The Gardens Care Home

A lovely place. They can't do enough for my aunty who really loves it there, never have to worry about her as we know she's being well looked after. Such a clean, bright and homely place. All the staff are very professional. Can't recommend the Gardens enough.

The home itself is so welcoming and really feels like a home from home with very modern rooms and lovely conservatory areas and garden areas to sit in. And is very accessible, mostly having rooms on the ground floor. I rate it 5* in every respect.

My relative moved into The Gardens from another care home last year. It has proved to be the best thing that has happened. The staff are wonderful, friendly, keep you informed and above all, take everything in their stride, despite my relative's issues with dementia, they seem to be able to deal with anything. Highly recommended.

Having waited 8-months to find a suitable care home, The Gardens was chosen to accommodate my father! Having no previous connections to care homes or knowledge, I am really happy with the choice. The place is really nice, happy and well run! The staff on the Blackwell suite are amazing! I know my father will be looked after and happy.

My husband resides in the Blackwell suite at The Gardens care home, Darlington. This is the third home/hospital he has been in and he is very well settled, much more than other placements. The staff are excellent, very caring and attentive to the needs of residents and families. The home is very clean, the food is good, activities are well catered for and clients are encouraged to take part. I would have no concerns in recommending The suite to anyone. The staff have a difficult job but always have a smile and have an extremely helpful attitude to all. I am extremely happy with them.

My husband has been in this care home and I cannot speak too highly of the care he has had. The staff are extremely helpful, understanding and compassionate. It is not an easy job to do but I can only speak from experience, as I can visit anytime, being his main carer (at the moment) and have always found the staff extremely good, giving really good care. We are lucky that we have found this care home and very grateful.

My nana and grandad are currently in The Gardens. They are very well looked after here and the staff are fantastic. I can’t praise them highly enough, they always go above and beyond to make the residents happy. They have always done their best to keep spirits high in these awful times. The home is very clean. The food always looks very tasty. I would highly recommend the Gardens.

The Gardens care home is a joy to visit. The staff are always so welcoming. It is a happy home with lots of laughter. The care is of a high standard. The staff truly care for the residents. They are professional and caring and strive to provide a high quality of care. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. They provide a variety of activities which is important to stimulate and socialise residents I would highly recommend the Gardens care home.

I visited my Aunt in the home. The staff were very helpful and accommodating. It was upsetting seeing my aunt in the home. The staff made my aunt feel welcome and extended the family. Nothing is too much to ask, very helpful in both our needs and my aunt's. One member of staff, especially, goes the extra mile and personally texts us with the latest info about my aunt as I am not able to visit my aunt, due to work. Thank you very much.

The staff are always friendly and helpful when I call. They constantly keep me up to date with my aunt's care. If she is not well they will call me and tell me what they are doing to help her and whether they have arranged for a visit by the matron, doctor or dentist. The staff are well trained to identify any issues and on a couple of occasions, they have been swift to call an ambulance for her when needed. The staff are very respectful to my aunt and take the time to listen to her. The care home has a daily programme of activities to keep the residents entertained and active.

I've always seen great care and support from all the staff and management. Very friendly atmosphere. The staff and management keep me informed of all treatments and needs required. I would strongly recommend The Gardens care home to all my friends and family.

My father has only been in this care home for nearly 4 weeks and he is so happy there! He came out of hospital and then went there for 24-hour care. I worried that on my first visit to him, that he would be adamant that he wanted to come home! I was so happy that he has settled so quickly into his spacious room and was being attended to well by the staff. He lived on his own for many years and it’s lovely to see that they have managed to integrate him well with the other residents and he is taking part in activities. I am informed every time that he is prescribed a new medicine and given a well-being check. I have to give special mention to one member of staff, in particular, who has definitely got my dad's health and well being at heart. On my last visit, he actually said to me “I’m staying here”! He must have thought that I was taking him back home. I could not have had a better reassurance that he was happy there and I went away buzzing! Well done to The Gardens and thank you.

My mum was in The Gardens for about 4 months and I think she was as happy as she could be there. However, to have a phone call to tell me that my mum had died in such an uncaring, brisk way, unacceptable. After travelling 250 miles to get to Darlington, to then have my mum's thing passed out the front door with no words of comfort or sympathy is totally unacceptable. To then have to ask for my mum's jewellery, totally unacceptable. My mum may have been well looked after but my lasting impression of the place my mum spent her final days in, will be one of coldness and total disinterest. Thank goodness my dad died at the Memorial Hospital. The staff there were amazingly kind and caring and I will never, ever forget that. The questions underneath are very difficult to answer as neither I or my sister managed to get into the home to physically see my mum because of Covid so my review is based on what I saw through a window and the conversations I had with my mum through a window.

We knew mum didn’t have long to live and the speed at how quickly she had deteriorated from cancer distressed her yet she visibly relaxed from the minute she arrived in the bright, cheery room. She was placed on half-hourly observation from the beginning. The staff were super with her, and their sense of humour was really appreciated by mum and by us. Mum was a private, quiet lady, but they did their best to maintain her dignity right to the end. My brother and I spent a week by Mum’s bedside, and even though they were very busy, they went out of their way to support us too with a chat and many cups of tea. Two particular care workers were a real source of strength for Mum (and us) in her final hours.

My family will be eternally grateful for the care and respect we were shown.