





Downlands Nursing Home is a twenty-two single rooms and one double -capacity Hove residential facility with a versatile care portfolio, from a local provider with over two decades of experience in achieving effective daily care packages.
Secluded gardens and homely interiors combine with a friendly team of staff who are keen to ensure that service users are able to achieve an active daily lifestyle, in which they feel respected and able...
Care Provided by Downlands
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Learning Disability / Autism
- Physical Disability
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
- Eating Disorders
- Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 23 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
- Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Downlands for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Downlands 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
- Brighthelm Care
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Grace Mwai(Registered Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Mixed (no single-gender units)
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: No
- Last Refurbishment: 2025
- Number of floors: 3
Room Information
- Single Rooms (21)
- Couples/Companion Rooms (1)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (4)
Visiting
- Open visiting
Parking
- Car park available
Downlands Reviews (52)
Downlands has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.881) out of 10, based on 20 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Downlands has 52 reviews.
Downlands was recommended to me as a suitable place for my husband's care. It includes palliative care/24-hour nursing care. He had a terminal brain tumour. The Manager showed my son around and we chose a room. She took me to the hospital saw my husband and left. She returned later and told me an ambulance would take us out at 3:00 pm and transport us to the home. 2:55 pm the paramedics took us to the ambulance and onto Downlands. She managed in a few hours to get my husband discharged. I would recommend Downlands to anybody and have done so. the staff are second to none. The cleaning and laundry ladies, chef, handyman, all the carers, the nursing staff and local doctors. Wonderful people all of them and bless them all. My husband survived longer than expected because of the exceptional care he received.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provide. It was an honour to care for your beloved husband.
My dad was at Downlands for 6 months he was end of life care. He was treated with respect and dignity by the staff. The food was very nice his room was always clean and tidy, and activities were run most days. The home is well run and the management nurses and care workers were always available to help and answer any concerns. My sister and I are so pleased we chose this home for my dad.
Thank you so much providing a review of the care we provide - really appreciated. It was an honour to care for your Dad.
My husband had been in Downlands Nursing Home from December 2015 when my mum had a stroke in July 2022 and I was fortunate to get her a placement there too. Following the stroke, Mum was confined to a hospital bed and told she would not walk again. Luckily the staff at Downlands could see her flexibility and, when she said she could walk to the toilet, they supported her to try. It wasn’t long before she was able to walk with her frame to the lounge each day. It's never easy for a person with dementia to move to a nursing home but the friendly and attentive staff made sure Mum settled in with their happy faces, the meals she enjoyed, entertainment with other residents in the lounge, and excellent nursing care. Having both my husband and my mum in a nursing home was both upsetting and challenging for me to cope with. I will always be thankful they were in Downlands as the staff there supported me every step of my journey.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provide. It was an honour to care for your dear mum and your beloved husband.
Although my wife was only in the care of Downlands for two and a half days I would like to thank all the staff for their kindness to her and myself while she was there. I was impressed by the quality of the whole experience and in particular the nurse and of course the amazing care. I would recommend it to anyone.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provided to your wife. It was an honour to care for her.
My brother and I would like to provide a very positive review of Downlands and the care provided for our uncle. We were both very close to him as he had always been a very integral part of our family, and to have the knowledge that he was in such good hands was a great relief. The staff were absolutely outstanding and my brother and I have nothing but praise for the way they looked after him. Following a short stay at another home, our uncle was really impressed by the food that was provided at Downlands. The catering staff were always very attentive and happy to make small adjustments to suit him. A particular highlight was the summer party which he really enjoyed, with some great live music and tasty BBQ food. As his health worsened, the nursing staff ensured he was kept comfortable and did not endure any suffering. Overall an excellent care home that we would both fully endorse.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provide - really appreciated. It was an honour to care for your uncle.
My mum thoroughly enjoyed the four and a half months spent in residence at Downlands Care Home. She loved the wonderful staff, food and service that Downlands provided and it was a great relief to myself, family and friends knowing that Mum was very content and in a happy place.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provided to your dear mum. It was an honour to care for her.
I can honestly say that my experience of my mother going into a nursing home was far greater than I ever expected, thanks to her being admitted to Downlands. I have literally only got positive things to say about this place and want to highlight the amazing kindness and positivity of the staff towards all the residents. My mum looked upon it as a five-star hotel break, and that was actually a brilliant way to describe it, with the only real difference being the high level of nursing care that came with it. She would look forward to her delicious home-cooked meals made by the excellent chef and his team. All the staff were unbelievably kind and patient. I found it had a very relaxed atmosphere which had a positive effect on all the residents. Residents were always clean and well-dressed. The staff treated everyone with dignity and respect. Thank you for making Mum’s final days the best they could possibly be.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provide - really appreciated. It was an honour to care for your mum.
My brother and I are so grateful for the excellent care given by Downlands to our dear mother through her final weeks. Without exception the staff team showed unflagging professionalism, respect, kindness and genuine care. Downlands is a happy, welcoming care home. It is well managed, communicates well, recruits and retains excellent people. It is clean and smells good! Highly recommended.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provided to your dear mum. It was an honour to care for her.
