
- EffectiveGood
- ResponsiveGood
- SafeGood
- Well-ledGood
Inspection ratings
We rate most services according to how safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led they are, using four levels:
- Outstanding - The service is performing exceptionally well.
- Good - The service is performing well and meeting our expectations.
- Requires Improvement - The service isn't performing as well as it should and we have told the service how it must improve.
- Inadequate - The service is performing badly and we've taken action against the person or organisation that runs it.
- Not rated - we have not yet rated this area of the service, this is normally because the assessments we have carried out have been focused on other key questions.
Bed Vacancies
Please contact us for latest vacancies.
News (25) & Events (0)
- 25 Jun 2026
Our dance class with Berenice was a real hit here at our Care Home in Dartford recently We tried a few new songs with our residents to see how they...
- 11 Jun 2026
As part of Nellsar’s Love to Care Art Competition, residents and team members were invited to create inspirational artwork centred around the words ‘Love to Care’. Here at our Care...
- 21 May 2026
We love Pet Therapy here at our Care Home in Dartford, and we are very lucky to have lots of furry friends visit us. This time, we welcomed Charlie the...
There are no upcoming events for The Old Downs Care Centre.
Awards / Recognitions (6)
- 30 Jan 2026Recipient: Nellsar Care Homes
- 30 Jun 2021Recipient: Nellsar Care Homes
- 28 Feb 2020Recipient: Nellsar Care Homes
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for The Old Downs Care Centre.
Meet the Team (1)

I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, including completing my Level 5 in Management in Adult and Social Care and being honoured with the Queen's Nurse award in 2023. These milestones reflect my deep commitment to delivering high-quality care and continually striving to improve the experiences of our residents.
But even with the recognition, I have always believed that the true heart of care lies in the relationships we build with those we serve, and the team members who make that care possible.
This belief has guided me to an exciting new chapter at The Old Downs, a stunning, character-filled period building from 1887. From the moment I stepped into the Home, I felt its warmth and charm, and it immediately captured my heart. I experienced a sense of belonging not just in the building, but in the welcoming, family-like atmosphere fostered by our team members. It was this spirit that inspired me to take on this new challenge in a Residential Care setting.
While I’m no stranger to Nursing Homes, transitioning to The Old Downs feels like a fresh and exciting opportunity to build upon my experience. My goal is clear – to make The Old Downs the community's finest care provider, delivering exceptional living experiences for our residents while providing their loved ones with full peace of mind.
Our team at The Old Downs is truly something special. Every team member is dedicated to making a difference to the lives of our residents, and part of my role is to help keep that passion and commitment alive. Together, we can continue to improve our practices, adapt to new needs, and create a truly unique, nurturing environment for everyone here.
Ultimately, I want our residents to feel like part of a family and for their loved ones to know that their care is in the best hands possible. This is the heart of our mission – delivering care that goes above and beyond while focusing on each person’s individuality while upholding the values we hold dear.
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