
Mum is always treated well. All the staff are kind and friendlyFiona W(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Without exception the staff are kind, friendly and understand the dementia journeyRos P(Daughter of Resident/Service User)


Mum is always treated well. All the staff are kind and friendlyFiona W(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Without exception the staff are kind, friendly and understand the dementia journeyRos P(Daughter of Resident/Service User)


Designed exclusively for people living with dementia, Fernhill offers specialist care within an environment thoughtfully planned to help residents navigate daily life with greater ease while encouraging independence wherever possible.
Life at Fernhill is centred around smaller household communities, allowing residents to build meaningful relationships and enjoy a calm, supportive pace each day. Familiar spaces, sensory gardens and carefully designed surroundings provide reassurance, while themed areas throughout the home encourage reminiscence,...
Care Provided by Fernhill
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 58 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
- Convalescent Care
- Day Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Smoking not permitted
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Minibus or other transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Bar/Café
- Residents Kitchenette
- 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 Fernhill for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Fernhill 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
Group / Owner
- Colten Care Ltd
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Lorraine Bell (Home Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Mixed (no single-gender units)
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Last Refurbishment: 2012
Room Information
- Single Rooms (58)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (58)
Visiting
- There are no specific visiting hours at Fernhill; all that is asked is you let the home know you are in the building by signing in on the iPad in Reception. If you are visiting outside of Reception hours, ring the bell and a member of the team will assist you.
Parking
- Parking is available on site at Fernhill, and all visitor parking is clearly marked. When coming to view the home, please get in touch and a space can be reserved.
Fernhill Reviews (109)
Fernhill has a Review Score of 10 (9.975) out of 10, based on 20 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Fernhill has 109 reviews.
Following extensive research, we moved our father to Fernhill from another provider. Fernhill had the specialised care and environment to meet his dementia needs. Fernhill staff also went above and beyond to enable him to attend his granddaughter's wedding. Staff are approachable and the care is obvious. He has settled in well and we are confident we have made the right choice for him.
The staff there helped her to settle in very quickly and they were very supportive to both her and her family.
Her health declined very quickly and we sadly lost her at the beginning of August 2021. All the staff during the final week were so supportive to us and the caring and compassion they gave to my mother was excellent.
Very efficient and caring people.
The care home has provided my mother with amazing nursing and companionship support during this difficult year. The home is a happy, relaxed place where all the staff are so kind and thoughtful. It is lovely to be able to join my mum on trips out in the mini-bus and to sit outside with her in the beautiful gardens which I know she appreciates. There are also lots of activities available which is great for socialising. It is so wonderful to be back visiting again - this care home is all about the great people who work there.
The staff are truly amazing and make everyone smile, welcome and giggle like one big family.
A wonderful caring team of people that take the time to make life that much better for my mother.
This is an excellent care home. Mum is in her late 80's and has advanced dementia and lacks mobility. She moved here at the beginning of April 2020. Mum has been well looked after, and the staff treat her with plenty of dignity and respect. There are lots of different organised activities in the home. The staff have managed to get Mum up and into her wheelchair most days. In these Covid times, I have been able (with prior arrangement) to visit Mum in the reception area behind a perspex screen and also been able to interact with her on numerous Skype calls with care staff in attendance. There are regular newsletters, and I've been able to join the relatives meeting on Zoom video conferencing. I've been impressed with the management and caring staff over the past 6-months - thank you. Highly recommended.
The best decision we have ever made is to move my lovely Dad to this Nursing Home. Dad has advanced dementia, and is unable to do anything whatsoever for himself, and is unable to talk. However, we can see that he is immediately responsive to care staff, smiling and chuckling. It is plain for all to see that Dad is very happy and very well cared for both physically and mentally at this lovely Nursing Home. The food too is delicious. And the home is beautiful. And there is always something going on - so plenty of stimulation. And, importantly and reassuringly, if there is the slightest hiccup with Dad's health, then a Member of the Fernhill Team calls immediately to let us know and discuss a way forward. Staff are highly professional, extremely experienced, and readily available to chat at any time. We are very, very, grateful for all the care Dad is receiving and this Nursing Home definitely deserves the CQC rating of Outstanding - because it truly is outstanding.
Really excellent care home. Moved mum here a year ago as it was thought she would benefit from a home that specialises in dementia care. The standard of care and facilities has been first class and the staff deserve a special mention as they do an absolutely fantastic job. It is really good to know that in the current situation that loved ones are in the best/safest possible place with the highest standard of care. The ability to have facilitated skype calls during the lockdown has been absolutely brilliant and the home has always seemed to be well ahead of the curve in implementing any measures to keep residents safe. Facilities are all excellent with nice gardens, a cafe, a new roof garden and minibus trips out etc. Highly recommended.
I am confident that Dad is in a safe home in these difficult times which is such a comfort for me.
The management and staff are always supportive to the residents and their families.
