Ampersand House

Parsonage Lane, Frindsbury, Rochester ME2 4HP
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8.9 13 Reviews
  • Ampersand House, Rochester
Ampersand House offers high standards in Nursing and Dementia care for the elderly.

The home, set in a large Victorian house, has many social areas including a conservatory, a terrace and extensive garden grounds.

Ampersand has retained its original wow factor with many stained glass windows and original features.

The home encourages residents to bring furniture and personal belongings for rooms if they wish.

The setting has its own GP and specialists.

Residents will be pleased to know that pets are allowed for visits.

Entertainers of all kinds, depending on what individuals like, also visit Ampersand House regularly.

For families and friends there are no visiting restrictions but they do request you phone and book an appointment to let them know which resident will be having visitors.
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Care Provided

Primary Care Categories

  • Older Person Care
  • Dementia
  • Mental Health Condition
  • Physical Disability
  • Visual / Hearing Impairment

Length of Stay

  • Permanent Care
  • Respite Care

Care Types Provided

  • Nursing Care
  • Dementia Nursing Care
  • For a maximum of 43 Service Users

Dementia Care Types

  • Mild Dementia
  • Moderate Dementia
  • Advanced/Complex Dementia

Other Care Provided

  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Stroke
  • Palliative / End of Life Care
  • COPD/Pulmonary Disease
  • Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

Facilities

  • Own Furniture if required
  • Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
  • Smoking not permitted
  • Close to Local shops
  • Near Public Transport
  • Lift
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Gardens
  • Television point in own room
  • Residents Internet Access

Funding & Fees

Weekly Charges per Person

  • Self-Funded Nursing Care: £1575 – £1575
  • Self-Funded Nursing Dementia Care: £1575 – £1575
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Nursing Care: £1575 – £1575
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Nursing Dementia Care: £1575 – £1575

Toiletries. Chiropody and hairdressing are paid by the resident/family and are not a part of their weekly fee

These prices are only a guideline, please contact Ampersand House to find out the exact price for your requirements.

Funding Types Accepted

  • Self Funding (Private)
  • Local Authority with Top Up
  • Local Authority
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)

Support you may be entitled to

If you chose a care home based in England, you may be eligible for NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC), which helps cover the cost of nursing. This is worth £254.06 per week and is usually paid directly to the care home.

Good to Know

Person in charge

  • Sarah Day (Registered Operational Manager)

Local Authority / Social Services

Admission Criteria

  • Private or council funded CHC funding
  • Ages 55+

Care Home Design/Build

  • Purpose Built: No
  • Last Refurbishment: 2019
  • Number of floors: 3

Room Information

  • Single Rooms (37)
  • Couples/Companion Rooms (2)
  • Single Rooms with Ensuite Wet Room (8)
  • Couples/Companion Rooms with Ensuite Wet Room (2)

Visiting

  • By appointment

Parking

  • Parking at the front of the house

Ampersand House Reviews (13)

8.9

Ampersand House has a Review Score of 8.9 (8.858) out of 10, based on 8 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Ampersand House has 13 reviews.

Overall Experience
  • 9
  • 3
  • 1
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Date Published
  • 13
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Reviewer Connection to Ampersand House
  • 10
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  • 1
Total of 13, showing 1-13
Review from June F (Daughter of Resident) published on 26 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mum moved into Ampersand House in December 2024.
Place is lovely, staff are very attentive, kind , caring and friendly. Cannot praise this home enough.
My mum's health has got better since being here.
Reply from Sarah Day, Registered Manager at Ampersand House

Many Thanks for your kind review, I have passed on your thoughts to our staff .

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Review from L J (Daughter of Resident) published on 3 July 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Our mum is very happy here at Ampersand House. She is showered regularly and kept nice and clean. The food seems nice too - the residents are well looked after and are given lots of snacks/drinks throughout day. Mum is looked after and has regular haircuts and pedicures. Sometimes they have a fish and
chip night, which mum loves. She loves it when the singer comes too. Mum has made friends here too!
Reply from Sarah Day, Registered Manager at Ampersand House

Thank you for taking the time to write us a review , this helps us ensure we are doing all we can to keep our resident cared for in all areas of their life , and all love a fish n chip night

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Review from Sandie A (Daughter of Resident) published on 11 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have nothing but praise for the care my mum.has been receiving at Ampersands. It was a very hard decision for mum to go into a care home but we could not give her the care she needed and deserved at home. She is always treated with dignity and respect. The staff are so caring not only with mum but
with our family too. Icant thank you enough
Reply from Sarah Day, Registered Manager at Ampersand House

Thank you for your kind review, I will be sure to let the staff know . we are very glad that mum has settled well and now has her days filled with visits from family and joins in with the activities, she enjoys going round to the cafe .

