






From the moment you arrive at St Monica Trust's The Garden House, you’ll feel surrounded by warmth and kindness.
Located in a sheltered spot in the magnificent grounds of the Cote Lane retirement community, this thoughtfully designed nursing and specialist dementia care home is a place where life is truly celebrated.
Your comfort and contentment come first and whether it’s taking a bit of you time or engaging in activities,...
Care Provided by Garden House
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Physical Disability
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 102 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
- Palliative / End of Life Care
- Convalescent Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Smoking not permitted
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Minibus or other transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Residents Kitchenette
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
We do accept third-party top-up fees in certain circumstances. Each of our homes has an agreed number of placements available at the local authority rate. Where these placements are fully occupied, a third-party top-up may be requested to secure a placement until a local authority-funded bed becomes available. Our team will always discuss this fully and transparently with prospective residents and their families.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Garden House for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Garden 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
- St Monica Trust
- Voluntary / Not for Profit Owned
Person in charge
- Laura Gilyeat(Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Last Refurbishment: 2014
Room Information
- Single Rooms (94)
- Couples/Companion Rooms (4)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (94)
Visiting
- Visiting is available in line with government guidelines.
Parking
- Free parking is available.
Garden House Reviews (42)
Garden House has a Review Score of 8.7 (8.687) out of 10, based on 7 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Garden House has 42 reviews.
The staff and management are helpful, knowledgeable, polite, kind, supportive and willing, despite being busy and short staffed.
Thank you for your lovely review. Our team are incredibly passionate about their roles, and it’s excellent to see that this is felt by the relatives of our residents too! We would like to reassure you that whilst it may appear that staffing has been less plentiful than normal, everything is safe, and we are not short of staff. I will pass your lovely words on to the team.
Dad had lost his appetite, but when he turned down food, the staff didn't just take that at face value, they took the time to make suggestions of what might tempt him, and to help him eat. They gave him the impression they had plenty of time (though I know they must have been busy).
When we arrived, the staff didn't overwhelm us with information (I think they recognised the family were tired, worried and stressed) but later, when we were ready, they made time to sit and talk to us.
I have told my children that if I ever need significant care, I would be happy to be in the Garden House.
Covid restrictions limited visiting, but I appreciated staff efforts to facilitate residents and family meetings, yet stay within the government guidelines. We met in the gardens whatever the weather – several outdoor shelters were put in place for this.
When her health deteriorated, all staff – the nurses and carers, the activities staff, chaplaincy, catering and admin staff - showed much kindness and loving care towards my mother, especially near the end. Thank you.
We are so sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review – it’s really appreciated and we’re so glad to hear that you were happy with the care provided to your mother. We are honoured to have met her, she was a wonderful woman who, as you say, got involved in all of...
My wife has been in the dementia care unit (Sundials) in Garden House for the past nine months. Settling in was not an easy process but the help which we both received from the administrative, medical and nursing staff enabled the transmission to go as well and sympathetically as possible. Now, after nine months, she is as contented as her dementia allows, and this is due to the excellent carers who treat her with outstanding compassion and who always seem to remain cheerful under demanding circumstances. I cannot fault them. The accommodation is good, well equipped and always clean. The food is of a very high standard and attention is given to her personal tastes and desires. She is always clean, dressed with care and her dignity maintained. The ancillary staff who clean and serve are equally friendly and cheerful, suggesting a happy, well-managed workplace. I too am happy to see and know that she is well cared for given her sad circumstances.
Thank you for writing this wonderful review – we’re so glad to hear that your wife has settled in well with us since she arrived and it makes us incredibly happy to know that you feel safe with her in our care. Our teams work very hard to make the difficult process a little easier and we’re...
High-class facility set in beautiful grounds. Professional, attentive and friendly staff available at all times. Competent management. Strict Covid procedures, rigorously enforced.
Many thanks for the wonderful review. The team at The Garden House care deeply about providing the very best care to our residents, and we’re pleased that is apparent. Our aim throughout the pandemic has been to keep our residents safe, and it’s good to hear feedback that our COVID procedures are well-received. We will pass your message on to the team.
I received a lot of help and support from the Garden House in my efforts to secure a place for my mum in difficult and trying circumstances. This consideration and kind approach has continued throughout the six months that my mum has been a resident. The staff are lovely to deal with, and I feel they are doing everything that can to look after my mum and give her the 24/7 care that she needs. Given that home is not a possibility, I believe the Garden House is the best home from home there could be.
Thank you for your lovely review. It has been a pleasure to be a home-from-home for your mother over the past 6-months, and it’s wonderful to hear that you are both happy with the care being provided to her. I will pass your kind words on to the team.
The staff, needless to say, are dedicated and very kind. I imagine that's the case for the vast majority of nursing homes. But it was very important in the last year because we couldn't visit. Trusting that she would continue to be helped with care and dignity, to the end, was really comforting. I recommend Garden House without reservation.
Thank you for leaving such a wonderful review. We're so sorry for your loss. Caring for your grandmother was a pleasure. We are so happy that we were able to provide her with a safe and comfortable home, and yourself with peace of mind during what can be a stressful time. Your lovely words will be passed on to our team.
