






The Russets is adjacent to the award-winning Sandford Station retirement village, situated in Sandford, North Somerset - an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Owned and managed by the established south west charity, the St Monica Trust, each element of the development has been carefully designed with the needs of older people in mind.
The Russets, which featured in the Guardian newspaper and scooped 'the most innovative new dementia project in the...
Care Provided by The Russets
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Physical Disability
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 105 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
Facilities
- Minibus or other transport
- Wheelchair Access
- Ground Floor Accommodation only
- Gardens
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
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 The Russets for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact The Russets 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
- Jo Bray (Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Number of floors: 1
Room Information
- Single Rooms (105)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (105)
Visiting
- Visiting is available in line with government guidelines. Details can be found on the website.
Parking
- Plenty of free parking is usually available.
The Russets Reviews (33)
The Russets has a Review Score of 9.0 (8.975) out of 10, based on 8 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Russets has 33 reviews.
My wife has been extremely well cared for and supported during her brief stay here since December 2022. The carers are attentive, friendly and very professional. The environment is relaxed but efficient. The food is great. The administration could be more responsive and efficient. The cost of this care home (with nursing) is high whilst staff are paid insufficiently for what they do.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for The Russets Care Home. We are pleased to hear that you are happy with the care we have provided to your wife during her stay with us, your kind words will be shared with the care team. We value all feedback and will take your comments on board. If you wish to discuss anything further, please do reach out to us.
My father has been in Crispin since November 2017 and despite a traumatic start, (he had to be sectioned), he has settled in and, as much as he can, enjoys life. He has always had the most fantastic care from the staff, most of whom, are still there four years on. They make the best of his life and work very hard to give him the best quality experience that is possible. And during covid, extraordinary devotion.
Thank you for writing this wonderful review. We are so glad that your father enjoys his life here. We know the move to a care home can be difficult at the best of times and with a more traumatic introduction it isn’t easy, but he settled in so well to his new home and is a big part of the Crispin family. Your kind words will be passed on to the relevant teams who care for your father.
The care provided is consistent and attentive. It is clear my mother is happy and settled. The staff treat the family with great respect and take effort to know us and involve us in activities, where appropriate. The residents are very much part of a family and not isolated. Visits are always special.
Thank you for taking the time to leave this wonderful review. We are so glad that your mother is so settled here and that as her family, you are happy with the care being provided. It’s a pleasure to have her and yourselves as part of our family at the Russets. I will pass your kind words on to the team.
I am always received with understanding and sympathy at the situation of being away from my loved one. I find it difficult to meet in my husband's room and look forward to the time when it's possible to interact with some of the activities when all this covid mess is behind us. My ratings sum up my opinion of the home.
Thank you for your review and kind words – I’m so glad you feel supported. We are looking forward to providing more activities when we can as I know they make such a difference to our residents and their loved-ones.
Since the time my mother was taken into the Russets, her care has been exemplary. The standard of care here and the dedication of the staff cannot be faulted. This is a busy unit, but the staff always seem to find time for my mother's needs. She needs total 24-hour care for everything and we could not be more pleased with the way this is provided. From our point of view, the staff provide a smile and make us very welcome.
Thank you for leaving us such a wonderful review. I’m so glad that you and your mother have felt supported in such a positive way. Your lovely words will be passed on to the team.
Since she entered The Russets my mother has consistently been treated with care and kindness. Her individuality, character and foibles are recognised and catered for. This care and consideration have been extended to her family. I particularly appreciate the high standards that apply to communication and keeping us informed.
Thank you for leaving us such a wonderful review. The individuality of all of our residents is so important to us at The Russets, and we’re pleased to hear this has been recognised, alongside our communication which we know is crucial to relatives for their peace of mind. Your lovely words will be passed on to the team.
I am extremely happy with the care my aunt receives. She is very happy at The Russets and I am impressed with all of the staff she comes into contact with. They all treat her with kindness, consideration and respect. I am kept fully aware of all matters concerning her care and welfare. I would have no hesitation in recommending The Russets to anyone.
Thank you for leaving such a wonderful review. I am so glad to hear that your aunt is happy here at The Russets. She is a wonderful woman and we’re very privileged to know her. It’s great that you are happy with the communication you receive and the care provided – I will pass this on to the team who will be so grateful to receive your comments.
My husband has been a resident here for three years, since leaving hospital, following a severe stroke. During that time, he has received the best care. The staff treat residents with kindness and dignity and are very welcoming when we visit. They have very high standards of care and we have every confidence that my husband receives the best possible attention here. Sometimes, the staff take residents for trips to places of interest, such as the local garden centre, Bristol Harbourside, etc. It has often been possible to join them (prior to COVID) and makes a very enjoyable outing. I know from experience that on occasion, staff come in on their days off to facilitate this - an example of their dedication. A wide variety of activities are available every day, either in the clubhouse or in the individual “houses”. In my view, The Russets is how every care home should be.
Thank you for leaving such a lovely review, we really appreciate it. It is great to hear that you are happy with the care provided to your husband, we love knowing that our residents and their families feel safe and reassured that they are in good hands! We love running the outings and hope that...
The facilities are superb. My father is in his own en-suite room which opens out to a very large lounge, kitchen and dining area. The gardens are lovely for fresh air. The care staff are magnificent. Extremely pleasant and clearly adore the residents. My mother was also a resident there, and when she passed away last year a staff member attended the funeral on her day off. I could not fault any of them.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review. We are so happy to hear that you and your father are happy with the facilities and service provided – our team are incredibly passionate about caring for our residents and we have loved getting to know your father, as we did your mother. I will pass your lovely words on to the team who will be thrilled to know how happy you are.
The facilities and staff are second to none and it was a great comfort to me when she moved there. I do not believe you would be able to find a better Dementia Care Home.
Dear Shaun,
Firstly, we are sorry to hear your news and hope that you are doing as best as is possible. We are glad that we could give your mother a good experience during her time with us at The Russets. Thank you for taking the time to leave this review.
Kind regards
I work in healthcare and the care I saw and experienced at The Russets gives me hope for the care system now and in the future. Thank you.
My husband was in this care home for five weeks up to his death in April 2017. The care he received was second to none. It was delivered with dignity and all the staff from cleaner to kitchen staff. Carers to regional nurses and management. They were all brilliant. I would recommend this care home to everyone.
Thank you for taking the time to provide your kind review. We encourage all our staff to have the right attitude and I am glad to see that this has come through.
My husband spent 2 1/4 years at this home. Aged 69 with severe dementia it was a difficult decision to put him in care but he loved it. Expensive but worth every penny.
Thank you very much for your generous review. We're always glad to hear when our residents enjoy themselves.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 15 January 2021Good
- 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 The Russets.
There are no upcoming events for The Russets.
Awards / Recognitions (1)
- 03 Sep 2020Recipient: St Monica Trust
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for The Russets.
Meet the Team (2)

