Abbeyfield Speedwell Court

My mother has dementia and has resided in Speedwell Court since September 2019. During this time she has had falls and turns and is now in end of life care. She has been so well cared for and protected from covid-19 by the dedicated staff. I can’t praise them highly enough. They’ve cared for my mother like she was their own relative. The staff have got her joining in activities wherever possible and the best thing for me is that the Facebook page often shows mum taking part in these and keeps me up to date. I can’t visit as I live in the North of Scotland, 700 miles away. I haven’t seen mum since 5 March last year. It is a load off my mind to know how well she’s being cared for.

Fantastic home from home. Like the room and able to put pictures up and bring in models and music and DVDs. Staff are really helpful and caring (fantastic) and very happy.

From the very first fact-finding phone contact, and experience from an existing resident’s family, there was an obvious depth to the ethos of Speedwell, and there was never a feeling of “a question too small”. Mum moved in early Dec '20, followed by the necessary isolation period, and was free to enjoy Christmas. Although the Covid rules prohibit direct visits, the special visitor room means a completely safe visit can still happen, while being physically separated, a clever arrangement. There are daily activities at the home, and residents are actively encouraged to engage. We are really pleased to see Mum’s pictures in the dedicated social media site; smiles, laughs and a visible change from her previous lifestyle. The Speedwell staff all seem to have a can-do attitude, Mum says there is always someone around when needed, and always friendly. Initially, I thought an 80-resident facility might be too big, but the clever arrangement of 5 households makes a very homely setup.

My father has been at Speedwell Court for three months now. Moving him into a care home during a pandemic was a very tough decision, however, the staff at Speedwell Court made this as seamless as possible for my father. Every time I see him with the care staff he is calm, smiling and you can see he has a connection with them. They have wonderful activities to fill the day and it is absolutely amazing to be updated with photos of how settled he is. I can't thank you enough.

Dad moved into Speedwell Court in July and was welcomed into a truly wonderful community. The care, kindness and attention to detail shown by the staff are quite exceptional. I have full confidence in the team to provide the best possible care for Dad. He settled in remarkably quickly and is benefitting greatly from the comfort, companionship and care he is receiving. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff, and Dad is enjoying participating in the wide-ranging activities on offer. His film premiere will take place after Christmas, and we are so grateful to have helped with this. Our engagement with life at Speedwell is actively encouraged, and we love seeing the many photos shared on Facebook. We are looking forward to being more involved once this becomes possible.

I got a real good feeling from all the staff here when I first checked out several care homes for Mum. Mum has now been living there for six weeks and I couldn't have asked for more. She is superbly looked after and is settling in nicely. Her room now feels like home she tells me, as she has lots of her photo's and memorabilia in there with her. I'm totally happy that we all made the correct choice with Speedwell Court, and feel that Mum now has comfort, companionship and safety which are all so important at her stage in life.

They really do think of everything and orchestrate the mini-communities (houses) really well. We couldn't have picked a better collection of companions for Dad.

Everybody seemed so friendly; more than we could have possibly expected or even hoped for. Having a very shy nature myself, I found it very difficult to appear equally open and friendly and as time passed it got a lot easier. As things went on I became friends with one of the team leaders and she helped me out a lot by finding much of what I said quite funny.

My friend, who suffers from early-onset dementia, moved into Speedwell Court at the beginning of March after a long time of uncertainty and confusion for her. Before lockdown myself and her other friends visited her several times and could see her settling in comfortably. Knowing her to be so well cared for was an immense relief for us during this uncertain time. The home kept us informed and posted weekly pics of residents pursuing activities. All enquiries, big or small, were answered promptly and staff went above and beyond to keep all residents safe. Once allowed to meet while keeping social distance, we could see she looked happy, was chatty, engaged, well dressed and had not lost any weight. Thank you.

They have also managed to keep us up to date with everything and given us access to some wonderful pictures of all the residents.

A special thanks to the staff during the current Covid-19 crisis who are organising web-chats with the residents so we can all keep in contact. It's reassuring to know my Nan is being taken very good care of at a time when we're unable to see her.

Excellent staff and a wonderful place; with cinema -lots to do and keep everyone enjoying themselves.

This is one impressive home in all ways but the most outstanding area is the caring and friendly staff.

I am so glad we found Abbeyfield Speedwell Court. When looking for a place for Mum to live we wanted somewhere she would be looked after and get the help she needed, but still have some independence and freedom. Speedwell achieves exactly that. The staff work very hard to make it your home, nothing is too much trouble. Everything is excellent, the facilities, activities, cleanliness and superb home-cooked food. Everything has been thought of and Mum is very happy living there.

Speedwell Court is like a luxury hotel but it is the dedication, friendliness and quality of the team that make it a very safe and happy home.

My mother moved into Abbeyfield after a very uncertain future and then a referral by a social worker whilst in hospital. Through what has been a stressful and anxious transition for her, she has been made most welcome by all the staff and has settled in much faster than I thought she would. I cannot praise that staff for their dedication and care enough and I now have complete peace of mind that my mum is safe at all times. Her surroundings are clean, luxurious and comfortable and there is a range of fabulous activities offered. She is the most relaxed and happy I have seen her in a long time.

Since my sister has moved in she is very happy and settled, I believe this is due to the excellent care she is receiving. All the staff are very kind and caring and nothing seems too much trouble. The rooms are large and lovely and having the coffee lounge to sit and chat in makes a very comfortable environment.

We would certainly thoroughly recommend Speedwell Court.

Mum is the happiest she has been for a number of years living at Speedwell Court. She feels very safe and comfortable there and is very fond of all the staff and residents. All the staff, whether administrative or carers are really caring towards the residents, and always have time for them. They are all extremely kind and patient. The downstairs cafe is a nice environment to have a coffee when visiting, and the beautiful garden is a lovely safe space.

Staff at all times appeared kind, helpful and considerate, wanting to make life as homely and pleasant as was possible.