






Garth House Nursing Home is Located in a quiet residential area on the western slopes of Tower Hill, just to the south of Dorking in Surrey.
With a homely atmosphere and highly trained staff available to get to know residents individually offering the highest standards of residential, nursing and dementia care on a permanent and short stay basis.
The home was officially opened in 1949 by the Queen's physician, Lord Harden....
Care Provided by Garth 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 42 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
- Advanced/Complex Dementia
Other Care Provided
- Parkinson's Disease
- Stroke
- Palliative / End of Life Care
- COPD/Pulmonary Disease
- Convalescent Care
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
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
Fees are subject to a pre-admission needs assessment which is required to fully understand the level of care and support required by each individual. Premium rooms normally require an additional charge. Nursing fees include the Funded Nursing Contribution (FNC) if you are eligible.
What’s included?
• All care and support including a monthly review of care plans
• All meals, snacks and drinks freshly prepared every day by our chef
• Access to landscaped gardens
• Activities and lifestyle programme
• All utilities and other accommodation costs
• Housekeeping and laundry services
• WiFi internet access
Please note, the weekly fee does not include hairdressing, chiropody or other healthcare visits or appointments not covered by the NHS, toiletries, newspapers or magazines, any over the counter medications that a GP wouldn’t normally prescribe such as paracetamol and indigestion relief, and any other privately arranged healthcare. Should you require an escort to hospital appointments, we may apply an agreed hourly charge for this service.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Garth House for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Garth 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
- Sheena Agil (Home Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: No
- Last Refurbishment: 1997
Room Information
- Single Rooms (39)
Garth House Reviews (67)
Garth House has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.700) out of 10, based on 19 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Garth House has 67 reviews.
From day one, the care, kindness and professionalism shown by all the staff have been outstanding. Despite the challenges of caring for residents with dementia, everyone is friendly, positive and genuinely caring. Nothing is ever too much trouble.
Communication is excellent. Sheena, the Manager, and Favour, one of the nurses, always keep us informed and contact us promptly if there are any concerns about Dad's wellbeing, which gives us great reassurance.
Whether arranging a haircut, a chiropodist visit or simply answering our questions, everything is handled efficiently and with compassion.
Importantly, Dad is happy, safe and well cared for. We are extremely grateful to the entire team and would have no hesitation in recommending Garth House to other families
We had to make the decision to move mum into a care home after 92 years of independent living after spending 4 weeks in hospital after a fall. We did considerable research and visited 4 homes in Dorking. We are very happy to have chosen Garth House. It has been a difficult transition for us and Garth have made it very easy to manage. The facilities, and staff are excellent with activities everyday.
We were offered a place for mum at very short notice, when she needed respite care. We were apprehensive about what care homes would be like, but infact we were very pleased with Garth House. Her room was tranquil and a good size. She has her meals in an elegant dining room and was with residents in a cosy lounge or sunny conservatory, in her 6 months as a resident. The personal and nursing care was discrete, considerate and highly professional. The activity coordinator was creative and acknowledged each person. The managers and team were attentive and sympathetic.
My mum has a rare progressive neurological illness and she now needs a lot of help but she has been encouraged to join in activities & it's been so lovely to see her up out of bed, dressed and smiling. She really enjoys the music sessions & I love the fact that they come and tell you how her day has been. Having such an illness has robbed her of so much but it's such a relief to know that she is well cared for & that the nurses are there to help with medical issues and the local gp is on hand if needed.
The management team are always friendly, easy to talk to & they address any issues or requests you may have quickly. They have enabled us as a family, to now enjoy quality time with mum.
We're delighted that your mum has settled with us here at Garth House, and that we can give you that precious time with her as a family. Please let us know if there is ever anything else we can do to help. Thank you for taking the time to write us a review - it means a lot to the team.
The staff are all so friendly, welcoming, considerate and respectful. When I visit dad, they always take the time to update me on how he has been, in addition to always calling me if there is even the slightest change or concern. He has had to have a few hospital visits during his stay and the staff have always acted very quickly in these circumstances and kept me informed.
