The Orchard Nursing Home

129-135 Camp Road, St Albans AL1 5HL
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9.7 99 Reviews
  • The Orchard Nursing Home, St Albans
The Orchard Nursing Home is located in a quiet residential area of St Albans, with a warm family atmosphere, highly trained staff are available to get to know residents individually offering the highest standards of residential, nursing and dementia care on a permanent and short stay basis.

Staff strive for a blend of compassion and commitment, while the home has many pleasing features to add to the satisfaction of daily lifestyles, including en-suite bedrooms, activity rooms and landscaped sensory gardens.

Following a refurbishment, the nursing home has combined services, furnishings and equipment to ensure a luxurious standard of resident comfort and care in an attractive and restful environment. A bright and spacious interior includes a choice of lounge and quiet areas.

The Orchard Nursing Home is part of Caring Homes, an established, family-run care company. Every team member receives their unique ‘Living in My World’ dementia training which is accredited by City and Guilds. It highlights the importance of meaningful activities and a stimulating environment for people living with dementia, as well as addressing clinical aspects of care.

Care Provided by The Orchard Nursing Home

  • Primary Care Categories
  • Dementia
  • Older Person Care
  • Physical Disability
  • Respite Care
  • Care Types Provided
  • Dementia Nursing Care
  • Dementia Residential Care
  • Nursing Care
  • Residential Care
  • For a maximum of 63 Service Users
  • Privately Owned
  • Other Care Provided
  • Convalescent Care
  • Palliative Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Edwin Cabagui (Home Manager)
  • Admission Criteria
    • Ages 65+
  • Room Information
    • Single Rooms (63)
    • Couples/Companion Rooms (0)
    • Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (63)
  • Care Home Design/Build
    • Purpose Built: Yes
    • Last Refurbishment: 2013

Funding & Fees Guide for The Orchard Nursing Home

  • Funding Types Accepted
  • Self funding (Private)
  • Local Authority with Top-Up
  • Local Authority
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Funding
  • Weekly Charges per Person
    • Self-Funded Residential Care from £1,600
    • Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care from £1,700
    • Self-Funded Nursing Care from £1,700
    • Self-Funded Nursing Dementia Care from £1,800
    • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Care from £1,700
    • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care from £1,900
    • RESPITE Self-Funded Nursing Care from £1,800
    • RESPITE Self-Funded Nursing Dementia Care from £1,900
  • (these prices are only a guideline, please contact The Orchard Nursing Home to find out the exact price for your requirements)

Facilities

  • Bar/Café
  • Gardens
  • Visiting
  • Visitors welcome at any time, but The Orchard Nursing Home would encourage visitors to call in advance to ensure that any specific arrangements can be met.


  • Parking
  • The home has its own car park for visitors.


The Orchard Nursing Home Reviews (99)

Total of 99, showing 41-60
9.7

The Orchard Nursing Home has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.698) out of 10, based on 20 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time The Orchard Nursing Home has 99 reviews.

Overall Experience

  • 68
  • 28
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Date Published

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Having been discharged from hospital, I placed my dad into The Orchard (Camp Road) for him to convalesce for three weeks. Dad and I found the staff to be so caring and attentive to all of my dad's needs. I was always kept informed of how he was. The nursing staff were excellent. One staff member was
my first point of contact placing Dad into The Orchard. She was so kind and caring. I would highly recommend The Orchard (Camp Road) for it's caring, professional and kind ethos.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Dad was only at The Orchard Nursing home for a short time. Staff were very helpful and caring towards Dad, myself and the family. Communication was very good from the nursing staff and we were always kept in the loop. The home was always immaculately clean and great measures were put in place to keep
residents, staff and families safe. The activities are good for the residents with a wide range of things to do.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent and safe home with many activities, and very good care for the elderly. The food is very good, and the staff are very friendly and efficient. If you need nursing care, I recommend The Orchard where the residents seem very happy and comfortable; even throughout the recent pandemic.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

I am very pleased my wife is being nursed and cared for in The Orchard Nursing Home. On entering the home it is clear that everyone is very friendly and welcoming. The standard of both care and nursing is first class. The home appears to be very well managed and I feel this is reflected in the staff
chosen to work there. The standard of care and friendliness towards the patients, some of whom can be trying at times, is outstanding. I have witnessed a very old and infirm patient being gently fed by a very young carer who did it with amazing care and concentration. It was emotional to witness. Inter-staff relations seem to be excellent. One never hears rude or angry discourse between members of the staff. Each is willing to help another if his/her own work at that moment permits. There is often laughter, not, I would hasten to add, at the expense of a resident or at the expense of attending to a resident who needs attention. It is a happy place to reside in and visit.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

