
'Caring' and 'homely' are the best words to describe this wonderful place.W B(Son of Resident/Service User)

After just the first few days I am impressed by the way the friendly caring staff have helpedKeith D(Husband of Resident/Service User)

I'm truly amazed at how well she has settled in and now sees it as her home. It makes visiting a joyD M(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

'Caring' and 'homely' are the best words to describe this wonderful place.W B(Son of Resident/Service User)

After just the first few days I am impressed by the way the friendly caring staff have helpedKeith D(Husband of Resident/Service User)

I'm truly amazed at how well she has settled in and now sees it as her home. It makes visiting a joyD M(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Stirlings offers compassionate, individualised residential, early-stage dementia and respite care for up to 40 residents. It has a strong connection with the local community, and has been serving the local and wider Oxfordshire residents for over 50 years. Set in peaceful and beautifully tended grounds, the home is located in a quiet residential location, near to the historic centre of Wantage.
Activities and wellbeing
The dedicated Activities Coordinator is there to...
Care Provided by Stirlings
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Physical Disability
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- For a maximum of 40 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
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Bar/Café
- Residents Kitchenette
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
These services are: Personal care, accommodation,
utilities, use of communal areas, meals, drinks and
snacks, laundry (excluding dry cleaning),
housekeeping, maintenance and activities run by the
home.
physiotherapy, occupational therapy, opticians, hairdressing,
medications, toiletries, clothing, newspapers/magazines.
During your stay, you may need to purchase additional goods
and services. If they are able to provide such goods and
services, they will tell you how much these goods and services
will cost and they expect that you will pay for these goods and
services at the time you request them.
They can accompany loved ones to private appointments,
however the fee attached to this is £21 per hour. Where private taxi
services are used for transportation to appointments the cost should
be paid for by yourself.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Stirlings for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Stirlings 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
- The Orders of St John Care Trust
- Voluntary / Not for Profit Owned
Person in charge
- Catherine Barthe (Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: No
Room Information
- Single Rooms (40)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (40)
Stirlings Reviews (104)
Stirlings has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.683) out of 10, based on 27 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Stirlings has 104 reviews.
Thank you to you all.
My mother has been very well looked after in Stirlings. The staff are invariably kind, thoughtful and efficient and clearly have the resident's welfare at heart. I'm particularly reassured by the fact that Stirlings is a not-for-profit care home, so I know Mum's money isn't simply making some shareholders even richer.
I enjoyed my stay for nine days, and the care I received was excellent. The staff were so friendly. Enjoyed the activities, and there was something for everyone. I found the food varied from very good to mediocre and was not always kept hot. Would not hesitate to come again. Thank you all.
I love all the activities I join.
The food is excellent - the staff, without exception, are always friendly and helpful - nothing seems too much trouble - even after "lights out" and well before a morning cup of tea - lovely to have it so early! I enjoy the many activities on offer and have learned some new skills which I will take home with me (such as clay modelling).
She absolutely loves living there and lights up like a Christmas tree whenever any of the staff pop into the room while I am with her, which says everything! She is very peaceful and content. The staff are amazing and genuinely love the residents, and nothing is ever too much trouble. They have all coped amazingly during the pandemic, and I’m so grateful to them for all their care and dedication.
The staff all seem to know Mum really well after a short time. The home is always clean, warm and inviting.
I have been so impressed by the care and affection shown to my mother and the level of communication with our family. My father contacts Stirlings regularly by phone to ask after my mother, and he is always listened to and treated with kindness.
Our lunch last Sunday was marvellous. We had roast with all the trimmings - superb! The laundry is perfect, I don't know how they do everyone's clothes so well, then they are put away in your wardrobe.
Stirlings has provided good care for my mother in what has been a difficult tale. In my opinion, they are now over-cautious, and the residents should be given more freedom (I know there are Government guidelines). They have been deprived of liberty and not given a choice. At the end of their lives, they should be allowed to enjoy time with family and friends. The risk is very low with full vaccination.
Absolutely lovely house.
Stirlings has proved to be a perfect home for my father. I was recommended by a very trustworthy carer, who spoke glowingly of the dedication and kindness of the staff, which I can now support. My father had lived with me for only seven months and had fallen almost too many times to count in that period. Dementia, mobility problems and incontinence made a difficult combination to deal with. Covid makes it difficult to fully assess the categories that are used to rate it, but going by my observations and the improved condition of Dad, they do a wonderful job under trying conditions.
All of the staff are very helpful and extremely caring of their residents. I am always kept up to date with all that is happening with my mum. They always talk lovely to my mum and have great respect for Mum and other residents.
Mum had to go into emergency care last June. This was a very traumatic time for both my dad and the rest of the family. After a few weeks, we were successful in getting Mum transferred to Stirlings. It is hard to comment on some aspects of Mum's life at Stirlings as we have naturally not been allowed inside the home because of Covid. We have, however, all been so impressed by the way in which staff helped Mum to settle in and have her safe and well cared for during this time during such a challenging year.
When we were able to visit in the garden last year, the visits were well organised. A special thank you to two particular members of staff for making the process so smooth and for their cheerful natures.
Skype calls have been a wonderful way of interacting with Mum and the Pod visits too. Looking forward to the day when we can visit in person. Mum has consistently told us how lovely everyone is there, and she loves the food! Thank you!
I have been impressed by the efforts of the staff in keeping the residents entertained and engaged during this pandemic. They have all worked so hard while having to manage new guidelines and procedures. Despite this, staff have gone the extra mile on keeping relatives in touch and have found the time to let me know when Mum has felt like having a Skype chat. The system for Skype chats and pod visits works well and keeps everybody safe. Everybody has been amazing.
We were made extremely welcome by all staff, were listened to and helped with all our needs.
Such a horrible time with Covid but they kept Dad safe. We both cried when we left.
Dad put on a good few pounds with the food and enjoyed eating socially. The first to arrive and last to leave at meal times. It's difficult when a person has memory issues but Dad was very happy at Stirlings.
Well done to Team Stirlings for coping with 2020.
It has been a difficult year for care homes and Stirlings has done its very best to ensure that the residents continue to be looked after as individuals but are also kept safe. A new visitor pod has just been opened to ensure safe visiting.
Unfortunately, my mum, who was also a resident, died this year. The staff took such good care of her when she was ill, whilst also taking care of my dad and supporting the extended family.
Stirlings is a lovely place and they have cared for both my grandparents to an exceptional standard. My grandmother passed away in the summer of 2020, and the support provided to my grandfather has been invaluable, particularly in a time when we haven't been able to visit as regularly.
Stirlings have created a new pod for visitors which is really impressive with really easy procedures to follow, keeping everyone safe during the pandemic. I’ve just spent some time visiting my father, talking to him behind the screen and it was such a lovely experience being able to see him in person. The manager and her team at the home have been fantastic throughout, really helpful and always cheerful.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 18 July 2019Good
- CaringGood
- EffectiveGood
- ResponsiveOutstanding
- 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 (0) & Events (0)
There are no news items for Stirlings.
There are no upcoming events for Stirlings.
Awards / Recognitions (9)
- 30 Jan 2026Recipient: The Orders of St John Care Trust
- 31 Jan 2024Recipient: The Orders of St John Care Trust
- 28 Feb 2023Recipient: The Orders of St John Care Trust
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Stirlings.
Meet the Team (3)

