
She is joining in activities and seems much happier all around.C J(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Great care and very friendly staff.M B(Respite Resident/Service User)


She is joining in activities and seems much happier all around.C J(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Great care and very friendly staff.M B(Respite Resident/Service User)


Located in the historic spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Firtree House provides round the clock residential, dementia and nursing care on a permanent and respite basis, as well as compassionate end of life care.
Residents at the Kent care home can enjoy quality facilities including welcoming communal areas, an activity room and hair salon. Each bedroom is individually decorated, many with ensuite facilities and some options suitable for couples. Residents...
Care Provided by Firtree House
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 50 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
- COPD/Pulmonary Disease
- Convalescent Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Minibus or other transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Residents Kitchenette
- Television point in own room
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Firtree House for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Firtree 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
- Care UK
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Jackie Cullip (Home Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: No
Room Information
- Single Rooms (41)
Visiting
- Firtree House operates an open door visiting policy. Family and friends are always welcome and can see their relatives and loved ones as often as they wish.
Firtree House Reviews (59)
Firtree House has a Review Score of 9.2 (9.223) out of 10, based on 9 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Firtree House has 59 reviews.
My very elderly aunt was cared for in Firtree House for about 10 weeks, until she passed away at the end of June. She was treated with kindness, compassion and respect throughout her stay. All of the staff were brilliant with her and treated her with respect. I was kept up to date with her care plan and included in any decisions. I am so pleased her last few weeks were spent in comfort.
It's a lovely place here, and I am very happy. I live for the activities here as they are wonderful. We are always doing something. All the carers are lovely, and they will do anything you want them to. It's a wonderful place to be.
We're delighted to have you with us and so pleased to see you happy and such a big part of our Firtree family. We really appreciate your feedback. Just let us know if there is ever anything else you need.
Chinese New Year was excellent.
The activities they put on have all been very good. The staff do a brilliant job.
Thank you for your feedback on the activities at Firtree House, and for taking the time to share your opinions with this review. If there are any activities you would like to see added to the programme, do let us know.
Exceptional day at the Chinese New Year celebrations. The management and staff were so helpful and made today very special. The entertainment was brilliant, and the food was absolutely delicious. Thank you all for a wonderful day, as always.
We're so glad to hear you enjoyed our Chinese New Year festivities! We appreciate you taking the time to write us a review and share your feedback. Please let us know if we can ever do anything else to help.
Mum has lived at Firtree for just over a year and a half now. I have lived abroad for some of this time during which the manager has been exceptional. Always keeping me informed on mum and any health issues she has had. My mum is extremely happy and contented, loves each day and so looks forward to the activities - i cannot think of a more home from home than Firtree.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We're delighted to hear that your mum is so happy and settled at Firtree, and that you've felt supported and well informed even while living abroad. Knowing she looks forward to each day and enjoys the activities means a great deal to the whole team.
It was a very difficult decision to place my dear mum into Firtree House and I had always assured her this wouldn't happen, but sadly after my dad passed away last year her health deteriorated and wasn't safe for her to be at home. I am fairly pleased with her care, sadly she's not happy with her new room as she has no bathroom and has to use a commode. I have spoken to staff about this but unfortunately at the moment there isn't a room available with a bathroom.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We appreciate how difficult this decision must have been for you and understand your concerns about your mum's room and bathroom facilities in the original part of the house. Please be assured that the team will continue to support her with...
My mother has been here for two years now and I'm very grateful for the time she has spent here - the manager is very approachable and always happy and willing to help. And all staff are lovely - kind and helpful. The home has a comfortable atmosphere and the events they put on are fantastic.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're so pleased to hear that your mother has been well supported over the past two years and that you've found the manager and team approachable and kind. It's lovely to know the atmosphere and events have made her time here enjoyable - your appreciation is very much valued.
I'm an infrequent visitor to my ex husband who lives here.
ALL the staff I encounter on my way through corridors, ask me how I am and remember me. I'm always astonished.
