
Everyone is so warm and welcoming, and everyone who visits is really impressedJem D(Husband of Resident/Service User)

The way in which he was admitted, cared for and encouraged has been fantastic.Mark P(Son of Resident/Service User)

A clean, modern, friendly environment with pleasant, capable staff and positive atmosphereNatasha B(Granddaughter of Resident/Service User)

Everyone is so warm and welcoming, and everyone who visits is really impressedJem D(Husband of Resident/Service User)

The way in which he was admitted, cared for and encouraged has been fantastic.Mark P(Son of Resident/Service User)

A clean, modern, friendly environment with pleasant, capable staff and positive atmosphereNatasha B(Granddaughter of Resident/Service User)

The Orchard Nursing Home is located in a quiet residential area of St Albans, a calm and welcoming setting for residents. This purpose-built care home features bright and modern interiors, beautifully landscaped gardens and a range of thoughtfully designed spaces for comfort and relaxation.
Highly trained staff are available to get to know residents individually, offering the highest standards of residential, nursing and dementia care on a permanent and short stay...
Care Provided by The Orchard Nursing Home
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Physical Disability
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
- Younger Adults
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 63 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
- 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
- Bar/Café
- Phone Point in own room
- 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 The Orchard Nursing Home for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact The Orchard Nursing Home 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
- Caring Homes Group
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Dumitru Varzaru(Home Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 40+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Last Refurbishment: 2013
- Number of floors: 3
Room Information
- Single Rooms (63)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (63)
Visiting
- Visitors welcome at any time, but The Orchard Nursing Home would encourage visitors to call in advance to ensure that any specific arrangements can be met.
Parking
- The home has its own car park for visitors.
The Orchard Nursing Home Reviews (114)
The Orchard Nursing Home has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.689) out of 10, based on 24 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Orchard Nursing Home has 114 reviews.
Very good on the whole. Mum found early morning difficult as she often wakes around 6.30am but has not got up until 9.30. She found the staff friendly, kind and helpful as did we.
As of Friday 25th May to date my father's dentures have been mislaid!
The health and wellbeing of our residents is our absolutely priority and we work hard to ensure the correct number of carers are here for every shift. We are in contact with this family regarding the resident’s dentures and have arranged for a dentist to come in and replace them. Our home manager’s door is always open if relatives or residents have anything to discuss with them now or in the future.
Safety and security is very good.
My mum has been in The Orchard for 8 months and she has been well looked after generally. However, we are disappointed with her teeth cleaning, putting in her hearing aids and lack of notification of her personal needs like when toiletries run out. Staff seem very busy, in particular, the nurses and this will become more of a problem when spaces are filled. More communication needed. The recent CQC report of management was disappointing.
We are delighted to hear that your mother has settled in at The Orchard and is being well looked after at our home. The health and wellbeing of our residents is always our first priority and we work hard with relatives and residents to make sure all care needs are met using the key worker system....
My mother has fairly advanced dementia and has been at the Orchard for nearly two years. The home is clean, light and brightly furnished, with a pleasant garden full of flowers. The manager is friendly and approachable. Most importantly, the staff are kind and patient with the residents. I am confident Mum is being looked after well and would have no hesitation in recommending the home.
We are very pleased with the level of care and the quality of the full-time staff. It is now great that we have a permanent manager who appears to be very experienced and extremely approachable. After the refurbishment of the ground and first floor to a high standard, it is disappointing that there is no plan to refurbish the second floor which is now looking a little tired.
Very pleased and can recommend.
At Caring Homes we take feedback from our residents and their families very seriously and we are delighted to hear that this resident has gained weight and is enjoying life at The Orchard Nursing Home. We are always pleased when families are happy with the care received and would feel able to...
As we live in Canada and were able to visit just three times during our stay I do not feel qualified to answer all questions. We did find the staff caring and helpful. Our dear resident became more her old self by our third visit and we happily went down memory lane together. We found the facility clean, her room as well. Several staff members showed interest in our being there and asked questions. We leave for home today feeling reassured of our dear friends care.
