






Careford Lodge is a purpose-built residential care home that provides outstanding care and accommodation for just eighteen older people.
Located in the popular village of Merriott, in the county of Somerset, the property is situated within its own spacious and attractive grounds which border with horse paddocks. The grounds offer extensive gardens with numerous seating areas; all located conveniently for the benefit of residents and visitors.
Refurbished in 2025, accommodation is...
Care Provided by Careford Lodge
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- For a maximum of 18 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
- Palliative / End of Life Care
- COPD/Pulmonary Disease
- Convalescent Care
- Day Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Smoking not permitted
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Wheelchair Access
- Ground Floor Accommodation only
- Gardens
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
Please enquire direct for further information about our fees.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Careford Lodge for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Careford Lodge 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
Owner
- The New Careford Lodge Ltd
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Laura Zbijowski(Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Last Refurbishment: 2025
- Number of floors: 1
Room Information
- Single Rooms (18)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (8)
Visiting
- Visitors welcome at any time.
Parking
- Car parking available in own grounds.
Careford Lodge Reviews (33)
Careford Lodge has a Review Score of 9.6 (9.557) out of 10, based on 10 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Careford Lodge has 33 reviews.
She came to join the family at Careford lodge because she needed more care than she was experiencing at her home.
We chose Careford because her sister Patricia had been there years before and found it very caring and consistently friendly and helpful.
It brought a new lease of life for her combining activities but also the privacy in her room to accommodate family and friends when we visited.
They took care of all her medical needs and visits of her weekly hairdresser ,arranged chiropodist,dental and optometrist.
They also arrange all injections and nursing visits when necessary.
Thank you ladies for your friendship and attentive care..and phone calls keeping me informed of any emergency she incurred during her spell with you..
Sally,her neice
Thank you for the lovely feed back. Your right Careford lodge very much feels like a family.
The premises are light, spacious and easy to get around, and the external areas provide a wonderful outdoor space in which to enjoy fresh air, a rural view, and exercise where possible.
The range of daily activities is comprehensive, allowing plenty of social interaction for those who wish it. Outings are organised from time to time, and special festivals appropriately celebrated through the year.
Dear Mary,
Thank you for taking the time to write a review for Careford Lodge and for leaving such positive comments. Laura will take great pleasure in sharing with the teams how pleased you are with the overall care of your aunt. When you are next visiting we would love to hear from you on...
Both the manager and staff have been very professional, showing kindness at all times to all the residents while I have been there.
It is excellent. I visited msny care homes during my working career and am very impressed with The New Careford Lodge.
Thank you so much Liz for your feedback and lovely review of our service. We really do appreciate you having taken time out of your day to write those kind words. Laura will be thrilled and will ensure your review is shared with Careford Lodge team. Warmest regards, Lorraine.
The level of service and understanding Mum receives is second to none. Mum is very happy and content especially with the care taken in her recent move to a new room. As a family we are very happy with the care she receives and we know she is safe, well and happy.
Thank you for the lovely feedback. It is lovely to hear your mum is settled in her new room.
Xmas was full of festive cheer, fun activities for residents, without going over the top. Carefully thought out. I was away this Xmas, but so very happy to leave my mum, confident that she was well looked after and content. Videos were shown to my mum when I sent them. Very personal attention given to my mum who has dementia. Now looking forward to seeing her after a long break.
Thank you for the lovely feedback and positive message.
Would recommend to anybody looking for a home from home for their relative.
Thank you for the lovely feedback. It is lovely to know you would recommend us.
My Mother has settled in with the help from the lovely staff, also my Mother is much more relaxed now after a traumatic time.
It's always lovely to visit and we are always made welcome, with a nice beverage of your choice.
Thank you for the lovely feedback. You mum has settled in really well which is lovely to see.
Yours sincerely,Ian H
Thank you for the lovely feedback. It is lovely to know you would recommend us.
Caring staff with a lot of patients nothing is too much bother. If there are any queries they are delt with straight away.
The food is amazing good choice and qualify ,( plated to resiidents choice)
Plenty of activities, or sit in your room for quite time to read or watch TV listening to the radio,
All birthdays are celebrated with a lovely home cooked cake and candle with a lot of happy birthdays.
As a resident visitor it's like visiting a big happy family, I was always made to fell very welcome, and Christmas there was a Christmas lunch for visitors with there family.
If I have to go into care I would not hesitate to choose Careford Lodge.
I liked to visit everyone was always welcoming.
My Dad sadly passed away after spending 5 very happy years at Careford Lodge. He felt safe, comfortable and respected and developed a warm and friendly relationship with the staff. He passed away gently and peacefully and I'm sure this was largely because he felt so at home in Careford Lodge. At the end of his life, the manager and all the staff looked after him and us, his family with so much care and affection. We really couldn't have asked for more. THANK YOU!
Careford Lodge provides an excellent service. The staff are considerate and professional and the rooms are clean and comfortable. It is a great comfort to me that my father is safe, secure and well cared for.
A warm caring environment with efficient, friendly staff. Residents of this care home are looked after extremely well with compassion and respect. I would not hesitate to recommend Careford Lodge to anyone.
At 95 and coming from independence in her own home, it took Mum a month to stop becoming 'befuddled' (her word) but from then on she has definitely come to look upon Careford as home. She joins in activities I never expected her to and has made friends and, very importantly, my siblings and I know that she is in very good hands.
I know she's looked after and happy.
It's a great setting and many rooms have access to their own outdoor space.
The staff are great and many have been there for some time or return to work there again.
My sister has now been a resident at Careford Lodge for 4 months and seems physically and psychologically a great deal better than she had previously been - a tribute to both the regime and the caring qualities of the manager and staff. Initially bewildered, resentful, uncommunicative and obviously unhappy, the patience and kindness shown to her has seen a gradual transition to a much more outgoing and sociable person and I think an awareness in her that she is being cared for by people who do their level best to make her feel comfortable and supported. Whenever my wife and I visit we see committed, hard working staff doing a difficult job with a willing cheerfulness and pleasant manner. Her residency began at a hugely difficult and stressful time for people in the care sector which looks set to be the pattern for the foreseeable future. I feel grateful that my sister is so much better cared for here than I could have dared hope for.
Although I live a considerable distance from the home, I have always received prompt information and answers to all my queries in the most helpful manner. When visiting, even in these very testing times, every courtesy has been shown.
Following a short period of respite care in 2015, Careford Lodge were very accommodating at finding a room for Mum at short notice 18 months ago, caring for her with love, compassion and dignity until she sadly passed away at the beginning of December. Management and carers were always interested in her as an individual, getting to know her life story and understanding her personality, needs and preferences. In 'normal' times I felt I had great access and was always made to feel welcome. During 2020 staff became Mum's second family and she was very happy there. The home was appropriately cautious about Covid but managed to maintain good quality socially distanced visits during the year. I was given safe and sensitive access towards Mum's end of life. All rooms are on the ground floor with private facilities and open onto nicely maintained grounds. As a relative, I always felt she was in safe and caring hands. I would strongly recommend this home even in these difficult times.
My mother was at Careford Lodge only for a short time before sadly she died. She always said that the staff were wonderful, and looked after her very well. I noted that she was treated to facials at times, it's those little things that make all the difference in life. The care home is set at the heart of a lovely village. Careford really does a great job all round, and communication with the staff was very good. Even with Covid19 making things so difficult for us all in our lives, the staff at Careford were very understanding and helped us in every way that they could in these trying times.
Uncle has been at Careford Lodge since February 2020 the care he receives is excellent, all the staff are caring, supportive, friendly and very professional. They are supportive to both residents and families. My uncle's sister was also a resident at Careford Lodge for seven years and was extremely happy and always called it her home.
Thank you very much for a lovely review. The staff work hard to ensure we run a person-centred home.
All I need to add is that the amazing staff go out of their way to care for the whole family - not just the elderly resident.
Good food and a real sense of fun, whilst respecting the personality of the cared-for. Highly recommended.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 05 December 2019Good
- 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
1 Bed Vacancy
Posted: 13 July 2026We have one vacancy at Careford Lodge for 24-hour long term or respite care and accommodation. A large en-suite room with direct access to patio seating and gardens. For further information, please contact us and we will be pleased to provide you with more information about our home and services.
News (20) & Events (0)
- 02 Jul 2026
Photo stories in our July newsletter include D-Day anniversary remberence Time with horses Flower arranging Arts & crafts Al Fresco dining Visit from Tasty Treats Icecream van Clothing party ........
- 10 Jun 2026
From indulging in the joy of our newly refurbished courtyard to celebrating VE day and enjoying a barbecue, our newsletter gives our readers a taste of all we have been...
- 15 May 2026
Our May Newsletter is now published and shared. Full of useful information, puzzles and facts, we also celebrate everything we got up to in April. Happy reading.
There are no upcoming events for Careford Lodge.
Awards / Recognitions (1)
- 28 Jul 2022Recipient: Careford Lodge
Meet the Team (3)

