Highfield Private Care Home

I see that the home offers, good facilities for all of its residents, with exercise, yoga, music and more. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

The care home staff are friendly, caring, hardworking and efficient. The care home management gets things done, prioritises well and sets the tone and positive culture that pervades. I have total confidence in the care home set up, how it functions and the care given to my mother who has now been in Highfield Private Care Home for over 3 years

Highfield Private Care Home is an exceptionally well-run and welcoming setting. Its management and staff have been particularly open, honest and accessible. My mother, a resident since November 2021, has multiple overlapping conditions that require nursing care and much patience and knowledge. Staff have been universally thoughtful and observant, but most importantly, kind and professional. She can be demanding and complaining but is always addressed with sensitivity and admirable patience. With a recent, extended, hospitalisation, my mother was discharged a shadow of her former self: bed-ridden and non-speaking. Since being welcomed back to Highfield, she has improved markedly - to an astonishing degree. Highfield’s nursing care is joined-up and focused on well-being. Facilities at Highfield are cosy, appropriate and well-maintained. Concerns are quickly addressed and feedback is embraced. I have no hesitation warmly recommending Highfield Nursing Home.

A positive attitude from all the staff. Always happy to help. Clean and orderly, and smells fresh when you walk in the door (unlike others I've visited). Manager is very helpful when approached. Attractive but limited outdoor space.

I have no worries about my mother being in his care.

Highfield is a very caring and supportive home. The staff are always happy and kind to the residents and very compassionate to the needs of the residents. There is always a very good variety of food offered with menu choices. The gardens are well kept and provide colour and joy to the residents.

My father became a resident of Highfield in April 2020 and has experienced excellent professional care since. The management, care team and staff have been consistently kind, attentive and caring toward my father's needs and the family's visits. The family continue to receive regular and clear communications from the manager and his management team regarding relevant Highfield information, and particularly during the Covid pandemic and resulting restrictions. It was very much appreciated that a prompt plan was implemented regarding external 'window visits' so we could, at the very least, get to see and speak with our father during lockdowns, albeit through glass! Following recent relaxing of restrictions, an efficient Covid testing protocol has been set up allowing resumption of internal visits, which is greatly appreciated.

Since my Mum has been a resident at Highfield she has really loved it. She has made friends and gets on well with the staff. Unfortunately due to COVID 19 I have never seen my Mum’s bedroom and have only been able to visit her a handful of times inside Highfield. The home set up an excellent outside facility for visiting when the virus stopped relatives and friends from visiting indoors. They purchased and set up two sentry type tents near a window and had a speaker system so that we could hear each other. Currently, I have been unable to see my Mum for the last 6/7 weeks as Highfield had an outbreak of COVID 19. Fortunately, the residents (who wanted to have the vaccine) were vaccinated a couple of weeks prior to the outbreak and many residents only had mild symptoms. Despite this, I have been able to have FaceTime calls with my Mum with the help of the staff. Thank you. I have noticed a deterioration in Mum’s appearance. She has plenty of clothes, also her nails are very long.

My Mother has been a resident at Highfield for nearly two years and in that time she has been well cared for and is happier than when she lived independently, all members of staff are attentive and very helpful and the social activities are very well organised. As my mother suffers from Dementia it was important for all the family that we felt she would be safe and looked after, and as this is the case we are able to enjoy our visits more and not have the constant worry if she is alright after we have left.

Thank you.

My wife has been a resident in Highfield since September 2018 following discharge from hospital. She has been wonderfully cared for throughout that time. When Highfield had to go into lockdown, the staff have made extraordinary efforts to enable us to stay in contact and also to maintain regular contact. I have nothing but praise and admiration for all of the staff and management.

Nobody wants to put their loved ones in a care home but sometimes there is no option. It is a massive decision to make and one I found very very difficult. I looked at many care homes until I found Highfield. I knew immediately this was the one for my husband. Everything at the beginning is very difficult for everyone. It is a new way of life and something we all have to adjust to. Highfield has been amazing. The care and love they give is unbelievable. I visit all the time and see the amazing work they do. Amazing with the residents, always trying to interest them to visit different places. Painting, singing and lots more. Keep up the amazing work you do looking after our very special loved ones.

My mother celebrated her 100th birthday on 30 April. Due to the current situation, I was not able to celebrate with her but the staff at Highfield could not have done more to give her a wonderful party and I was able to have a 55-minute video call with everyone. Many thanks to you all for everything. The care you give is outstanding. My mother has been a resident for over seven years and I have witnessed the gentle care given to all residents, sometimes in difficult situations. They have been sensitive and always place the well-being of the residents first.

Mum has been in Highfield Private Care Home, Saffron Walden for more than 5 years now. My brother and I have nothing but praise for the overall care she has received. While Mum was in good health, she was encouraged to participate in a whole range of activities, including trips in the minibus, which she really enjoyed. As her dementia has worsened, the staff have consistently done everything possible to keep her safe and prevent her from falling. Each time we visited, there was a good atmosphere in the home and no unpleasant smells, which I imagine can be a problem in many care homes. Now we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the manager is providing regular updates on all the measures that are being taken to keep residents and staff healthy. Also, the home is using i-pads to enable residents to keep in touch with their families.

One of the reasons we selected Highfield for my mother is that it is in a converted house, with the feel of a home, rather than a purpose built "hotel-like" facility with a dementia unit isolated on an upper floor. Most of the rooms are on the ground floor and there is thus easy access to the garden although security and safety are always maintained.

The care home manager has been fantastic throughout. Thank you, everyone.

The manager and his staff are always available to take calls from us and have set up various ways we can contact our loved ones digitally.

Comparing Highfield to other Care homes (not necessarily locally) I feel Highfield has a lot of improving to do particularly in the dementia unit. The decoration is still ongoing and has made a difference in the corridors. However, the dementia lounge is very poor and definitely needs updating. When I last saw it it was dark, plastic chairs and in desperate need of colour and some stimulation for the residents.

The bedrooms are pleasant enough but again could do with decoration and generally, there is a smell of urine throughout the home. However, positives are that generally, the staff appear friendly and happy to help. My relative also appears settled at the home and enjoys the singing activity. We were there for a fundraising event one time and there appeared to be a nice atmosphere although I think that the home manager who was running the event has now left.

All in all, I think there is still much work to be done and hopefully, the ongoing decoration will help smarten up the surroundings.

Although all Care Homes must inevitably make money to survive, here one felt that caring was the main priority!

I came here directly from hospital as discharge to home was considered unsafe. I was made very welcome by the care and nursing staff. I have settled well and am very content. The atmosphere here is very friendly and welcoming. The carers and nurses are kind, helpful and professional and take an interest in the residents and their families. Visitors are always made very welcome.