Old Wall Cottage Nursing Home

My uncle went downhill very quickly during the pandemic, and it was a trying time for our family. He became a resident at Old Wall Cottage who gave him individually tailored and compassionate care. They engaged him and helped him join activities where he was able to. They got him out in the sunshine to spend time with friends. I was particularly impressed by one person who got to know my uncle and did everything he could to make him comfortable in the challenging circumstances we have all been faced with. Furthermore, although care is very much centred on each resident, he and the team also extend their compassion to family and friends of the residents.

My mum does not have dementia and the majority of other residents do so she is treated the same. I feel she needs stimulation as she has an active mind. Also, she is very frail and gets handled roughly at times, lots of bruises appear and it is hard to know how this happens. She cannot always understand the carers and gets frustrated. She misses our visits and personal care, which have been limited due to Covid-19.

Very pleased with mums care in the home. The staff and manager are kind, caring and always have time to answer any questions you may have. Mum is happy, and that makes me happy. The staff are very caring towards my mum and always have a fun element day. Excellent, thank you.

Due to current conditions, I have not been able to enter the home so cannot complete the options below. But I feel that my husband is being well looked after.

All the staff and management are very friendly and helpful. I'm happy they are looking after my husband.

My aunt is taken care of with love and care.

Very pleased with the care my father is receiving. The staff are wonderful and very caring. My father has come on leaps and bound since being there and is very happy. The staff and management have made it very easy to arrange visits to see him. Overall, we ate very happy and highly recommend.

My dad has been here for over 8-weeks now, we are very happy with the care he is receiving. The staff are wonderful and very accommodating, nothing is too much trouble for them. We are informed regularly and are able to visit Dad either outside his window, or they sit him by the patio doors, and we sit 2-metres away. My dad is well cared for by genuine people and is kept clean and comfortable. We are extremely happy and know that is getting the best care.

The final straw was that on the day my father died, I told the Manager that I would come to collect my father's belongings later that week. Within two days, they told me they had "misplaced" them. Two days after that they said they had been thrown away...they thought. A suitcase with my father's name in black marker pen, clothes, shaver, personal photos and correspondence, all gone. Disgraceful and disrespectful.

Social services helped to put both my parents into the same nursing home literally a day before the lockdown when they suffered some falls at home. We had to make a decision to move them in without seeing the property and just by meeting the manager who came to see us at their home. It was a leap of faith, all done because we felt the manager had the right qualities, always asking about my parents and their preferences. We moved them into the home that afternoon. I should not have worried. I have seen so much caring and kindness in that home. It is clear that the needs of the residents come before anything. Sadly my mother passed recently but my father and I couldn't have been treated with more consideration at such a sad time. The carers keep me updated on my father and how he is doing and encourage him to live life to the full (as much as possible at 93!). It is a happy home and I can't recommend it more highly.

I travel to Old Wall Cottage by train from Reading and my Brother in Law drives me from Deepdene to the care home. I love my day set aside for visiting my sister as the staff recognise me and I like to spend time talking to other residents too. The home is in beautiful countryside and I often wheel my sister into the gardens. Nothing is too much trouble for the hard-working, kind and thoughtful staff. I am always offered tea and never made to feel in the way. I go home happy and calm knowing my sister is safe and loved.

Following a period in hospital it was realised that my brother-in-law would not be able to return to living by himself in sheltered accommodation. It was for this reason that social services arranged for him to be transferred to Old Wall Cottage. I was extremely concerned about how he would be able to adapt to residential care home living as he had a strong character and had a tendency to be quick to criticise. However, I should not have had any worries as my brother-in-law settled in very quickly and during his 10-month-stay until he sadly passed away in January 2020, he was always very complimentary about the food and the care/kindness given to him by all of the staff. In fact, on many occasions, he went out of his way to tell me that everything about the home was first-class.

My dad has been at this Care home for just over a week, I am so grateful to all the staff. My wife and I are quite pedantic when it comes to cleanliness. This place is on the way up, the people that work there are so helpful, kind and caring. They go the extra mile. I only wish this place success and that it becomes a shining example to what other care homes should be doing. Thank you.

This home has recently changed ownership and little money has been spent before the sale, therefore the overall standard requires improvement. Mum is funded by Social Services, therefore the room is satisfactory. Facilities are currently satisfactory, but the new owners are already making improvements. Cleanliness is good, however, old flooring and shabby decor makes cleaning a challenge. In places, there are very narrow corridors with blind, right-angle, bends making moving around very slightly unsafe. Security appears excellent. I cannot recommend this home any more highly. The staff are genuinely caring, both to the residents and to their relatives, they talk to and say please and thank you to the residents and have endless patience. The food is excellent, including choices. The new owners are spending money on many different improvements and have more plans for the future. My parents celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in October. The home made wall decorations and a special cake was baked and personally decorated for my parents. Tea was served with a beautiful bone china tea service with fresh flowers on the table. There was no charge to us.

My father has lived at Old Wall Cottage for 22 months and has always been treated with kindness and respect. The staff are very caring in their approach to care for the residents and their relatives.

My wife settled in well and was extremely well cared for and happy. It is with a heavy heart I am now looking at alternative homes for my wife as after a change in home manager, nearly all of the permanent staff have left or are leaving and the home is now predominantly staffed by agency who are unfamiliar with my wife and those who live there.

I cannot say how much of a relief it has been to have my father moved to a home that is so caring and pleasant. I truly feel very lucky and am eternally grateful to the great staff for caring for my dad.

My friend has been in 2 previous care homes. Since moving here she has been much better cared for, the building is safer and the staff are kind and cheerful.

Although Old Wall Cottage is some 12 miles away it has been worth going the extra mile to get the care and attention I wanted for my wife. I like to visit every other day or so and always find the staff welcoming and friendly.

Staff's attitude to clients and visitors is warm and welcoming. They have patience and understanding of clients' needs and conditions. The home itself is warm and comfortable. The food appears a healthy diet and suitable for individual's needs. Little things such as birthdays appear to be acknowledged in some way with all the clients eg a birthday cake.