My Mum entered the Garden House two and a half years ago painfully thin, declaring she would never be happy again. Six weeks later, she was attending every activity going (Sherry and stretch being her favourite), she quickly gained a stone in weight and achieved a quality of life we never dreamt possible at her age. She sadly had primary progressive aphasia which meant over the following two years she slowly lost her ability to speak and this is where the Garden House staff were so amazing. She was always assigned staff who knew her, they had a highly detailed care plan so she was looked after in the way that she liked and they were superb at anticipating her needs. The staff from nurses to carers, to caterers to cleaners, were all so incredibly kind and respectful. Every day they dressed Mum beautifully with her pearls and earrings and she always looked immaculate which was very important to her. I cannot praise the Garden House staff and management enough.
Thank you for your kind words, I will pass these on to the team. All of us here cared deeply for your wonderful mother and it is lovely to hear that we were able to make such a difference to her quality of life.
Mum spent a wonderful two years in the Garden House. For her it was a caring family with which to spend her final years. Mum was welcomed, encouraged, nurtured and cared for to a very high standard. Her quality of life was consistently enhanced by the way the staff team adapted to her needs as her faculties diminished. She enjoyed mealtimes, she was constantly taking part in the social programmes, she was very fond of all the staff in all their different roles - and they were fond of her. Mum's spiritual needs were carefully looked after by the chaplaincy team. I would thoroughly recommend St Monica Garden House as a care home of the highest quality.
Thank you for this lovely review which acknowledges teamwork across all the staff groups keeping our residents at the centre of our care delivery. We also enjoy supporting our resident's families throughout their loved ones stay at the Garden House. This review is very much appreciated and I look forward to sharing it with the teams across the home.
St Monica's is the best home in Bristol, from my knowledge and experience of sheltered housing and especially the dementia unit I would put it first in any list for loved ones. Prompt introduction of Covid testing for some visitors means everyone is safe and confident. I love St Monica's and all the staff.
Garden House is the nearest thing to heaven on earth. All my needs are met. I am very happy that I am reasonably free to meet with others, otherwise, we'd be isolated which is not good for anyone. I put all staff on a pedestal, their kindness itself, and treat me with the utmost respect. I like their sense of humour. The house is beautifully run and led brilliantly. Activities keep my brain ticking over, and spiritual needs are looked after.
After many months of hospital stays my husband was given a place at Cedar in the Garden House. He had a lovely room and felt more at home. The kindness and care were exceptional during his last week of life he was looked after night and day even to calming music on his iPad. We were given updates and had help and information when we needed it. No one could have done more. Thank you so much.
Please look beyond the fixtures, fittings and gardens. Care should be given by compassionate, well-trained staff when caring for residents at the end of their life. My Mum had a really bad death with very poor personal care and little or no medical care to reduce her emotional and physical pain. Relatives have been unable to put homes under the normal scrutiny during the Covid crisis, but what I did see on the last day of my mum’s life was a dirty room, a Mum who looked uncared for and staff who were defensive and uncaring. Please don’t let your loved ones suffer the same fate.
The first thoughts of the Trust and of the staff at the Garden House are of compassion towards a family member who has lost a beloved mother. For this loss to take place during the Coronavirus pandemic, which prevented the family from having open visiting at a time when she was approaching the...
As well as her intellectual needs her spiritual needs are also met. Having spiritual leaders visiting and enabling Mum to worship in a community is amazing and fulfilling for her.
The leadership team and staff have worked so hard to ensure we can visit our relatives during lockdown which has been incredible. Life would be bleak without being able to see our loved ones so Thank you. You have worked creatively to find solutions and ways for us to visit safely. It means the world to be able to stay connected.
Thank you so much for your review - I'm so glad that your Mum is happy at Garden House and that she is flourishing. We'll make sure your comments are passed on to everyone on the team. Best wishes from all at the St Monica Trust.
I have been a resident since December 2001 and more recently the care home seems to be struggling to attract staff both in a care capacity and food service. They take a lot longer to respond to call bells and then answer and go away again. The quality of the food has also diminished both in choice and appearance. I find I don't see people much throughout the day now as there are not as many staff.
Thank you so much for your review - we really appreciate your feedback. Please be assured that the care home manager is working with staff to address the issues you have raised and that we, as an organisation, are committed to continuous improvement. Thank you again.
I can't think of a more beautiful, welcoming care home. Thanks to all the staff. Keep up your wonderful work.
2 sittings for lunch. I go to first and I, therefore, know no one who attends second lunch. I am profoundly deaf which means I (despite my hearing aids) feel very cut off as I cannot engage in friendly talk (as when I came here). Cleaner very good, helpful and friendly. Dinner staff excellent and very helpful. I feel very cut off being so deaf, but there we go. I am used to it now and thank God I can still read I have a 10/10 person who brings up books from the library.
My mother aged 94 moved into Garden House in September 2017 following two spells in hospital. The staff have been wonderful. She is treated as an individual, never patronising. They get to know her as a person and the family could not be better reassured that she is safe, cared for, well nourished and has appropriate stimulation through activities. The level of personal hygiene is excellent. We cannot recommend St Monica Trust too highly.
I am very pleased with the care my aunt has received over the years at the Garden House, St Monica, especially in the past year when my aunt has lost 100% of her mobility. I am confident and believe that she receives very good care. The caring staff and medical staff work as a team very successfully. They are very friendly to residents and visitors alike.
The Sun Dials at the Garden House is an amazing place. The staff are very caring and very committed to the residents they look after. They work well as a team and nothing is too much trouble. My father in law is always clean, tidy, well fed and comfortable and as socialised as he allows. It is an excellent facility, I'm sure the best of it's kind to be found anywhere. Food is great as is care, safety and the way the staff treat the residents with love, compassion, humour and laughter.
Thank you very much for your kind words, I shall pass them all on to the team.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 03 August 2023Good
- 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 Garden House.
There are no upcoming events for Garden House.
Awards / Recognitions (1)
- 03 Sep 2020Recipient: St Monica Trust
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Garden House.
Meet the Team (4)

