Howard Lodge Care Centre

The staff and management of Howard Lodge Care Centre, and in particular Primrose Hamlet, went above and beyond to ensure my mums last few days were spent with dignity and people who treated her like their own family. They made sure that not only did they support me, my mums best interests were always at the forefront of the care she received and ensured that outside support. The district nurse and hospice were made readily available to her in her hour of need. Her spiritual needs were also met no matter what religious denomination she held.

My experiences so far are good and hope that continues.

My mother has been at Howard lodge for 4 years now, it's always very clean and the staff are always very friendly and helpful, the care home is in a very quiet and peaceful area. Mum seems to be quite happy here. The only criticism she has is the food, sometimes the variety is not great and sometimes things seem to be overcooked making it a little difficult for her to eat.

It is now possible to visit in their lovely garden or in the tea room with a Lateral Flow Test but the pods are still available and are a good option if you want to be indoors but without a mask.

My mother has been in Howard Lodge for 3 years now and we are really pleased with the home and the care she has received. The staff are always attentive to her needs and let me know by email about any concerns they have with her health and deal with it in house or call the home GP Surgery and arrange a visit to see Mum. The home is always spotlessly clean and during the last 18 months of the Covid crisis, the management and staff have done all they can to keep the residents safe. We would definitely recommend this home to friends and family.

If I was a millionaire, I would still want my mum to be in this home.

Both mum and dad were diagnosed with dementia and entered Howard Lodge in 2015. Dad passed 3 months later mum passed April 2020. We can never thank the wonderful team for their genuine love and care for mum and dad and their love and support to us and who became and remain our second family. Heartfelt thanks to everyone at Howard Lodge the manager and all the wonderful carers (too many to mention but you know who you are). We will never forget all you did for mum and dad. We could never have coped without you all. Thank you.

My mum moved into Howard Lodge last year as she had dementia. From the first enquiry to moving her in the staff at Howard Lodge made the process so easy and were amazing at helping mum to settle in. What I thought was going to be a really difficult transition was actually incredibly smooth. I cannot recommend this care home highly enough. All of the staff are really patient, caring and go above and beyond the call of duty.

We have seen her slowly decline with dementia over the time she has been here and the staff not only support her but the family as a whole during stressful times. Care plans are discussed with us on a regular basis to ensure that we are aware of everything that is changing towards Mum's care and if we have any concerns they are discussed immediately. We have access to Mum 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and have always been happy with the care that she receives at whatever time of day or night we have turned up. We feel that rather than lose our mum we have gained a Howard Lodge family.

Our mother was taken in on Dec 29th, 2016 and to say that she would have tested the patience of saints would be an understatement but the care, attention and patience she received was second to none. She found it difficult to settle and was also obviously in failing health, both physically and mentally. She was also particularly hard to please because she had herself owned and run care homes and knew exactly what she was doing. All the team, from senior management down to her individual carers and assistants on Honeysuckle were absolutely first class. We were enormously grateful for all their help, support and their understanding of our plight as a family. The place itself is a palace and spotlessly clean. The rooms are lovely and the setting is out of this world. We have no hesitation in recommending Howard Lodge Care Centre and would almost put our own names down but hopefully will not need to for a while yet.

My mother lived in her new home, and that is what she called Howard Lodge, for only a few months. The final chapter of her life was exceptionally happy. I cannot thank the team at Howard Lodge enough for their love and kindness to her. She settled in very quickly and felt safe and cared for. It is never an easy decision to take but in hindsight, I would make the exact same decision and choose Howard Lodge. The place is bright, modern and clean. The reason, however, why it is such a great place is the staff. Without exception they were fabulous. I cannot think of a time they were sitting in the office -they were always sitting chatting or helping the residents. I unreservedly recommend Howard Lodge to anyone thinking of a care home.

The care that the staff provide is excellent, my mum has many problems which all the staff understand and care for her as if she were their mum or nan.

This home gives me peace of mind everyday that my mum is loved and cared for at all times.

I am always informed of any changes and feel very comfortable with all the staff and management whom are all extremely approachable.

Rooms are very spacious and having their own bathroom is great.

Everyone is encouraged to make their rooms feel like home with personal belongings so they feel at home.

The care this home shows is 100% person centered care and that is the most important thing I believe for families knowing your loved ones are cared for.

Well done to all Howard Lodge staff you should all be proud of the job you do.

We have viewed over 30 care homes in Essex and have stayed in two others (both bad experiences), prior to this our loved one was at home with us for four years until the progression of the disease became too much, so this has been a long process to find somewhere that we are okay with. This is by far the BEST care home there is. The design of the home with separate units for the various stages of dementia is perfect. The staff always know exactly what is going on with my loved one and are pro-active and on the ball to alert us to any issues. They want to work with you to find the best solution. It is not about profits it is about real care looking after people who are very ill. Every leader who I have met whether it is unit manager, manager of home, housekeeping manager is dedicated to doing the best for the residents. My loved one has severe Alzheimer’s at a young age and so can be very challenging, the carers are always patient and caring. Thank you to all.

Food is okay but very basic.

Lovely care home, the staff are always pleasant and do a great job as sometimes very testing (as my aunt has severe Alzheimers) but are always kind and caring, nothing is to much trouble. Thankyou.