






Holly Cottage is a family-owned residential care home. Both directors have over 30 years of combined experience in specialist care.
It is a home to only 12 people at a time, which benefits from a personal and homelike environment arranged and decorated in a way to reflect a homely feeling, far away from the hospital setting. These qualities increase attention to individual needs and infection control.
The main advantage of...
Care Provided by Holly Cottage
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Learning Disability / Autism
- Mental Health Condition
- Physical Disability
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
- Eating Disorders
- Younger Adults
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- For a maximum of 12 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
- Bariatric Care/Obesity
- Convalescent Care
- Day Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Near Public Transport
- Minibus or other transport
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Residents Kitchenette
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
The given prices are provided as a guide only. As Holly Cottage embrace a Person-Centred approach, the prices are tailored according to the individual’s needs.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Holly Cottage for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Holly Cottage 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)
Good to Know
Owner
- Dons Care Ltd
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Derrick Don(Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 18+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Last Refurbishment: 2025
- Number of floors: 2
Room Information
- Single Rooms (12)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (12)
Visiting
- Anytime visiting policy for friends and family.
Parking
- On-site parking available
Holly Cottage Reviews (8)
Holly Cottage has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.650) out of 10, based on 8 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Holly Cottage has 8 reviews.
Holly Cottage gives my sister a kind and stimulating environment with excellent personal care for her physical needs. She enjoys a range of different activities within Holly Cottage and on trips to local events. The director and her team give their residents and family members a warm and welcoming experience, which has benefitted my sister over the last four years.
Thank you for taking your time to write this review. We value your feedback. Your positive experience and kind words makes all team very happy and appreciated. Big thank you again.
We are happy that our brother's needs and being met, both medically and socially. He is happy, and the staff are all very caring.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback and share your experience with us.
Wonderful care for my sister, such detailed help. Am very happy to recommend.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are grateful for your kind words.
Fun activities. I enjoy coffee mornings. Staff make me laugh and smile.
Thank you for your feedback. We are happy to hear that you are enjoying your activities and getting along with the staff.
Impressive consistent personal care for 65 year od woman with little speech (born deaf) but intelligent and responsive. All staff pay attention to details, from changing properly fitting shoes, ensuring gluten free diet, to stimulating them to arrange activities and outings, including outdoor theatre in July. All materials always available for family celebrations, recognised with cards. Family visits welcomed with little or no notice and the atmosphere is cheerful, bright and warm. Genuine kindness and patience over four years now.
Thank you for your kind words. We couldn't achieve it without your continuous support and deep involvement. Your sister is a pure pleasure and joy to care for. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
My sister-in-law is absolutely thriving after 3 years at Holly Cottage. The excellent care and supportive community allows her to enjoy her life to the fullest. The owner has a trusting, warm and life giving relationship with my sister-in-law whom I've known for 28 years and see her once or twice a year. Her friendships with the other reisents are previous to her and add to the quality of her life.
I can't express my gratitude for your kind words. Your thoughts and experience with Holly Cottage are very important to us. Thank you very much for your lovely feedback.
What a pleasure to be able to give Holly Cottage an awesome review. Our younger sister has been a resident there for 3 years and is positively thriving in the stimulating, caring environment. She is active, engaged, and so well cared for by superb staff. She has many needs with both physical and mental limitations, but her care is well customised. She beams with happiness whenever she returns there after a day with us.
Thank you very much for your lovely review. We are thrilled with your support for your sister despite the ocean keeping you apart.
I was hesitant to explore residential homes for my Uncle, however all of my concerns disappeared when meeting Holly Cottage staff and residents. They have become an extension of our family and I could not be happier with the care that my Uncle receives. Staff take the time to truly get to know residents in order to support them holistically. Management go above and beyond to ensure all needs are met, keep me up to date but I feel 100% confident that any issues are dealt with promptly and they are fantastic advocates for their residents.
Thank you so much for taking the time to review our service; we really appreciate it! It's our absolute pleasure to look after your uncle. We value your feedback and will be sharing it with our team. I wish your family many happy years with us in Holly Cottage.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 12 September 2024Requires improvement
- CaringGood
- EffectiveRequires improvement
- ResponsiveGood
- SafeRequires improvement
- Well-ledRequires improvement
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 Holly Cottage.
There are no upcoming events for Holly Cottage.
Awards / Recognitions (0)
There are currently no awards/recognitions posted yet for Holly Cottage.
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Holly Cottage.
Meet the Team (1)

I am an easy-going and honest person, but I will fight till the end to protect the vulnerable and advocate for them if needed. I love spending time with my Residents, who make me happy and keep me going.
I worked in care since 2011, and I adore it. It is a great privilege to be able to have a positive impact on others' lives.
The privilege is also coming with a high responsibility, that's why I am not only experienced but also well-educated to succeed in my role. I completed a Master’s Degree in Business and Management of European Companies. NVQ in Health and Social Care, Management for Health and Social Care, Accounting, Lean Organisation Management Techniques, Customer Service, Business and Administration, English, Maths and IT. In the meantime, I have become a train-the-trainer for many subjects, like Moving and Handling, Infection Control, Food Hygiene, etc. In 2022, I gained a professional Teaching Qualification, allowing me to deliver any training from the field I am familiar with.
Frequently Asked Questions about Holly Cottage
What types of Care is Holly Cottage registered for?
Older Person Care, Dementia, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health Condition, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Eating Disorders, Younger Adults are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.
How many Rooms does Holly Cottage have?
There are 12 Single Rooms.
What are the Facilities & Services at Holly Cottage?
Own Furniture if required, Pet Friendly (or by arrangement), Near Public Transport, Minibus or other transport, Wheelchair Access, Gardens, Residents Kitchenette, Phone Point in own room, Television point in own room, Residents Internet Access are some of the Facilities & Services.
How far is Holly Cottage to the centre of Dereham?
10.4 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact Holly Cottage to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Holly Cottage has an Enhanced Service -more info.