The home itself is lovely and the activities co-ordinator takes great pride in the events and daily activities that are organised. There is a lovely mix of outside entertainment coming in as well as in-house...I particularly enjoy visiting dad when the guitarist comes and I love seeing all the photos of happy (and now familiar) residents in the monthly newsletter.
Whenever one of the staff interact with dad, his eyes light up and a huge smile spreads across his face. That's all I need to see in order to know that he is settled, content and cared for.
What a wonderful review, thank you! Your kind words really mean a lot to the team, and stories like your dad's are why many of the team work in this sector. It is a privilege to be able to care for him, and we are delighted with how quickly he, and your family, became part of life at Garth House. As long as he is happy, we're happy!
Staff are always welcoming, friendly and helpful. He had to move from another care home before Christmas and I was concerned that he would not respond well to this upheaval. He appears however to have settled in pretty seamlessly. He apparently enjoys the arranged activities. Still relatively early days but I am very pleased with his treatment thus far. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We're pleased to hear that he has settled in well following the move and is enjoying the activities on offer. Your reassurance and confidence in the care provided, especially during what can be a challenging transition, are greatly appreciated.
Mum has taken to spending more time in her room but every effort was made to encourage her to join in. We were allowed to decorate mums room to make it more festive.
The staff are always busy but remain cheerful and go out of their way to socialise with the residents and treat them with respect.
Christmas Day mum joined in and had a marvellous meal with the other residents. The tables were laid with Christmas cloths and each person had a cracker and present to open. It was a marvellous day which mum enjoyed.
My family can't thank all the staff enough for making mums Christmas so special.
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your experiences of Garth House. We understand that sometimes these big occasions can be difficult at first for residents and their families, especially where there have been longstanding traditions, but we're glad everyone was able to enjoy Christmas this year. It's a...
I cannot fault the care given to my mum. The staff are all so friendly.
Thank you for sharing such lovely feedback about your experiences at Garth House. We're so pleased you enjoyed the Alzheimer's tea party and the wonderful entertainment on the day. It's heartening to hear that these events, along with our summer BBQ, have created such positive memories for you and...
My husband came to Garth House 12 weeks ago with mixed dementia which he had for a few years. Unfortunately, he was declining rapidly. It took him a while to settle in but has now, and enjoys the activities in the community room (bowls, music, colouring). The staff are very friendly and diligent. The few issues we had are dealt with immediately. He is clean and happy which is very important at this stage in his life. Thank you Garth.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a fantastic review! We're delighted to hear that your husband has settled in and is enjoying the activities at Garth House. The team works exceptionally hard to provide the highest level of care and support at all times, so your recognition means a lot. I will pass on your kind comments to the whole team, who will be delighted to hear your feedback.
The service the Garth House provided for my late mother was outstanding. Her health in particular was catered for 24/7. Care home staff treat family members with respect and friendliness. Nothing too much trouble. Weekly activities including the hair salon every Tuesday was a highlight for mother. Guests always welcome, including our dog who loved to visit.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a fantastic review, Deborah! We're delighted to hear that your mother received such great care at Garth House and that she enjoyed the weekly activities. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that both residents and families feel supported, so it's...
The facilities are good and my mother is contented with the home.
Thank you for your kind words! We're delighted to hear that your mother is receiving such great care and feels content at Garth House. The care and services we deliver as a team to our residents and their loved ones is extremely important to us. I will pass on your wonderful comments to the team.
Thank you Garth for doing so well.
Thank you for your review and positive comments regarding our home and colleagues. We're delighted to hear that your mother is receiving such great care and enjoying the activities at Garth House. I will pass on your kind comments to the team who will be delighted to hear your feedback.
The staff are attentive and polite.
Many thanks for your positive review, Carol. We're happy to hear that your partner is receiving such great care at Garth House. We take great pride in ensuring that every resident is treated with kindness and respect. I will pass on your kind comments to the whole team.
Our mother has been at Garth House for two years and overall we have found it to be a well-run home. The management responds quickly to issues that may arise and the nurses are friendly and our mother has grown attached to them. The care team work hard and look after our mother well - although this care can be patchy. Also, attention to detail is sometimes missing when it comes to the maintenance of our mother's room.