I’m Jo Bray, and I have the greatest pleasure of being the Care Home Manager, I work with fantastic colleagues who are committed to supporting our residents in any way that they can.
I joined the St Monica Trust family in September 2015 as a Registered Nurse (RN), I later progressed to Lead RN, Deputy Care Home Manager and since October 2019 as Registered Care Home Manager. This progression through the roles informs every part of my job as I have a good understanding of the daily challenges my colleagues face; whether they are carer, housekeeping or hospitality colleagues.
Prior to becoming an RN, I worked in many sectors with very different roles, I was a soldier with the Royal Signals, a Force Operations Room Supervisor for Wiltshire police, and a care support worker to name a few; I just like to feel that I am helping to make positive changes for others. It was when I experienced some ill-health that I knew nursing was my true vocation.
If asked, I would say that my greatest personal achievement would be that I graduated from University with a BSc (Hons) degree whilst being a single parent of 3 lovely children. Currently, on a professional level, I would say that my greatest achievement is the positive relationships I enjoy with my colleagues at The Russets; together we achieved our Good Rating with CQC in December 2020.
The nurturing, caring environment of The Russets reminds me of the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child", because our village enables older people to live the best life that they can.

I’m Rob Bennington and I am the Business Deputy Manager here at the Russets Care Home. I work under the General Manager and alongside the Clinical Deputy Manager and the Social Care Deputy Manager
I joined St Monica Trust in February 2009 as a Porter at Sandford Station. I was promoted to Senior Porter in November 2009 and became the Business Deputy Manager in the Russets Care Home in June 2022. My working experience and knowledge of the whole site have put me in good stead for my current role allowing me to make decisions for the benefit of all our residents, staff and relatives.
Prior to this role, I have gained a variety of experiences. At 17 years old I joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Combat Medical Technician with active service in Northern Ireland, Namibia and the Gulf War. After completing of 12 years service with the British Army I spent 9 years doing mainly IT work with 5 years at a cosmetic manufacturing company and 4 years with the Management Reporting Team with Royal London’s Pension Review Team.
I am dedicated to ensuring our residents have the best possible experience at home by ensuring all their needs are met. Although my role is not as customer-focused as it used to be I still try and get around to see them all and have a good rapport with them.
I am very committed to St. Monica Trust and the excellent work they do not just on our sites but also with the support they offer in the general community.
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact The Russets to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. The Russets has an Enhanced Service -more info.