I feel that my mother is being well looked after. The management and staff are always polite and courteous and are well placed to provide the level of care appropriate to her needs. I realise that private health care can be quite expensive and getting the balance right is always a challenge.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My dad has only been at The Orchard Nursing home for a few months and suffers from Alzheimer’s. The home is very well run, from management, reception and nurses. The nurses are very helpful, supportive, and caring. I am very pleased that my dad is being nursed and cared for in The Orchard. On entering
the home, everyone is very friendly and welcoming, the home is also very clean. The standard of both care and nursing is first class. Unfortunately, Dad has not been able to get involved in the activities, but there are always things going on run by the wellbeing team. I would highly recommend The Orchard.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I cannot praise all the staff enough for their excellent care of my mother. During this difficult year of Covid, they have done everything possible to keep communications ongoing and visits open whenever possible. It has been a very difficult time for all made easier in the knowledge that my mother
is well cared for and the care home have kept me regularly updated with regards to my mother’s wellbeing. The staff are what make this care home a ‘home’, treating the residents with dignity and genuine care. I have no hesitation in recommending The Orchard.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

As soon as I walked into The Orchard Nursing Home two years ago - I knew straight away it was the right place for my mother. My first impressions were how bright, cheerful and spacious it is. The rooms are very attractive and the beds comfortable and adapted for the elderly. All the staff are very professional
and helpful and there is always a smile and laughter echoing down the corridors. It was such a relief to know mother was in such competent and caring hands. The residents are entertained every day with new and interesting activities. The quality of all the staff is excellent. I would definitely recommend The Orchard Nursing Home in Saint Albans to any new residents.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My mother was a resident at The Orchards for nearly two years. During her stay, she always had excellent care from the nurses and carers. We had her first Christmas with her in the home, and everything was done to make it a special day for us. We had a private room, the food was very good and the wine.
The home is well run, the rooms reasonably spacious and it is surrounded by gardens. The activity staff are very involved in making sure there is always something to do for the residents, especially during these past months where the COVID has made their work even more difficult. I recommend this home without any hesitation and I'd like to thank the staff for all their help these past few difficult months.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff at The Orchard were always friendly and efficient. They took excellent care of my mother in her final months. Thank you.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My mother has lived at The Orchard for 5 years and during that time I have always had any queries or questions answered giving reassurance to not only myself but my sister's also. This has been especially so during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
The staff show care and respect to our Mother and we
have been very appreciative with all that they do for her.
I have often spoken to people about The Orchard and have no hesitation in recommending it.
Words do not seem to express the gratitude I have for all that the staff do for my Mother. Thank you.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My wife has suffered from Alzheimer's for approximately the last four years, exacerbated in 2018 by a fall requiring a general anaesthetic to rebuild her hip. Matters deteriorated thereafter and in April 2019 she entered another Hertfordshire home. Due to a poor entry assessment which underestimated
the severity of dementia, the staff at the home could not cope and she was moved to The Orchard in September 2019.


Since then she has been well looked after - the staff are able to cope with her frustrations and have made these last seven months much more bearable for all concerned. Further, my family and I are welcomed and invited to join in activities. Regrettably, due to the pandemic, visiting has been suspended but the staff will bring her to her bedroom window once a week to wave to us in the car park below.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