Thank you for your review, Sarah, it's an absolute privilege caring for your mother and we're so glad she has settled in and formed some great relationships. We appreciate you sharing your feedback about the consistency of care and maintenance of her room - your comments will be passed on to our team and addressed accordingly.
My Mother-in-law is happy and contented at Garth House and is well cared for on a day-to-day basis. The nursing/caring and management staff are always friendly and helpful, and are quick to respond to any issues that are brought up. The recent refurbishment has given the care home a new lease of life and now has a much fresher feel. Some of the rooms now need the same attention!
Thank you for your feedback, Christopher, and for your recognition of our team at Garth House. We will share your comments with the team.
My aunt looked well dressed and well cared for and she couldn't speak more highly of the lunch that day, which she thoroughly enjoyed. All the staff were welcoming and friendly although I feel that maybe they are under a bit of pressure occasionally. Regardless, they always speak to the residents with kindness and understanding.
There is a nice atmosphere there.
The garden area is attractive and well-used by residents when the weather permits. I enjoyed the garden party on the day I visited and my aunt enjoyed the setting too.
Thank you for your review, we're glad your aunt is happy and enjoying the food at Garth House. Thank you for joining us for our garden party!
Garth House keeps us informed of any doctor's and optician's visits and of anything that may be required for her health.
My mother seems to have settled in well, especially with her nursing needs.
She is very much cared for by Garth House.
Thank you for your review, we will share your lovely comments with our team.
The staff there look after his every need and are extremely attentive. They know his ways, and as he finds it difficult to express his needs, they are very patient with him. They help him feed and drink, and he is always clean.
I am updated whenever anything changes, and it is very reassuring knowing he is being cared for.
Thank you so much for your feedback, and for recognising our team's dedication, they will be delighted to hear your comments.
My mother has been at Garth House for three years, and during that time, has been well cared for. Her medical needs are well monitored and suitable measures have been taken to maintain her safety - i.e. sensor mat, assistance with walking etc, and her diet is regularly monitored to be of a suitable consistency and quality. I have been kept well informed of changes in her condition. She struggles at times to communicate her wishes consistently but is listened to patiently, and then her wishes are complied with when possible/appropriate. She has been given gentle encouragement to participate in the activities when she wants to, but often tries quickly and requests to go back to her room, and the staff oblige as soon as they can. When particular issues crop up, the staff have been accessible and helpful in dealing with them and have responded to my requests if I have highlighted an area that needs attention. I appreciate being able to visit regularly as convenient.
We really appreciate your feedback, and we're so glad that you're happy with the care your mother receives. Attention to detail is extremely important to our team, and we appreciate being recognised for this.
My mother is well cared for at Garth House and she seems settled there. The staff are coming and attend to all her needs. She is able to converse with the staff and forming a relationship with them. The food seems good but my mother is a difficult eater, I am pleased staff encourage her to eat or feed her. She is always presentable and clean. I have been impressed by the range of activities on offer ad that she is encouraged to partake. Downside; her room looks tired and shabby in places.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, it is lovely to hear that your mother has settled at Garth House. All your feedback will be shared with the team.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 23 September 2022Good
- 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 (61) & 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 Garth House.
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Garth House.
Meet the Team (1)

I lead my professional Care Team in delivering the highest level of care and support for our residents. My commitment to professional development has equipped me well for my role here, where I work hard to ensure that those in my care lead happy and fulfilling lives, whilst maintaining choice over the care and support they receive.
I believe in maintaining strong relationships with residents and their relatives, and understand the important contribution that these relationships make to the successful running of a care home. I feel that the company’s philosophy matches up well with my own beliefs on care provision and I am committed to ensuring that all our residents continue to receive the high levels of care and protection they deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions about Garth House
What types of Care is Garth House registered for?
Older Person Care, Dementia are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.
How many Rooms does Garth House have?
There are 39 Single Rooms.
What are the Facilities & Services at Garth 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 are some of the Facilities & Services.
How far is Garth House to the centre of Dorking?
0.6 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 Garth House to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Garth House has an Enhanced Service -more info.