






Downing house is a residential care home, offering a high quality of care for residents.
Downing House is purpose built, with a lounge and a comfortable, homely atmosphere.
Experienced staff have a reputation for being friendly and welcoming.
The gardens are newly re-designed following a consultation with both residents and their families, with improved access for those with restricted mobility.
Residents are encouraged to bring their own furniture and decorations in order to...
Care Provided by Abbeyfield Downing House
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- For a maximum of 25 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
- Moderate Dementia
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Smoking not permitted
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Abbeyfield Downing House for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Abbeyfield Downing 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
- Abbeyfield Living Society
- Voluntary / Not for Profit Owned
Person in charge
- Lois Samuels (Care Home Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Mixed (no single-gender units)
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Year Purpose Built: 2015
- Last Refurbishment: 2015
- Number of floors: 2
Room Information
- Single Rooms (25)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (2)
Visiting
- The team welcome you to visit your loved ones, but ask that lunch and evening meal times are protected, which are: 12:30pm lunch service and 16:30pm evening meal.
Parking
- There is a small car park to the side of the care home, which is free to park.
Abbeyfield Downing House Reviews (19)
Abbeyfield Downing House has a Review Score of 8.5 (8.450) out of 10, based on 3 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Abbeyfield Downing House has 19 reviews.
Very pleased with all aspects of the home.
Zak, thank you so much for your review. We really appreciate it!
We can't recommend Downing House enough. Dad's been there for just over three years and it's been brilliant. Being a smaller home the staff have more time to spend with the clients, and they genuinely do care for them all as though it was their own relatives. They have regular entertainment, summer fairs, and go out to concerts and relatives are always welcome. The communication between staff and relatives and through the home with the GP (who visits once a week) is exceptional. Everywhere is clean and bright, and it feels like a true 'home' not an institution. Dad loves it there, which is wonderful.
Hi Michelle, thank you so much for your review & kind words! It's greatly appreciated and the team will be over the moon with your feedback, ill be sure to pass this on. Thank you again, Lois.
We used Downing House Care Home for respite for my mum for 3 weeks and it was an excellent experience. The staff are wonderful, they engaged brilliantly with mum and kept me updated and reassured throughout her stay. This is the third bout of respite we have experienced and the second care home we have used, and I have to say, the standard of care here was night and day. I didn't worry about mum here. Mum is quite active, she likes to potter and be active and they encouraged her to just be herself and keep her routine. They have a great programme of activities, and from what I saw, a lovely team who care about the residents. And refreshing to see permanent staff and not agency. All residents were clean and well-dressed when I visited. Downing House may not be as aesthetically pleasing as some other homes, but it has heart and it cares. It's a shame the third-party top-up is too high for our family to sustain long-term; otherwise, it would have been a contender for permanent care
Thank you so much for your lovely review. It was a pleasure and honour to have your Mum staying with us. Even for the few weeks she was living in the home she made an impact with us all. We are pleased we were able to offer the reassurance required at a time when it was needed by you and your family. Thank you again for taking the time to write a review of your experience.
I can leave her after a visit knowing that she is safe and well-cared for.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a 5 star review. It's wonderful to read that your sister-in-law is settling in so well at Downing House.
Apart from the issues with the laundry and the wi-fi, which I understand are being addressed, I feel the care provided is very good.
I live some three-hundred miles away so most of my contact is via video calls to my mum's mobile, the staff help facilitate these.
Thanks to the staff for all your efforts during the challenges presented by Covid.
I would recommend Downing House.
Thank you for taking the time to review Downing House, Paul. We really appreciate such positive feedback and are glad to hear that your mum is happy here.
My mum is encouraged to socialise with other residents and now readily participates in the wide variety of activities that the home are now able to put on as Covid restrictions are relaxed. Having said that, every care is still taken to ensure that residents are safe and if necessary restrictions are put in place to keep everyone safe.
I would not hesitate to recommend Downing House to anyone, as it has made a huge difference to my mum and her mental health, which was beginning to suffer prior to her move. A lovely, homely and caring place.
Thank you for such a wonderful review, Donna, we really appreciate your positive feedback. It is great to hear how happy your mum is here.
My mother enjoys the variety of activities and she thinks the food is very good. She has been given the freedom to choose the routines which suit her best.
I would recommend this care home. There are improvements being made to the fabric of the building but the most important thing for me is the actual care that is given to the residents.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, we really appreciate your feedback. We are pleased to hear that your mother is happy at Downing House.