Seeing Dad on Skype in these COVID times is such a plus, he looks so well.
The roof garden completed late last year has been such a boon when going out has not been possible, Dad loves that.
Most importantly the families of the residents are kept well informed and are welcomed when visiting.
It is so hard to realise that you are unable to care for the one you love. At Fernhill, I have found a place where I know he will be safe and cared for.
My late father was a resident at Fernhill for two years until he passed away peacefully at the end of March. I can not recommend Fernhill highly enough for the level of care and attention that was given to both my father and my family over the past few years. Everyone, from the people who clean to the people who cook and serve, the smiling girls on reception, the hardworking nurses, the incredible carers and the outstanding management team is at the top of their game. This is an outstanding home at every level and my Dad was loved, cared for and respected during his time there. I visited every two months with my daughter from Italy where we live and we stayed every time in the suite. We were treated like family every time we came and I will greatly miss our visits there. I know they have had no Covid cases at all because of strict measures so please do not worry about leaving your loved ones there. They will indeed continue to be loved and cared for and you will have peace of mind.
My mum is a resident at Fernhill and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Mum had been living in sheltered accommodation, but in February 2019 her Alzheimer's became dramatically worse. I had recently been seriously unwell and it was a very difficult time with difficult choices to make, but we were lucky enough to find Fernhill quite soon and, once we had met the staff, walked around and taken in the special atmosphere, I realised that it was a place where Mum would be cherished. Mum is now very happily settled there. The staff are so warm and kind to Mum and very informative to us, any issues are discussed and quickly dealt with. There are trips and also lots of activities which we join in if we are visiting at the time. There is a lovely little 'cafe' which has recently been extended that is lovely to go to for family time, and in November on Mum's birthday, we were able to have sole use of it for a family gathering which was wonderful.
Throughout the whole time that she was a resident, I felt that she was cared for in the most dignified and professional manner and the kindness shown to her was wonderful. The staff did not just look after my mum amazingly, they also were exceptionally kind to us as a family. This truly is one of the best care homes.
My mother was a resident for over three years and just passed away this week. Words cannot express the unbelievable kindness and genuine love and affection that the remarkable and dedicated staff at the home showed to my mother and to us in her final days. The most dreadful of times was made bearable for us (especially my dad) because of their professionalism and dedication. The dread and guilt felt by loved ones when they put a family member into residential care do not apply to this home - and a home it is. The facilities are incredible, immaculately clean and beautifully presented. It is, however, the staff that need to be most highly commended - from the trainee nurse to the manager - all of them, without exception, have created a magnificent and truly welcoming place for beloved family members to be touchingly cared for. Thank you so much to everyone at Fernhill for everything that you have done for my mum and for us.
Delighted my friend has found a real home. I have never seen her so contented and trying to do things she has not been able to do for months. She is genuinely cared for and happy.
The home was clean and well furbished with a good attention to detail. The very caring staff are welcoming to visitors, lovely.
During all of this time, we have been extremely pleased with her treatment.
The home itself is of the highest quality and with kind, caring and professional staff.
Mum came for a week's respite. All the staff were extremely kind and friendly. The rooms were lovely and clean and a card for Mum welcoming her was a lovely touch. No more marking clothes as this was done at the home. Mum had her hair done during the week, offered a trip out, all in a lovely week for Mum and a well-deserved break for myself and daughter knowing Mum was safe and well looked after.
Taking Mum from her own home to Fernhill was emotionally difficult for me, although I knew it was by far the best for her. The staff at the home were kind, understanding and very patient with me, more especially the two ladies in the reception area. They ensured the transition went as smoothy as possible taking mine and mums feelings into great consideration. I can not thank them enough. Mum has now settled and is happy. I know she is being well looked after. Thank you so much to the Fernhill Staff.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 31 October 2019Outstanding
- CaringOutstanding
- EffectiveGood
- ResponsiveOutstanding
- SafeGood
- Well-ledOutstanding
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 (4) & Events (0)
- 09 Jul 2026
More than 35 managers in various roles have participated in Colten Care’s third-level ‘Excel’ Leadership & Management Course in the past 18 months to two years. They include the group’s...
- 18 Feb 2025
A Strictly-style ballroom dance competition supported Colten Care has raised more than £80,000 for a Dorset-based palliative care charity. Forest Holme Hospice’s Strictly Extravaganza, which had headline sponsorship from Colten...
- 18 Feb 2025
Colten Care has trained 32 team members as Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) to help colleagues maintain and improve their work-life balance. Colten Care has prioritised the training as part...
There are no upcoming events for Fernhill.
Awards / Recognitions (11)
- 30 Jan 2026Recipient: Colten Care Ltd
- 31 Jan 2025Recipient: Colten Care Ltd
- 31 Jan 2024Recipient: Colten Care Ltd
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Fernhill.
Meet the Team (2)

Lorraine leads the team and is ultimately responsible for every aspect of life in the home, ensuring the highest standards of care and service are delivered. Her door is always open if you have any questions or queries.

Lexi is responsible for leading the team of registered nurses and carers to meet the individual needs of the resident, through the delivery of consistently high levels of clinical care.
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact Fernhill to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Fernhill has an Enhanced Service -more info.