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Review from Graham H (Partner of Resident) published on 4 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am delighted to share my glowing report for the dementia care home where my partner resides. The carers here are incredibly attentive and truly understand the individual needs of their patients, creating a nurturing environment. The security measures are exceptional, requiring permission for guests
to leave, ensuring a safe atmosphere. With ample staff, no resident is ever left waiting for assistance. The rooms are spacious, well-maintained, and kept impeccably clean. The lovely secure garden provides a perfect space for residents to enjoy the sunshine.
The dining experience is outstanding, with a wonderful selection of meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I visit her daily and find nothing to fault. Live entertainment, including dancing and singing, takes place at least once a month, bringing joy to all residents. Overall, I couldn't wish for a better place for her. Thank you to the entire team for their remarkable dedication and care!
Reply from Sarah Day, Registered Manager at Ampersand House

Thank you for this kind review Graham i will be sure to pass this on to the team, it is very much appreciated and its so lovely to know we are doing well in our visitors eyes

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Review from Deborah W (Daughter of Resident) published on 30 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mother moved in to Ampersand in March 2025. She has received nothing but excellent care & compassion since her arrival. The support she has received and the emotional support given to the whole family during her transition to living at the home has been way beyond our expectations. The kindness of
all the staff is second to none to both us and my mum. I cannot thank the home enough for helping us over what has been a very emotional time. The decision for mum to go into care has been very difficult but her wellbeing and safety are & always will be our highest priority
I have complete confidence that my mum is receiving the best care possible & cannot thank everyone enough.
You are all superstars in my eyes.
Reply from Sarah Day, Registered Manager at Ampersand House

Thank you so much Debbie for your lovely review on our home . Its lovely to see mum joining in and she has settled well, i will pass on your review to the staff .

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Review from Christine D (Daughter of Resident) published on 4 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5
My mother was at Ampersands for just over 2 years. The care when she first moved in was amazing! sadly it deteriorated rapidly. The communication is just awful. We had to report various complaints to the council for lack basic care skills; from personal items going missing mums wedding and engagements
rings, dentures, bras knickers so much always went missing, when reported all I got was it is a dementia home things do go missing. There is no care from the current manager. One of the last visits to see mum last year, she was in her room naked and shivering also in attendance with my daughters to see. We knew mum was ill at the time, we kept repeated asking to test mums urine, when I did it it tested positive for everything. It took ten days after to get mum the correct medication but in that time mum had an unwitnessed fall in the communal area to which she broke her wrist, mum never returned this caused mums deterioration which lead to her death. Would not recommend.
Reply from Felicity Jenkins, Registered Clinical Lead Manager at Ampersand House

Thank you for taking the time to submit a review following your mums stay with us. We are sorry you feel this way and reassure you that your concerns were taken seriously at the time and investigated. This case was closed with no evidence of the concerns raised. If you would like to discuss this further, then please do not hesitate to contact the home directly.

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Review from Rebecca R (Daughter-in-law of Resident) published on 22 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Just would like to say a massive big thanks to all at Ampersand Care Home, the care my father-in-law got was 10/10. He was a resident at the home for the last 2 years and sadly passed away at the home on the 10th of December 2024. The end-of-life care at the home was amazing and the way the home treated
his wife and family was amazing, always provided us with drinks, at the end of my father-in-law's last few days my partner and sister stayed with their dad and were treated the best by all staff. A big thank you to all.
Reply from Sarah Day, Registered Manager at Ampersand House

Many thanks for your kind review of our home, it is so lovely to see a review where is shows all the staff that their care is of a high standard. Your father-in-law will be dearly missed.