Living abroad means I rely on family and carers to care for my dad. During this time and through Covid, I have had the opportunity to video call with my dad on a regular basis (depending on his wellness at the time). Dad has had some difficulties which meant he had to spend several periods in hospital. Communication between the manager and my family has been outstanding. Through this communication, we have witnessed just how much the manager and her team care for my dad, who at 96, is still an inspiring spirit despite his many setbacks. I could not ask for more. I call regularly and always feel welcome to do so, often the staff answering the phone will chat with me and update me on my dad if he isn't able to talk to me at that time. I am really impressed and will be forever grateful for their care, compassion and also level of communication. (I have not seen the facility but I know my family is very pleased with everything).
Thank you for taking the time to review Downing House, Lidia, we are delighted to hear such positive feedback about your dad's experience at the house.
Placing a loved one into the care of others is a trying time but this has been eased by the friendliness of the management and staff. I look forward to the time that Covid restrictions are eased and the hope that Downing House will become a home in which residents, staff and visitors can feel a bit more relaxed together.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of Downing House, we are pleased to hear that you are happy with the friendly staff here. Your comments regarding the laundry and cleaning will be passed to the team to look into.
Downing House came to our aid, and from the moment Mum was received there the kind, cheerful staff were making her welcome and comfortable. It did take a while for her to realise that she was actually enjoying being there, but, contrary to her expectations she did start settling in, before a fall sadly led to her hospitalisation and the end of a stay that we had started to hope would become permanent.
I'd have no hesitation in recommending Downing House to any family needing care for their mum, short-or long-term.
We will be using Downing House from now on.
I act for two ladies who have no relatives and are both placed at Downing House. The home are very accommodating and liaise well with me, regarding all the ladies need. I am impressed with the overall care.
I cannot praise this care home enough excellent facilities. I visit regularly on different days and times and the staff always have a smile. Wonderful activities for the residents. Keep up the good work.
Downing House is a small, friendly, well run unit with competent, long term staff. My mother is very happy there. The food, care and accommodation are good
I believe Downing House is most efficiently organised. It is clean and the residents are top priority when it comes to being cared for.
My mother went into Downing House in November 2016. We had visited numerous care homes before deciding that Downing was the place for Mum to reside.
Since she has been there we have been very impressed with the way she has been looked after.
The staff are caring and very friendly and work very well as a team.
I liked the calm, cosy feel of Downing House when I visited. Staff are welcoming and responded to mums needs well. I feel her individuality is respected. Mum really enjoys the food. The menus are varied and mealtimes can be flexible if needed. The garden, although small, is very tranquil and well maintained. Mum enjoys being outside. I feel there is a good partnership between my mum, myself and the staff. I visit at least twice a week and feel I have made the right decision.
My mother was a resident of the Abbeyfield Downing House Home in Withington near Manchester for approximately five years. When she arrived she was relatively active, made several new friends and was quite participatory in the activities that the staff organised (of which there were many to choose from). Not long into her stay her health got the better of her and she became pretty much confined to her room. The team at the home could not have been more helpful or supportive. They took care of her every need, not only making sure that she was fine physically, but also that she was mentally stimulated too. There was good consistency of the team around her and she became very fond of them all and they of her. They continued to care for her with unbelievable care and attention until she passed away in early June 2017. I live overseas and always had the peace of mind that I did not have to worry about her wellbeing so far away. I highly recommend Downing House to any family.
My mum has been in Downing House since August 2012 for the last two years she has been in bed on end of life care. Her care has been wonderful, outstanding and the exceptional staff have always maintained her dignity and treated her with affection and kindness. Most of the staff have been there all the time and familiarity is very important. The staff regularly organise events and try to involve all. There is a cheerful atmosphere with music and a nice garden to enjoy. I can only speak highly of Downing House as I do not think my mum would be alive today if it wasn't for the professional exceptional care she is receiving. Everyone is so friendly and courteous constantly.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 08 February 2020Good
- 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 Abbeyfield Downing House.
There are no upcoming events for Abbeyfield Downing House.
Awards / Recognitions (1)
- 01 Apr 2022Recipient: Abbeyfield Living Society
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Abbeyfield Downing House.
Meet the Team (1)

Claire has been a registered nurse for the last 16 years, working in older age, acute mental health and forensic settings. She has been managing mental health services since 2018 and began at Abbeyfield in September 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions about Abbeyfield Downing House
What types of Care is Abbeyfield Downing House registered for?
Older Person Care, Dementia are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.
How many Rooms does Abbeyfield Downing House have?
There are 25 Single Rooms.
What are the Facilities & Services at Abbeyfield Downing House?
Own Furniture if required, Smoking not permitted, Close to Local shops, Near Public Transport, Lift, Wheelchair Access, Gardens, Phone Point in own room, Television point in own room, Residents Internet Access are some of the Facilities & Services.
How far is Abbeyfield Downing House to the centre of Manchester?
3.0 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.
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