The care for Alan has been exemplary. (He's been, I've got to say, brought back from 'near death', through their nursing care). Unbelievable care.
No money could provide more..
Thank you for sharing such a powerful and thoughtful review. It means a great deal to hear how consistently caring and attentive the team have been, both to your ex-husband and to you as a visitor. Your words about the nursing care and the personal warmth you experience will be deeply appreciated by everyone here.
What immediately stands out at Firtree - the staff hold their heads up. Ready to engage, keen to help, look you in the eye. Always with a smile. Prior to arriving at Firtree, our experience of care homes taught us to expect a battle. We've had none of this at Firtree. It's refreshing to talk things though in a calm and measured manner, knowing the appropriate actions will be carried out. We chat with the staff with great warmth from both sides, although the staff remain utterly professional.
My dad's care is attentive, for which he is appreciative. He is content and is thankful of the efforts from all concerned. My mum, a regular visitor, is adamant should she ever need admission to a nursing home, she's going to Firtree! The daily activities the home offers residents exceed expectations. Big events are hosted every month or so, with families invited - again, expectations exceeded, so no surprise there's a big turnout. Management and staff are key. Amazing place, well done Firtree.
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback, it has made our day! We're so thrilled to know that our team's dedication has made such an impact on you and your family. We're sorry that you've all had such a difficult time with your dad's care in the past, but we're honoured to have helped him on a...
Everybody was kind and helpful comfortable room and good facilities.
On behalf of the Firtree team, we would like to thank you for your feedback.
My sister-in-law has improved since being here. She is doing more activities and we have noticed that all the staff are involved with what is happening to her. This makes her interact with others a lot more.
Thank you for your review and positive comments regarding your sister-in-law, at our homes the team work hard to deliver high standards of quality care at all times and it's great to hear the positives outcomes. Your feedback will be shared with the team.
After a traumatic move - home to the hospital to Firtree House. My Mother had deteriorated and was bedbound. However, the care received at the home was very good and she improved considerably - although still bedbound. The staff has always been very kind to Mum and me. From the managers to the care staff, they were friendly, talked about Mum, and looked after her well. She was always kept clean and they took time when feeding her.
Many thanks for taking the time to leave us a review and for your kind words about our home, the care your Mother received, and the team at Firtree House. Your feedback will be shared with the team.
I saw her Tuesday, and she was almost completely unresponsive. Eyes closed. The only movement she made was to wipe her mouth after coughing up phlegm if I placed a tissue in her hand.
Wednesday, bedridden but slightly more with it, she told me she had to wet herself because she couldn't make anyone hear her. I asked staff to provide a way for her to call for assistance.
Thursday, I saw she had been given a box on the table beside her bed, which she couldn't see or reach. I found someone to help, who brought a cord to attach to the box with a button she could press with her thumb to call for assistance.
She died later that evening.
The bouquet my daughter sent from Canada, which arrived Tuesday, had been placed in a vase just hours before she died.
People were kind but I felt their care was substandard.
We are very sorry for your loss and would again like to share our deepest condolences. We pride ourselves on the resident experience and are sorry that on this occasion you found it has fallen short of the usual positive feedback we receive. We are committed to learning and improving from feedback,...
My mother was very well looked after and happy at Firtree House. I cannot fault the excellent care by all the staff who treated my mother with dignity, good care and plenty of activities on hand. Her room was always kept clean and she enjoyed the meals at Firtree. Relatives were made to feel welcome. A big thank you to everyone at Firtree from the family.
Thank you John for taking the time to leave us a review and for your lovely comments about our home, team and the care your mother received at Firtree House. The care and services we deliver as a team to our residents and families is extremely important to us. Your feedback will be shared with the team.
My mum has been at Firtree House Nursing Home for two to three weeks now and has settled really well. She is much better cared for, cleaner, well-kept and well looked after. She is joining in activities and seems much happier all around. She has her glasses, dentures, looks clean and washed. The staff are great and very caring and have taken on some things I wanted going for Mum like washing her hair more regularly. Very happy.
