
The staff are always polite and helpful. Mum is happy to join in with activities and staff help herH B(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

my mother-in-law has been very happy, feels very safe and thinks the staff are very friendlyD R(Son-in-law of Resident/Service User)

Pleasant staff. Clean and tidy facilities.K B(Son of Resident/Service User)

The staff are always polite and helpful. Mum is happy to join in with activities and staff help herH B(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

my mother-in-law has been very happy, feels very safe and thinks the staff are very friendlyD R(Son-in-law of Resident/Service User)

Pleasant staff. Clean and tidy facilities.K B(Son of Resident/Service User)

Townsend House is a forty-five capacity care home situated in the Headington area of Oxford in peaceful and beautifully tended grounds. Townsend is dedicated to person-centred methods and offering quality residential, early-stage dementia and respite care for older people.
This traditional home from home has some lovely newly refurbished communal lounges where you can enjoy the company of others, take part in activities or simply sit down and read a good...
Care Provided by Townsend House
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 45 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
Other Care Provided
- Parkinson's Disease
- Stroke
- Day Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Television point in own room
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 Townsend House for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Townsend House 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
- Lisa Oliver (Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: No
- Last Refurbishment: 1995
- Number of floors: 1
Room Information
- Single Rooms (45)
Townsend House Reviews (91)
Townsend House has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.771) out of 10, based on 24 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Townsend House has 91 reviews.
My sister has been in the care of Townsend House for a couple of months. All seems very good, as far as I can tell. I live many hours drive from Oxford, so I cannot visit frequently. But when I have visited, I can tell by my sister's demeanour that the friendly staff there deal with her idiosyncrasies well and effectively.
My dad is very happy here and seems very well looked after.
I loved staying at Townsend but I still was happy to come home to my family. All the carers and management were lovely and they couldn't do enough for you. I look forward to going to visit them soon.
Our mum was moved into Townsend in mid-February due to her severe mobility problems. I am just one of mum's 8 children and we all want to express our sincere thanks to everyone at Townsend. We are all hugely indebted for the kindness and real genuine care given by every single member of the staff, from those in the dining room to those who provided physical and spiritual care. We will always remember with gratitude how well mum was looked after.
We would just like to thank all the wonderful staff at Townsend House for all their hard work care and compassion they show our mum at these very uncertain times, and for keeping us updated with all her care needs and updates on how things are as we're in isolation as well. We are so grateful to you all keep up the good work thanks again from all the family.
From the manager, head of care, and the administrator, to the care and catering staff, there was and remains now as a sense of purpose and sensitivity to residents and relatives needs.
It is clear that it is managed well in all aspects, from house-keeping, catering, and especially to care. Everyone's behaviour is purposeful and directed, and it is obvious that all staff are clear about their responsibilities but with a need to be flexible where appropriate.
My following judgements are based on visits to Townsend House, typically twice per week, and for about an hour each time. Similarly, I have attended meetings on-site with the senior staff, GPs, and OCC social service staff. In addition, I have been invited to friends and relative parties in the evenings on a few occasions that have lasted several hours. As a consequence, my personal experience is limited, but I take care to observe.
My mother has been a resident at Townsend House for the last year. During that time she has received exceptional care and attention. The dining room is treated like a restaurant, with menus and flowers on the tables. Entertainment and activities are on a daily basis and the garden provides a peaceful outdoor space. Relatives are treated as part of the family and kept informed with phone calls, newsletters, and events. It is a happy place.
Very caring, lovely friendly staff always helpful. The food is excellent and very good portions. I would recommend Townsend House.
I cannot say how pleased I am with mums care. Everything is to a very high standard and all the staff are extremely caring and professional. The meals are out of this world.
I am very happy with my mothers care plan, except that she would prefer smaller portions of dinners or would be happier with Chicken Soup, as she is unable to eat large portions of lunch.
Found all the staff that I have met very caring and professional in the way they treat the people in their care.
On arrival, my father was made to feel at home in his room with his belongings around him. He has settled in well. The staff are very helpful and friendly and never too busy to help.
This is a comfortable, cosy home with kind and caring staff. The manager is always very positive and serene. She creates a positive atmosphere and the care team are really lovely. My husband is happy and content to live there.
As an emergency entrant, I was treated well.
I was pleased with the welcome I received when I visited my friend, he has a nice room there and the staff are friendly. The house is clean and tidy, there is a nice lounge and dining room. I was very pleased.
I cam to the home today and there is a lovely atmosphere. The home is clean and well staffed. I feel my Dad is being looked after well.
My mother-in-law has been a resident for nearly 18 months. She suffers from vascular dementia. She can sometimes be confused and the staff are generally patient and kind.
Helpful staff.
Good food.
Very happy with the home. Clean, tidy with good management. Caring and thoughtful.
Friendly staff, suitable accommodation. My father made good relationships with the staff.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 30 May 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 (0) & Events (0)
There are no news items for Townsend House.
There are no upcoming events for Townsend House.
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 Townsend House.
Meet the Team (3)

Lisa joined OSJCT as Home Manager for Townsend House in December 2024. She holds Level 2 and 3 qualifications in Health and Social Care, as well as a qualification in Leadership and Management of Care Services.
With a strong background in the care sector, Lisa is passionate about providing high-quality care and is excited to bring her experience and leadership skills to Townsend House. She looks forward to getting to know her team and making a positive impact within the home.
Outside of work, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family and taking part in outdoor activities. She values the importance of relaxation and reflection in her personal time.

Chris has an NVQ Level 3 in Administration, ILM 1 and 2 in Team Work and Management and has an EU Computer Driving Licence.
Chris was introduced to the care industry through a family member who worked for the Trust. Chris loves the diversity of her role as she gets to meet residents, elderly people and their families.
A particularly fond memory of Chris’s with the residents was when she did a memory walk in the gardens of Oxford which she absolutely loved.
Chris’s hobbies include crochet, barbequing, doing jigsaw puzzles and going for long walks. She also loved caravanning with her children when they were younger and growing vegetables with them.

Jessica joined the Trust at Townsend House in November 2025 as a Kitchen Assistant before progressing to the role of Activities Coordinator in May 2026. She is passionate about bringing people together and creating meaningful experiences that enrich residents' lives. Jessica enjoys planning and delivering a wide range of engaging activities and themed events that encourage connection, promote wellbeing, and create lasting memories.
She is looking forward to strengthening community links, introducing new experiences that cater to a variety of interests and abilities, and helping residents maintain their independence while enjoying a fulfilling lifestyle. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys baking, cooking, attending festivals, playing bingo, getting creative, and meeting new people from all walks of life.
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact Townsend House to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Townsend House has an Enhanced Service -more info.