






Balgowan House is a well-established nursing home located close to the centre of Saltwood village near Hythe in Kent. The building has been extended and refurbished (completed 2016) to provide warm, welcoming and comfortable accommodation for up to forty residents.
Balgowan House is able to offer single or shared occupancy with the option of en-suite facilities in accommodation provided over two floors with two lifts giving access to all areas.
Residents are...
Care Provided by Balgowan House
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Physical Disability
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 40 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
Other Care Provided
- Parkinson's Disease
- Stroke
- Palliative / End of Life Care
- Convalescent Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- 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
All fees are dependent on care needs assessment.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Balgowan House for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Balgowan 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)
Support you may be entitled to
- If you chose a care home based in England, you may be eligible for NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC), which helps cover the cost of nursing. This is worth £267.68 per week and is usually paid directly to the care home.
Good to Know
Group / Owner
- Integrum Care Group
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Ann-Marie Miles (Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Mixed (no single-gender units)
- Ages 50+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: No
- Last Refurbishment: 2025
- Number of floors: 1
Room Information
- Single Rooms (34)
- Couples/Companion Rooms (3)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (14)
- Couples/Companion Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (1)
Visiting
- Balgowan House welcomes visitors at any time.
Parking
- Parking is available in the car park as well as unrestricted parking in Bartholomew Lane.
Balgowan House Reviews (84)
Balgowan House has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.681) out of 10, based on 22 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Balgowan House has 84 reviews.
Balgowan House staff were exceptional while my Mum was there. They genuinely care and are all very positive about the home. It is a real 'home'. My Mum was only there a short time, but I felt like we were with family. The home was always beautifully clean, very different from other homes I have been in. I am just so glad that my Mum came to Balgowan House for the most precious, but difficult time. I wouldn't have wanted her to be anywhere else.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this lovely review for us. We really do appreciate all feedback. Please take care of yourselves.
My grandchildren, ages 4, 7 and 10, also enjoy visiting their "Pops" and again are made most welcome and comfortable in Balgowan. They especially enjoy the activity days and are always extremely keen to join in.
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback for our home. We love have grandchildren visit, and other residents appreciate it also.
Staff are aware of his needs and couldn't be any more helpful, they are always very friendly and will answer any questions or concerns.
Thank you for you feedback. We appreciate all your comments and will strive to provide an excellent level of care.
Lovely friendly staff who really care. Excellent atmosphere and facilities. My only criticism would be that there is a definate need for more staff. My father is often not washed until late morning.
Thank you for your valuable feedback. We try to accommodate all time frames when people would prefer their care. Sometimes when situations arise out of our control then time frames may need to be adjusted. We strive to provide care times suitable to the needs of our residents.
Mum passed in Dec 2025 and Dad is looked after well and genuinely cared about.
Thank you for you views, we value all feedback. We always try to accommodate individuals needs and preferred times for delivering care.
The nursing home is great place for resadance, would be nice if we could have better WiFi and have more choice of TV programes. The staff here are the best helpful and frendly
Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate all off your comments.
Staff are excellent. Facilities are slightly tired. Lift appears to breakdown regularly.
Thank you for your feedback. We have had some issues with one of our lifts but this is all rectified now. The Lift management company had issues with sourcing a part. We are in the process of redecorating and laying new flooring throughout our hallways.
This is an excellent home so caring and professional providing the very best of care for my elderly mother who now sadly is unable to do anything for herself. The carers and nurses we consider as extended family for her and we could not be more appreciative to them all and thankful she is there living out the remainder of her days .
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this review. Your kind words mean a lot to us.
my sister is receiving good quality care delivered with compassion, The staff make a big difference to her quality of life and are always helpful and caring. I am glad we chose Balgowan. A big thankyou to the team
Thank you for taking the time to do this review. We take all comments seriously and look for ways to enhance our service.
My Husband has been a resident for 18 months & we have been very pleased with his care. I always get a warm greeting & the atmosphere is mostly happy mainly due to Mo the activities lady. She keeps my Husband busy with tasks she sets him which is exactly what he needs. On one a occasion in his first year there I rang him on a lovely warm day & said I will pick you up & we can drive to the seafront for an ice cream & he told me he was too busy to go!! Perfect x
Thank you for taking the time to do this review. We take all comments seriously and look for ways to enhance our service.
My relative has been a resident of Balgowan House for two and a half years and has been very well looked after by the staff during this time. The home is clean and well run, with plenty of activities and entertainment in the lounge for the residents to participate in and enjoy.
Balgowan is a warm and friendly environment with a fantastic staff team that are compassionate, kind and patient. My dad loves Balgowan and often says 'I should have come here years ago.' My dad loves the banter with staff and all the activities, especially arts and crafts and the regular singers/groups that visit. My dad is genuinely happy and the staff are attentive and always available to discuss any issues or queries I have. I love the atmosphere and the open and honest ethos. I cannot thank the staff enough.
Thank you for taking the time to do this review. We always listen to feedback and continue to use this information to improve our service.
Unfortunately I'm not able to visit as much as I would like but my sister seems to be very comfortable and content with her care. The staff are always on hand and ready to answer any questions I may have.
Good selection and standard of food. Regular activities and Singalongs. Mother celebrated her 105th Birthday there and a good time was had by all. Well done Balgowan Team.
I can tell you that the overall welfare of my mother over the last year has greatly improved and it is all down to the care that she is receiving at Balgowan House. The staff cannot do enough for her. She is fed and entertained and well looked after. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this. We take all comments onboard and continually strive to give the best care possible.
My mum has been here a year now and I have nothing but praise. The staff are lovely and they must be happy working there as they mostly seem to have been there a long time. The home is spotless and has lots of light and an airy feel. It's a great location, there's parking right outside so I can easily take my mum out for a trip to Hythe.
Thank you for taking the time to do this review. We value all feedback and strive to provide the care that people deserve.
It's is a very busy home, but there is always a way to speak to someone if you have questions.
The staff are supremely compassionate and take great care of residents and families.
This is my second time to place a loved family member into Balgowan's care, which hopefully speaks volumes. I don't know anywhere else I would trust to obtain the care at the levels we get here.
They welcome feedback no matter what, which is a measure of the constant striving to be the best there is, and I know they are.
Thank you for such lovely comments. Our staff always strive to provide the best possible care.
Her appearance and general demeanor remain high
The list of mental And physical activities available is wideranging
All staff are always very accommodating
Thank
Thank you for your valued comments. We are always looking for ways to improve our service.
Very satisfied with the care, attention and management. Very good atmosphere. I visit every day.
We really do appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
A nice nursing home but very busy. Staff very friendly but it's a waiting game especially at weekends if you need attention. I could do with more exercise with walking.
We always appreciate feedback and will endeavour to work with residents and family members to address any issues raised.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 16 January 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 Balgowan House.
There are no upcoming events for Balgowan House.
Awards / Recognitions (0)
There are currently no awards/recognitions posted yet for Balgowan House.
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Balgowan House.
Meet the Team (5)