Catherine rejoined the Trust in 2024 as Home Manager at Stirlings.

As Activities Coordinator, Angela is passionate about providing residents at Stirlings with the best possible experiences to enhance their wellbeing. She sees working in care as her calling in life and approaches each day as a new chance to help people.
Angela has almost a decade of experience in coordinating activities in a care environment and has many qualifications supporting her deep knowledge of caring for those with dementia. She takes great satisfaction from helping people to continue with the hobbies and interests they have had their whole lives but equally loves being able to provide them with brand new experiences too.
Whether jumping out of a plane to raise money, completing the Tough Mudder for charity, taking a former ice skater back onto the ice after 50 years, writing poetry with residents or working with Oxford University on a study into therapeutic robots, there is rarely a dull moment in Angela’s line of work. Her great work for the Trust was recognised when Angela was named OSJCT’s Oxfordshire Activity Coordinator of the year in 2016.
Angela finds time to meditate every day and enjoys attending boxing exercise classes and expanding her spiritual interests.

Starting a career in care back in 2016, Odeth embarked on a journey that led her through various roles within different care centres. Initially serving as a caring leader at Avonbourne Care Centre upon joining the trust in 2019, she transitioned to the role of Head of Care (HoC) at Bemerton Lodge in 2021 and later moved to Longlands in 2022 and is now based at Stirlings. Before venturing into the care sector, her professional experience included working as a logistician for the British Army.
Odeth's current role in care is a source of satisfaction, finding it robust and engaging, offering ample opportunities to interact with a diverse multidisciplinary team. Engaging with residents and their families brings them joy, fostering strong connections within their team.
Beyond the professional sphere, Odeth's personal life is centred around family; married with two children, they cherish moments spent together. While she used to play netball, her current passion involves avidly following the sport on television.
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