the 1st October 2018. Before this, she had also worked at Careford Lodge for 16 years between 2000 and 2016, ascending in roles from care assistant to deputy manager.
At Careford Lodge, we celebrate the rich blend of life experience, knowledge, and skills of each resident, and those of their family and friends. We aim to continually improve our listening skills, our consultation process, and our partnership with each unique individual to safeguard and promote his or her holistic health, well-being, dignity and independence.

Jason has been affiliated with Careford Lodge through his wife, Lorraine, since 1997. Jason's career has been in mechanical engineering and, more recently, in the management of a plant hire depot. Jason takes care of the day-to-day maintenance and safety at Careford Lodge.

Careford Lodge was founded by Mr & Mrs Careford in 1997. Today, their daughter Lorraine and her husband Jason are walking in their same footsteps, embodying the very same positive values of kindness, compassion, empathy, integrity, humility, loyalty and responsibility in everything they do to enhance the lives of those who afford them the privilege of knowing and caring for them.
Lorraine was the registered manager of Careford Lodge from 1997 to 2016. In 2016, Lorraine relinquished her registered manager status to assume the position of nominated individual and to support the then owners of Careford Lodge to look after their care home portfolio.
In 2025, Lorraine and her husband Jason purchased Careford Lodge to bring the family care home back into the fold.
Frequently Asked Questions about Careford Lodge
What types of Care is Careford Lodge registered for?
Older Person Care, Dementia, Visual / Hearing Impairment are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.
How many Rooms does Careford Lodge have?
There are 18 Single Rooms.
What are the Facilities & Services at Careford Lodge?
Own Furniture if required, Pet Friendly (or by arrangement), Smoking not permitted, Close to Local shops, Near Public Transport, Wheelchair Access, Ground Floor Accommodation only, Gardens, Phone Point in own room, Television point in own room, Residents Internet Access are some of the Facilities & Services.
How far is Careford Lodge to the centre of Merriott?
0.4 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 Careford Lodge to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Careford Lodge has an Enhanced Service -more info.