Herald Lodge

Very happy with the care and attention my mother gets at Herald Lodge.

On my initial visit to view the home I arrived unannounced and nothing was too much trouble for the staff and management, they were very attentive. The managements love for the care of the residents showed, making this home top of my list of homes. So when I contacted some six months later asking them to help care for my father the same love and commitment has continued. They have been very supportive and understanding towards my father and my family as we have just lost my mother. My father is very well looked after here and they are all understanding regarding our loss and my father's needs.

Staff and management are excellent. No problems at all, lovely and pleasant atmosphere. Rooms are very good.

My sister has settled in really well. She loves it here.

Care is excellent, food marvellous - staff very friendly. The assistant manager is very informative and helpful, overall the home is like a 5-star hotel. I would have no hesitation in recommending Herald Lodge to anyone.

I would recommend Herald Lodge to anyone looking for a care home.

Since my father has been resident at Herald Lodge I have been impressed by the level of care, the professionalism of the staff and the commitment shown by staff and management to his health and well-being. The rooms and communal areas are very clean and tidy and there are lots of activities for the residents to get involved in. My only criticism is that sometimes items go missing when they are sent down to the laundry but overall my dad is very happy to be there.

One minor gripe is not being able to get our if there is no one on reception and having to go hunting for a member of staff. You need a high-level button to activate the door.

My mother, aged 92, was recovering in hospital following a fall at home. She had been suffering from early dementia, mostly some short-term memory loss, but it had been increasingly difficult to get her to eat and drink, and together with the fall emphasised that she was no longer able to look after herself. I spent time researching various care homes and was already impressed that Herald Lodge had received a clean bill of health from the Quality Care Commission, and was immediately impressed by the atmosphere and facilities. Even more important was the superb attentive and caring attitude of all the staff, from the manager to the front line carers. They looked after my mother as soon as she arrived, sitting with her to encourage her to eat and drink, organising food she particularly liked and co-ordinating her medical care. Sadly her condition deteriorated despite this exceptional care which continued right to the end. This is an exceptionally good home I can highly recommend.

The home is clean, welcoming and lively. Perfect when a resident like Mum needs stimulus and activity every day. The staff are also very supportive of the family when I come to visit. I get the feeling that there is genuine care and concern for my Mum's welfare.

My main concern is that if items go missing or staff are asked to do something like try on a piece of clothing to see if it fits, although staff promise to look for them and/or 'get back to us ' I never get a call. Management has promised to improve matters, but nothing changes.

The management and staff are very easy to deal with and it is very comforting to know she is being so well looked after.

So far so good. The staff are very dedicated and doing a good job helping my mum settle in. Staff and facilities excellent, food always smells inviting and constant supply of tea and coffee for visitors.

Good friendly visit as usual.

I'm always very impressed by the continual cleanliness, and the enthusiasm of the staff to make Herald Lodge as much a "home" as is possible.

Recently the 'Forest Room' has been completed: a delightful area themed with forest wallpaper, camouflage netting on the ceiling for cuddly birds to 'roost', bird sounds, butterfly stickers, cuddly squirrels, herbs, water feature, and a light-up tree; the doors can be opened out to the garden. My mother-in-law spent a lovely afternoon there recently watching a film about the Amazon, which she was very keen to tell us about. Another room has been turned into a themed cinema room, and upstairs is a reminiscence room.

I like it here, the home and the people are nice. I enjoy the food and the activities are very good. There is a carer I really like spending time with her, we have fun. All the staff are very good.

My uncle has been a resident for 3 and a half years at Herald Lodge. The present staff and management are the best i have experienced in that time. I observe more time is spent engaging directly with the residents. The floor my uncle is a resident on houses those with more advanced dementia. Most times i visit many are sleeping and TV is on. When activities are arranged my uncle gladly participates. For many residents on this floor they sit in the lounge where meals are also served all day. I feel more stimulation would be advantageous to his quality of life. Overall the care provided is good and i am pleased he is a resident in this home.

There are too many names to mention. Every member of staff treated my mum with the utmost respect and care right up to her passing. As a family we could not of wished for more. Especially over the final week of mums life. The end of life service/care was truly exceptional. Thank you all.

Sadly my mother passed away whilst living at Herald Lodge. The care and compassion shown, by the staff towards mum and family was outstanding people are quick to criticize minor mistakes but if they looked at the whole picture they would notice that this home is of the highest standing. Thank you to everyone who made my mother's passing a much less painful process.

Over the past two years there has been a number of staff and management changes. Now that the new manager has arrived hopefully a period of stability will follow. In saying this senior management have been open with relatives and have always taken on board any concerns and suggestions. This is much appreciated. I have always been impressed with the care and dignity which has been shown to my mother by the staff since she was admitted to Herald Lodge. This is not any easy environment to work in and I hope staff will be fully supported to keep up their morale. I hope as many outside activities can be introduced which will benefit residents and staff. I hope Herald Lodge continues to be run on a very professional an most importantly on a caring basis. It is an excellent resource and I would like to thank every member of staff who has cared for my mother.