My mum spent the last seven months of her life at Downlands and we moved her from another care home that could not meet her needs. Our experience at Downlands could not be more different than her previous care home. At Downlands the staff are welcoming, caring and kind. My mum was very depressed and at times, very difficult to manage, as she was understandably sad about being old and frail and did not want to be in a nursing home. However, the staff tried really hard to find ways to engage my mum and respected her choices while gently encouraging her to engage in the life of the home. My mum died at Downlands and as I work in a hospice I know how important it is to help people live until they die and to have as good a death as possible. The palliative care was faultless. The nurses listened to me and my mum and we worked together to ensure that she was comfortable and her dignity maintained right to the end.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provide - really appreciated. It was an honour to care for your mum.
My family and I have nothing but praise for the manager and staff at Downlands, where my stepdad has been so well cared for during the last four years, he has been so happy there, and we feel that we could not have found a better place for him after his dementia diagnosis. All of the staff were so kind, caring and friendly, and we always received a warm welcome when we visited, and nothing was ever too much trouble. My stepdad enjoyed taking part in the activities that took place and especially enjoyed helping with little jobs in the lovely garden. A special effort was always made on his birthday by the staff, and the wonderful chef always made a lovely cake; this was always very much appreciated. Communication was very good, and we were always informed of any medical issues or appointments. We will be forever grateful to everyone at Downlands for the amazing care that they gave and for looking after my stepdad so well; thank you to you all so much.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provided to your step dad. It was an honour to care for him.
My Mum recently spent 4 weeks at Downlands having been transferred from the Royal Sussex County for palliative care. Downlands had been recommended to me so I was really pleased when coincidentally, my mum was moved to Downlands through CHC fast track. It was a relief to know she was going somewhere that had already been given such a glowing report by someone I knew with personal experience of the home. The communication from the manager was excellent at all times, even before my mum moved in. My Mum was very complimentary about the home, telling me the staff were very good, friendly and kind and how she was enjoying the food! The home always looked and smelt clean and fresh and mum was always clean and well presented when I visited. When she reached the last week of her life, again, the staff were brilliant with Mum and myself making sure I knew what was going on and offering support and keeping mum comfortable right up to the very end.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provide - really appreciated. It was an honour to care for your mum.
Mum was at Downlands for over two years and was transferred there as she needed more care than her previous home could give her. From the moment she moved in she was happy and so were my brother and I. Every single time we visited, which was often, Mum was dressed, clean, hair brushed, nails done and perfume on! She was smiling and was engaging and enjoying herself with the staff and the other residents. It was the most social we had seen her in years! We were always made welcome at any time and looked forward to chatting to the staff about what Mum had been up to. She had trips out, games, exercise and most memorably the Christmas parties and summer BBQs where an Elvis impersonator came along and sang to them whilst holding their hands. We have so many great memories of time spent there with Mum. I cannot stress enough how wonderful it was knowing and trusting in the staff and their care for Mum and their care for my family too when the end came.
Thank you for the kind feedback about the care we provide at Downlands. It was an honour to look after your mum.
Downlands is truly a special place and we feel so lucky that we found it for our mum. It is welcoming, warm and very friendly and is extremely well managed. Without exception, every member of staff we met was unfailingly kind, caring, considerate, respectful and professional. Mum was beautifully looked after there and we are very grateful to everybody there who helped that happen.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review of the care we provide - really appreciated. It was an honour to care for your mum.
The manager and team were very respectful and kind to my mother and me. They worked tirelessly and checked that my mother was comfortable continually. Any request was dealt with quickly. I cannot make a comment on the activities as my mother was too ill to take part and I was not involved. The staff were wonderful, thank you. Also, visiting was always easy and the welcome perfect.
Thank you for your kind review. It was an honour to look after your mother.
I would recommend Downlands without hesitation.
My mother was cared for in a kind, considerate way. The doctor was called when necessary. All care was taken to keep her comfortable. A member of staff looked in on her regularly when she rested in her room. The staff always explained to her what they were doing, for example taking blood pressure. They helped feed her when she was unable. The staff were very approachable with any requests. A lovely safe environment.
Mum was moved into Downlands after a brief stay in hospital. From the very beginning, the staff were very friendly and informative. I always felt mum was being cared for really well and had no concerns regarding her wellbeing. I am thankful that the staff were so kind to us all at the end.
The care and compassion I have received has been second to none. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff and the family atmosphere they have created is exceptional.
I was sceptical when I looked around when they stated it was like one big family. I was proved completely wrong. The staff are well led by an excellent manager. Communication has been excellent. Medical intervention/referrals when necessary have been swift and appropriate and we have been kept well informed. The home was swift to respond to the Covid regulations and have made a fantastic effort to allow visiting when it could be safely executed. My mother-in-law has been very happy whilst there and that has been a great comfort to us as a family during these long periods of isolation.
The decor may not be the best but that is easily surpassed by the high-quality care given.
I have worked in many homes over the years in a medical capacity and this is one of the very few I would highly recommend.
Our Father was transferred from hospital to Downlands in November 2020 for end of life care and we were so grateful for the respect, kindness, compassion and professionalism that the dedicated team gave to Dad. Although we were all going through the COVID-19 constraints and lockdown we were kept informed of everything happening and we were able to telephone each day for an update and chat and never made to feel it was a problem. Thank you to all the staff.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 04 September 2018Good
- 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 Downlands.
There are no upcoming events for Downlands.
Awards / Recognitions (0)
There are currently no awards/recognitions posted yet for Downlands.
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Downlands.
Meet the Team (0)
There are no Team Members posted yet.
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact Downlands to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Downlands has an Enhanced Service -more info.