Barchester Ashfields Care Home

My mother can be extremely difficult, but the staff are patient and caring. The meals are excellent, and I have several times been made welcome to stay for lunch with my mother and experienced first hand the delicious and well-presented meals. I very much appreciated the chef making special provision for a vegetarian Christmas dinner for me when I had dinner there with my mother on Christmas Day. My only concern is that the staffing levels may not always be sufficient, and the staff, who already work very hard, are very stretched.

The Rackheath team have been excellent during the Covid-19 crisis. Clear regular communication with family and a big effort to help our mum keep in touch with us whilst we are unable to visit. Given we live hundreds of miles away, Mum can feel isolated and gets few visits. During this difficult lockdown, the staff have really tried to engage and offer that extra human touch, even with staff numbers stretched. The activities team have introduced extra measures to help the residents; from favourite meals, extra magazines and helping share family photos we send in.

During the recent crisis, the staff have been heroic in their commitment to the residents, in giving us updates and being able to make contact by video calls.

Cannot thank them all enough.

Great food and entertainment, lots of great staff and good communication.

The staff at Ashfields were so helpful and supportive when I needed respite care for my father. The home is clean, warm and comfortable with good food and outside sitting areas. Dad settled in well and nothing was too much trouble. The General Manager is excellent at giving advice and helping you through all the paperwork. I don’t know what I’d have done without them.

My main concern is having enough care workers at all times. I just want 100% care for my husband at all times.

The staff ensured he was safe and well looked after as well as promoting his usual lifestyle routines.

My 94-year-old grandfather who is suffering from Dementia lives here. After looking at numerous off reports and making visits to other homes, we decided that this would be ideal for his twilight years. You can arrive any time, any day unannounced so the care is always transparent. I'm always made to feel welcome by staff, nothing is too much trouble for my grandad. He eats amazing here 3 courses for lunch, it smells and tastes amazing, no dreary hospital-style food here I can tell you. There's always something going on which is so important for people with Dementia. They are always stimulated and we often sit in the lounge and sing together with the other residents. I genuinely couldn't be happier about having him here. If I could explain it to someone, I would say it's like a posh holiday camp/hotel. You can see the staff genuinely care about people. I always had bad thoughts about a care home, but this place has shown me its simply a big home full of life, love and laughter.

She particularly enjoyed the trips out.

I needed help and a respite break and a stay for my wife seemed to be the answer at Ashfields. Very helpful staff, nice, clean and comfortable surroundings, and most helpful to my wife.

My mother enjoys and often speaks of trips out and in-house activities.

Difficult to fully review as not seen all aspects in operation, e.g. treated with dignity - how did they help him go to the toilet? Some of my questions were unable to be answered on picking him up, e.g. had he been out on any trips? Several items of clothing, although named, still lost.

My husband took time to settle into Ashfields but all the staff were very kind and patient with him, he has now settled and seems happy. At the end of March, we celebrated our Diamond Wedding at Ashfields with 20 members of our family. The venue and food provided was great and all the staff involved were very helpful. Thank you.

During my father in laws short stay (just under three months), we found the care home to be well maintained, clean and well equipped for the residents needs. We felt that the staff worked very hard to ensure the comfort and happiness of the residents. As visitors, we were always made to feel welcome anytime, any day. I would recommend this facility to families needing 'dementia friendly' care for their loved one.

The home is always clean and the food very good. The staff are great from the top to the bottom.

My wife has been in this care home for 8 1/2 years. She has always been well looked after and the standard is very high still.

I find her room a bit of the small side and I am not sure that the bathroom is cleaned frequently enough. The alternative menu is a good idea but the residents don't seem to know about it. The garden is a bit limited and sad, lacking enough plants with not even a bulb to see.

The experience myself and family have had at Ashfields has been brilliant and with the friendly and ever willing workforce, it really felt like a second home. I can honestly say in the months my father was a resident I only had good and positive feedback by family and his many friends that visited. All the staff are a credit to Ashfields.

Professional care with kindness for my husband with severe dementia. The staff manages his, at times, difficult behaviours with skill and dignity. He currently attends for daycare but is booked for respite care soon.