Thank you for your review and positive comments regarding Firtree House and our team who work hard to ensure those living in our community receive the best care and can get involved in the activities should they wish. Your feedback will be passed on to the team.
Great care and very friendly staff.
We would like to thank you for your kind words which are very much appreciated. All comments will be passed on to the team and thank you again for the review.
The staff were outstanding, so professional and caring. The only downfall was we did have quite a few issues with the room and although these were brought to the management's notice, nothing was done until it was put in writing.
We pride ourselves on the resident experience and are sorry that, on this occasion, you found it has fallen short of the usual positive feedback we receive. We are committed to learning and improving from feedback, and we understand that our home manager has been in touch to resolve the issue.
The facilities need a little bit of an update but I always found it satisfactory. There are a few people that work there that are a true credit to the home.
Ashley, thank you for your lovely comments. The care and services we deliver, as a team, to those living in our communities and their families are extremely important to us. Your feedback will be shared with the team.
Mum was placed here to recover from a broken shoulder from hospital. She was reluctant to begin with but staff were really good with her and really lovely. Care was of a good standard. The enrichment provided was a lovely touch and helps with boredom. Communal areas are well looked after and appealing food was good and nutritional and plentiful.
Thank you for your lovely comments and recognition of the team at Firtree House. Your mum was a joy to care for. Your comments will be passed on to the team.
We are so grateful for the care that our aunt received during her time at Firtree House. Every single member of staff that we met was kind, helpful and supportive. Nothing was ever too much trouble. During our aunt's final few days, not only did we appreciate the care given to her, but we were overwhelmed by the care and support given to us as well. Our grateful thanks to all concerned.
Thank you, Gill, for your kind words and recognition of the team at Firtree House. We are really sorry for your loss; the care and services we deliver as a team to our residents and families are extremely important to us. Your feedback will be shared with the team.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 04 March 2023Good
- CaringGood
- EffectiveGood
- ResponsiveRequires improvement
- SafeGood
- Well-ledRequires improvement
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 (49) & Events (0)
- 29 May 2026
Care UK’s commitment to supporting residents has been nationally recognised, as the organisation took home the large care provider of the year accolade at the 2026 Care Home Awards. At...
- 29 May 2026
Residents in Care UK homes love getting out and about in nature where they can and, for one Dorset-based home, they’re celebrating World Bee Day with a buzz! Wimborne-based home,...
- 29 May 2026
Colleagues across Care UK are celebrating after being shortlisted in eleven categories at the Stars of Social Care Awards, the most the company has ever been shortlisted in at the...
There are no upcoming events for Firtree House.
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Firtree House.
Meet the Team (1)

Having started as a Care Assistant at Firtree House over 25 years ago, and working my way up to Home Manager, I understand what makes the home tick.
I firmly believe in involving residents and their families in every aspect of life at the home. This approach has ensured the large property has maintained a homely feel.
My Care Team and I work with each resident to develop a personalised care plan, which caters for their specific needs and ensures that residents have choice and control over how their care is delivered.
I am particularly passionate about getting to know residents and their families and feel that having a good understanding of each resident’s background is essential in building a relationship of trust. I always encourage family involvement through a culture of open communication, which has resulted in the calm and friendly atmosphere experienced at Firtree House.
Frequently Asked Questions about Firtree House
What types of Care is Firtree House registered for?
Older Person Care, Dementia are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.
How many Rooms does Firtree House have?
There are 41 Single Rooms.
What are the Facilities & Services at Firtree House?
Own Furniture if required, Pet Friendly (or by arrangement), Close to Local shops, Near Public Transport, Minibus or other transport, Lift, Wheelchair Access, Gardens, Residents Kitchenette, Television point in own room are some of the Facilities & Services.
How far is Firtree House to the centre of Tunbridge Wells?
0.5 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 Firtree House to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Firtree House has an Enhanced Service -more info.