Staff are caring and courteous. Initial concerns have been addressed and facilities considerably improved.
My family were looking for home who could offer my Mother daycare as she has advanced alzheimers. First impressions of The Orchard were excellent. The home is modern, clean and felt very welcoming. Friends had already reassured us that the home was good. I had visited other homes but my brother and I both immediately felt that The Orchard was right for my Mother. She has attended the home since June 2016 and my family and friends have really noticed an improvement with my Mother. She is happy to attend the home and is extremely well cared for by the warm-hearted staff.
A very clean and tidy nursing home and were pleased that my aunt spent her last stages of Alzheimer's and was clearly a little upset by the move, but soon began to settle in. We were told she was not eating or drinking, but this was something she had not done for a very long time, we were not surprised. We found the staff confident and caring. The nature of the disease means patients walk around on the floor and lot and it's hard to stop them walking into rooms that are not their own.
Over years this is the third member of our family to be in The Orchard and we have no complaints.
Outstanding care since my dad's admission in October 2013 to date. Despite change of ownership of the care home standards have maintained and improved. I have been impressed by the standard of care and support by all staff not only to my dad but our family as well in this difficult time. I would highly recommend this home to friends and relatives.
The Orchard care home and all the staff are amazing. My Aunt was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour last November. She had an operation and Radio Therapy to give her a bit more time but sadly rapidly deteriorated towards the end of June this year where she was hospitalised for 3 weeks. I decided I wanted her out of hospital and somewhere where I was confident she would get 24 hour care that was a "home from home" and that's exactly what we got. I viewed the home on my own and was shown all the rooms available and all the facilities on offer. I met the manager who was wonderfully supportive through this very emotional time and reserved my Aunts room with her there and then. This was the first home on a list of others I was due to view but I was so confident and overwhelmed by how lovely it was and it just felt right. We talked daily, chasing paperwork and hospital tests and finally got my Aunt into her room on The 8th of July. She had her Jazz music playing and was surrounded by photos of her loved ones and fresh flowers. Her key worker and Nurse washed and changed her and got her comfortable and settled straight away. We kissed her goodbye and told her we would see her tomorrow and felt confident that she was happy and relaxed. Sadly just as we arrived home (an hour away) we got a call to say that we better come back. My Beautiful Aunt slipped away 10 minutes after that call was made. When we arrived back to the home the manager greeted us at the door and told us the bad news. We got to see my Aunt who looked so peaceful and finally at rest and still listening to her Jazz music. We were offered plenty of shoulders to cry on and cups of tea. I really couldn't have wished for a better ending to my Aunts wonderful life and I know she couldn't have either. The manager was amazing from start to finish and listened to my wishes all the way through and I felt that my Aunt was in the best hands (apart from mine, obviously) thank you so much to everyone at The Orchards, a truly wonderful place. Rosie x
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 01 August 2019Good
- 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 (2) & Events (0)
- 17 Sep 2025
We are proud to be in partnership with Therapy on Thames whose expert physiotherapists use our onsite specialist physiotherapy room and equipment to support residents needing physio after a fall...
- 22 May 2025
Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of progressive neurological conditions that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday tasks. It is most associated with Alzheimer’s...
There are no upcoming events for The Orchard Nursing Home.
Awards / Recognitions (13)
- 30 Jan 2026Recipient: Caring Homes Group
- 31 Jan 2025Recipient: Caring Homes Group
- 31 Jan 2024Recipient: Caring Homes Group
Meet the Team (3)

As the Home Manager, I believe that our residents should be treated with the highest quality of care possible and I have the responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents. I lead by example and involve myself in the day-to-day life of the home as well as making The Orchard a happy and enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Our carers and nurses are highly skilled, with qualifications to manage all types of care, including residential, nursing and dementia. Within each team, we’re able to offer specialist care for complex conditions.
I bring a wealth of clinical expertise and compassionate leadership, supporting high-quality care and ensuring residents at The Orchard feel safe, respected and well looked after every day.

I support families from the first enquiry, offering guidance, reassurance and a warm welcome to help make choosing care at The Orchard feel easier and informed.
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact The Orchard Nursing Home to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. The Orchard Nursing Home has an Enhanced Service -more info.