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Review from Sharon S (Daughter of Resident) published on 1 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Thank you so much to all the staff at Ampersand for the caring and stimulating environment that they provide for Mum and the other residents. It's very special to witness the recreational activities and to see the residents engage with them. Mum has managed to transition well in a difficult phase of
her life and our family is so grateful for the gentle and patient care of the staff.
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Review from Katie S (Daughter of Resident) published on 22 March 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My dad has been in Ampersand House for three years now and he is very happy and settled there. I feel the home looks after him very well and all management and staff are very caring. I can relax knowing my dad is safe and happy.
Reply from Claire Battin, Registered Manager at Ampersand House

Thank you for the great feedback, we do our best. I will ensure that I pass the feedback on to all the staff.

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Review from T M (Daughter of Resident) published on 6 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My Mum moved into Ampersand in January. She has settled well and whenever I visit has high praise for the staff who she says are always kind, caring, and lovely to chat to. My experience has also been very positive, the staff really takes an interest in the residents and the atmosphere is homely and
with a smile. The music and dancing at the recent Jubilee party were a delight, to see residents enjoying the experience will be a lovely memory that I and my son will treasure.
Thank you
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Review from Ann C (Daughter of Resident) published on 13 June 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My husband and I would thank the manager and all the staff for the excellent care they have given to my mother. She has been with you for some time now and has always been treated with so much care and empathy. We are now in the final days of my mother's life, we have been given so much support and
given daily updates. Informed of all changes in her care from the home and any outside agencies. This has been very reassuring. I would most certainly recommend Ampersand to anyone who needs 24-hour care. Once again a huge thank you.
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Review from Kathy L (Daughter-in-law of Resident) published on 5 April 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Having recently moved my Mother-in-Law to this home, I can honestly say that I wish I had moved her ages ago. The staff that I have met are lovely, welcoming, take a real interest in the care of the residents and us as their family.
I am extremely impressed with the attention to the residents' health,
the completion of their paperwork is far beyond what I’ve had to deal with previously and that nothing is too much.
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Review from Mary C (Daughter of Resident) published on 9 April 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Sadly, my mother-in-law recently passed away after nearly three years in Ampersand House.
During her time there she was very well looked after, the care was very good and the food was fresh and wholesome. Despite extensive renovations going on around them, the staff have stayed positive and cheerful.
I
would recommend Ampersand to anyone looking for a caring environment for a loved one.
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Current Review Score: 8.9 (8.858)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.9 (8.858) out of 10 for Ampersand House is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.3 out of 5 from 8 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.5 out of 5 from 7 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Care Home is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.344 for Ampersand House is calculated as follows: ( (64 Excellents x 5) + (19 Goods x 4) + (3 Satisfactorys x 3) + (2 Poors x 2) + (8 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 96 Ratings = 4.344
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 4.514 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Ampersand House is based on 7 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 3.7
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the registered maximum number of service users in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Care Home registered for a maximum of 50 service users has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 43 registered maximum number of service users is 8.6. 7 Positive Reviews ÷ 8.6 = 0.814
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Care Home does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Regulatory Rating

Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating

Date: 6 Feb 2024

Overall Requires improvement

  • Caring Good
  • Effective Good
  • Responsive Good
  • Safe Requires improvement
  • Well-led Requires improvement
Care Quality Commission is responsible for the registration and inspection of social care services in England. View Latest Report

Bed Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (0)

Meet the Team (2)

Sarah

Sarah Day

Job Title: Registered Operational Manager Joined: 2006

I have worked at Ampersand House for nearly 19 years and I have worked in various care homes over the past 42 years.

Felicity

Felicity Jenkins

Job Title: Clinical Lead manager Joined: 2024

I have been a nurse for 25 years and I am at present doing my master's in palliative care.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ampersand House

What types of Care is Ampersand House registered for?

Older Person Care, Dementia, Mental Health Condition, Physical Disability & Visual / Hearing Impairment are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.

How many Rooms does Ampersand House have?

There are 37 Single Rooms and 2 Couples/Companion Rooms.

What are the Facilities & Services at Ampersand House?

Own Furniture if required, Pet Friendly (or by arrangement), Smoking not permitted, Close to Local shops, Near Public Transport, Lift, Wheelchair Access, Gardens, Television point in own room & Residents Internet Access are some of the Facilities & Services.

How far is Ampersand House to the centre of Rochester?

1.0 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact Ampersand House to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Ampersand House has an Enhanced Service - more info.