The Amwell Care Home

Anyone thinking of placing a relative at The Amwell, please ensure you read the last few CQC reports before you do so. The problems are long-standing and have spanned a number of managers. The CQC undertook an unannounced inspection of the Amwell in December 2020 and my relative was deemed 'at risk' by the CQC due to serious failings in his care. The CQC ordered that he be moved to another care home within seven days (period extended slightly due to Covid). I understand that he was not the only resident found to be at risk and a number of residents were apparently also re-homed. He is thriving in his new residence. We are appalled at how badly my father was failed at the Amwell.

Knowing my family member was in this care home was a comfort when they moved in (pre covid). However, since the pandemic, I have nothing but criticism for the management and handling of The Amwell. The last two CQC reports have shown a clear lack of management and unwillingness to change practices, which has been echoed by our experiences with the care home during palliative care. It took our threat of complaints about the care home to act on concerns.

Furthermore, we were told the staff would not be moving between the different floors of the home. The CQC found otherwise. The website still proudly claims they are a care home with "nursing capabilities", this is categorically not true, as there is no RN on sight. It seems clear the care home has been trying to both deceive family members and regulators, this is simply disgusting behaviour.

Please see the recent CQC report. My beloved aunt died after contracting Coronavirus in November. The report leads us to think that this was in no small way due to the terrible lack of training, poor staffing levels and non-existent management of this home. We feel very badly let down. Whilst she was dying, we had a daily battle to get the care she needed from external agencies. We have no issue with individual carers but the terrible lack of management support. Please do not be taken in by the luxury surroundings, this is not a nursing home, there are no qualified nurses. The phrase "all fur coat and no knickers" just about says it all. We currently await a response to our complaint which has been lodged and also nine weeks after her death we are still awaiting a refund for monies taken after she died.

If you are thinking of entrusting the care of a loved one to the Amwell, then I strongly recommend you read the latest CQC report. There is a link to it on their website, see below if you are on the home page. Our very precious and special aunt is no longer with us to speak for herself. Nothing more to add.

We could not be more grateful for the outstanding care and kindness shown to mum during her time at The Amwell - she was such a glamourpuss and the 5-star hotel environment enabled her to be that person as long as she was able. And we were never more so than in her last days on this earth. Separated by Covid and an ocean, the Amwell's incredible staff became in our stead, mum's sons and daughters, affording her dignity and keeping her company and dispensing what I can truly only describe as love. The Amwell saw mum through very many ups and downs, maintaining excellent communication with us and enabling anything that fell within their power to ease an unbelievably difficult situation for us all. In mum's final hours, the deep affection that shone through mum's carers gave us such comfort and helped make what could have been a harrowing and deeply challenging experience into a loving and moving farewell. More to be thankful for than I can ever express. Forever grateful to you all.

I moved my aunt from a nursing home to The Amwell Care Home in February 2020 because I was concerned about standards slipping where she was. As her next of kin and her attorney (Health and Welfare), I pay very close attention to her care, and I chose The Amwell after an extensive review of services near to me.

From the moment she moved in, my aunt was welcomed as a member of the 'family' by her carers, and in the year since, whilst we have been separated by lockdowns, I have been kept up to date with her progress and informed of significant developments in the home. As she approaches her 96th birthday, my aunt looks out on a green landscape with a stream running past and always lots to see. Growing old can be hard, and dementia is so cruel, but I can think of nowhere she would be happier to spend her remaining time.

My mother is always telling us how happy and well looked after she is and cannot speak any higher of the care she has received since moving into the Amwell just over a year ago. My mother always tells us how wonderful and caring all of the staff are and how lucky she feels to be there!

My mother has been a resident for almost a year now and I am extremely happy with her care and quality of life experience each day. She is happy and content, enjoying the privacy of her own room as well as sharing the communal areas with other residents. We love seeing the photos of her joining in with the various activities and we are able to speak to her easily on the phone or Skype using the Amwell’s tablet. We feel as if we have come to know the staff in person, even though we live 600 miles away, who updates us regularly and honestly on her health and well-being, daily activities, diet, emotions and behaviour. We have found all staff to be really friendly and eager to answer our questions or to share advice. In these difficult times of Covid, we take our hats off to them.

My father was a resident at Amwell for 18 months before he passed away in November 2020, aged 93 from the effects of Covid-19. He received excellent care from the hard-working staff and was very happy there. I always had confidence in the staff and was impressed with their devotion to the residents and their genuine affection for them.

My dad was here for around 9 weeks and he was never, ever dressed properly or in his own clothes and he deteriorated so quickly and when he was dying, my daughter and sister went to see him for the last time and were told to leave after a half-hour. The staff were lovely but making some exceptions for some that hadn't got a caring bone in their body. We had big promises from Amwell that my dad would be OK but now I have big regrets leaving him. I have to live with that now. They even threw him in an ambulance with no coat or shoes and socks on and no paperwork. All on his own after three falls in two days. My poor dad, I will never, ever get that last vision of him when I visited him out of my head. He looked like a skeleton, and they said to me he's only lost a kilo. I was gobsmacked.

I would just like to wish all the staff and residents a very big happy Xmas. You all need a big pat on the shoulders for all your hard work, going through covid 19 and for doing a great job looking after our grandad. Since he's been there, I've never seen him so happy. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

After a difficult dementia journey, it was such a relief to find The Amwell for my mum. From day one, they have treated us all as members of the family. They have taken the time and care to get to know my mum as an individual and her needs. Ample staff, exceptional cleanliness and facilities. After visiting multiple facilities, I can't recommend The Amwell highly enough.

My father-in-law lives at The Amwell and he is very happy. The staff go above and beyond to ensure we have regular updates and Skype/telephone calls during this difficult time. The activities are amazing and there is always something for them to do. A* service, thank you Amwell staff.

The Amwell is an amazing place cannot fault the care, the manager is great and looks after residents like they're her family. The staff are always approachable and kept us informed throughout also the amazing activities my grandad has been taking part in gents club which is a wonderful idea - GO TEAM AMWELL.

My mother has been in this home for 1 year. She had a stroke and suffers with diabetes. The staff have been very good at looking after her and making her life as comfortable as they can. I have the utmost respect for all the staff which can be a difficult environment to work in.

I can find no fault in the care given to my dear wife. The staff at Amwell are friendly, supportive and extremely competent - I have no negative feelings at all. The premises are five star plus, the staff know who we are (as family members) when we visit. We can phone and speak to my wife, and we can lunch there (first class). Absolutely no problems!

My mother has been resident in this care home for approx three months, she has always been treated with professionalism and compassion, her regular carer was particularly close to her and was the one that, unfortunately, found my mother dead in her chair in the bedroom. This must have been a shock for her. The Amwell Care Home is as all care home should be, clean bright and accommodating.

Fabulous brand new building with great interior design. Good facilities and lovely staff. The care is good too, but sometimes understaffed. Systems need addressing as there are a few problems but overall we are very pleased to have my father living at The Amwell. Mum is made very welcome when she visits too, which is important to us.

The laundry is also a major problem and needs tackling with urgency. The staff with very few exceptions are pleasant and caring.

Sadly Dad's condition worsened and he became seriously ill and it became more 'when' than 'if'. Throughout his last days and hours, the staff continued to give tremendous support to both him and as importantly to us, his family. I cannot praise the staff enough and hope when my time comes I can go to ' The Amwell' for my final years.