I qualified as a State Enrolled Nurse in 1983 and later as a Registered General Nurse in 2002, gaining both clinical and management experience within the NHS in both hospital and district nursing environments.
I was appointed to the position of Registered Home Manager of Balgowan House in May 2018 having previously been Registered Manager at another Kent care home.
My time at Balgowan has been incredible and have an amazing team and wonderful residents.

Lynne started her career in care here at Balgowan House in 2013 as a carer.
In 2017, Lynne left to work at William Harvey Hospital as an HCA on the Acute Medical Unit. After 2 years in the Trust, Lynne went on to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse and qualified in 2021. Lynne continued to work on the Acute Medical Unit at William Harvey Hospital until 2024.
Lynne enjoyed her years spent at Balgowan House before going on to pursue her nursing career, so when the opportunity arose to return to Balgowan as a registered nurse, Lynne was excited to rejoin the team and continue her career.
In April 2026, Lynne became the Deputy Manager here at Balgowan and enjoys working closely with her colleagues to help lead and support the home, ensuring residents and their families receive the highest standards of care and support.

Cassie Williamson started a BTEC National Diploma in Health Studies in 1997, she worked in various roles before joining Balgowan House in March 2000 as a Health Care Assistant (NVQ 3). Cassie very much enjoyed the role and remained in the post for 15 years. In 2015 the Home Manager introduced a new administration role and she was quickly identified as the perfect candidate.
Cassie is a major support to the Home Manager and everything she does is integral to the day-to-day running of the home. The role is extremely busy, but Cassie enjoys the challenges and variety each day brings. Cassie may now be doing the admin work, but she still spends time interacting with the residents and getting involved in the home’s activities and events. She is a very valued member of the Balgowan team.

Mo is the activities Coordinator for Balgowan House.
She ensures that every resident has interaction and activities each day.
All residents are considered when activities are planned - from arts and crafts to music to events.
Outside entertainers are a regular feature here at Balgowan and family and friends are always welcome.

Cathy has worked for Integrum since 2012, first at Saltwood full time, then here at Balgowan full time. She also is bank Chef between all 3 homes as and when required.
Bev has worked for Balgowan since 2016, first as a carer sometimes helping with the cooking, now just cooking part time!
They pride themselves on cooking, fresh home cooked food for the residents.
Frequently Asked Questions about Balgowan House
What types of Care is Balgowan House registered for?
Older Person Care, Dementia, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.
How many Rooms does Balgowan House have?
There are 34 Single Rooms and 3 Couples/Companion Rooms.
What are the Facilities & Services at Balgowan House?
Own Furniture if required, 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 Balgowan House to the centre of Hythe?
0.8 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 Balgowan House to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Balgowan House has an Enhanced Service -more info.