I have been the Care Home Manager of the Garden House for 5 years and was the Deputy Lead at the home prior to this.
Alongside my nurse registration, I was proud to achieve a degree in 2016. I also hold health and safety qualifications and have completed several nursing courses related to teaching. I have had a long nursing career that has included working in Africa in disability and elderly rehabilitation, which feels like a very long time ago now!
My favourite part of my job is working with residents and their families at a time of their life when they need our help and ensuring the move to our care home is smooth, whilst recognizing the huge change that it is. I am also incredibly proud of my team and really enjoy seeing staff develop and grow both personally and within their careers.
Outside of work I sing in a choir and am an active Rotarian.

I have been working for St Monica Trust for eight years since 2016, initially as a Registered Nurse then progressing to a Lead Nurse, and now in my current role as Social Care Deputy Manager. I have responsibility for the Garden House Dementia Unit ‘Sundials’, as well as the home’s Well-being Team who support residents with all aspects of social care from larger social events to individual one-to-one sessions.
Over the years I earned a degree in psychology and my main interest and passion is promoting the residents’ well-being from different angles.
I love spending time with the residents, listening to them and building relationships of trust.
My favourite part of my job is seeing people flourish, express their full potential, and contribute to our amazing Garden House community. I feel lucky to work in such a beautiful and vibrant setting. Book a tour with us and see for yourself!

I initially worked at the Garden House as an agency nurse and was impressed by the excellent care provided by the home, therefore when the position of Deputy Manager became available at the start of the pandemic in 2020 I applied and was successful. My current role is now Clinical Deputy Manager.
I have wide experience in the care of the older person and the impact ageing and ill health have on the residents. I am passionate about promoting high standards of clinical care and practice and as the Clinical Deputy, the support and development of our junior nursing colleagues. With a specific interest in learning, I support the placement of nursing students from UWE. Also, as a home, our team has successfully seen in-house staff complete Nursing Associate training and become Registered Nursing Associates, with ongoing training seeing one member of staff’s continued development to become a Registered Nurse.
I am proud that we work with residents with a wide variety of very complex needs with support being provided to the residents, families and the staff teams.

I initially joined the Garden House team in 2014 as an Administration Manager with many years of management experience. During the last 10 years I became Business Manager and following organisational restructure in 2022 I became the home's Business Deputy Manager.
I have responsibility for administration functions within the home as well as the Resident Support Assistant team who provide delivery of catering and housekeeping services for our residents. I also work closely with the Trust's facilities team to support the day-to-day running of the home. Alongside the General Manager, I enjoy helping residents and their families as they navigate the moving-in process to achieve a smooth transition into our community.
Daily conversations with our residents are the highlight of each day and gives me an opportunity to listen to their feedback and for this contribution to influence decisions around the home that they share. Having previously worked in the corporate sector, this role provides a different level of satisfaction to know that the work we do directly impacts the experience of residents who have chosen the Garden House as their home.
Since becoming Business Deputy Manager I have been supported by the Trust to attain further qualifications in Leadership & Management. I aim to provide high standards in all aspects of the services we provide and look to ensure this ethos is shared by the wider Garden House team.
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