During the lockdown, all staff have gone ‘over and above’ to keep families in contact with their loved ones and to give comfort and support to all residents. Video calls have been particularly important at this time. The Well Being Team, in particular, has constantly thought up innovative ways to keep
residents occupied and happy. I would have no hesitation in recommending The Orchard, to any family considering such a move.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My mother suffers from Dementia and has lived here for over 2 years. The care home is well managed and clean. Of particular note, it is pleasing to see the same staff faces every time we visit. This shows they are not reliant on a constant stream of temporary staff, and there is no indication of a high
turnover of staff Indeed the staff appear to all know my mother well.
They have an activities coordinator and activities team who lay on regular activities for the residents. I work full time so can only visit once a week. But they post activity updates on a closed Facebook page, so we can follow activities or news. This is appreciated.
When Coronavirus triggered changes to how people in the UK'S live, The Orchard was well organised restricting access immediately and enabling relatives to video call residents. Not what anyone wants, but necessary at this time.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The caring staff are the Homes best asset. We have been touched deeply by the care and kindness of all staff. My Mother has advanced dementia but on weekly video calls, she says how lovely it is there and that she is happy. I’m particularly impressed with how the home have managed Covid - The manager's
background as a nurse has I’m sure been a key part of her leadership in this situation, providing clear protocols and guidance for all, it feels good and all under control. I’ve appreciated her compassionate and professional approach such as assessing Mum in hospital and our phone conversations. The lead nurse on Mums floor is delightful demonstrating compassion and understanding at all times, most memorably when we completed together the advanced care plan for Mum. I appreciate knowing she is well cared for and the staff are responsive to any concerns I may have.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Since her admittance to The Orchard in January 2019, Mum has received the very highest standard of care from the team. Mum has multiple issues with communication and thanks to the dedicated work and attention of the staff has been in a place where she is happy and relaxed. The attention to detail,
not just within the current complex situation, but as a matter of good practice is exceptional. My sister and I are very happy and content in the knowledge that our Mum is in the best place and being cared for by carers of the very highest and best standard. Although we have not been able to visit, The Orchard have constantly kept us informed of their situation and how Mum is coping and have been wonderful in their communication to us, with empathy, understanding and concern for our well being as well. The Home Manager sets a very high standard and every member of her team seek to achieve that level with marvellous results.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have always found the staff and management to be very caring and efficient. The well-being team have also been fantastic during this difficult time. They have made sure I have been able to see my wife twice a week via FaceTime, which is very reassuring. The standard of housekeeping at all times has
also been very good (also catering and maintenance).

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I cannot speak too highly of The Orchard.
In this current pandemic situation they have been ahead of the curve in terms of processes to keep Covid-19 out of the home; testing staff and residents and especially agency staff and new residents.
The staff treat the residents as friends - they really
do care.
They have put on an amazing range of activities and relatives can see what their loved ones are up to on the Facebook group. They started to do video calls for Mothering Sunday and it was so popular they have continued to offer this a couple of times a week. I see more of my Dad now than I did before the lockdown, without the 300 miles round trip!
I am so pleased that Dad is at The Orchard where he looks happy and comfortable and I know he is safer here than (probably) anywhere else. Thank you, guys!

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My husband was admitted to The Orchard having been in hospital after he had a fall and broke his hip. He was there for just two happy months, as he needed two people to assist him. I was able to go in each day to help with his lunch until lockdown. Sadly his Parkinsons restricted him badly but the nursing
care was superb. I cannot thank them enough for all his care - next best thing to home.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We arranged to visit The Orchard when we realised I could no longer manage the care of my husband. We were very impressed with the way we were greeted and shown around the home and with the general atmosphere. We decided immediately that this was the right place, especially as it was so close to home.
Unfortunately within a week he was taken into hospital where we were told that they could do nothing more for him.
He didn't understand why he was there, because of Alzheimer's, he didn't accept that he needed help I couldn't provide. The staff were very caring and patient with him. The staff are excellent, always friendly, and caring to patients and their families.

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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.698)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.698) out of 10 for The Orchard Nursing Home is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.7 out of 5 from 20 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 19 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Care Home is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.698 for The Orchard Nursing Home is calculated as follows: ( (177 Excellents x 5) + (49 Goods x 4) + (6 Satisfactorys x 3) + (2 Poors x 2) + (1 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 235 Ratings = 4.698

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for The Orchard Nursing Home is based on 19 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the registered maximum number of service users in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Care Home registered for a maximum of 50 service users has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 63 registered maximum number of service users is 12.6, which has been reached with 19 Positive reviews. Points = 1

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Care Home does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Performance

Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating

Date: 1 Aug 2019

Overall
Good

  • Caring

    Good
  • Effective

    Good
  • Responsive

    Good
  • Safe

    Good
  • Well-led

    Good

Care Quality Commission is responsible for the registration and inspection of social care services in England.

View Latest Report

Bed Vacancies

Please Contact Us for Latest Vacancies

Awards / Recognitions (6)

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Meet the Team (3)

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Edwin Cabagui

Job Title: Home Manager

As the Home Manager, I believe that our residents should be treated with the highest quality of care possible and I have the responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents. I lead by example and involve myself in the day-to-day life of the home as well as making The Orchard a happy and enjoyable place in which to live and work.


Agnes

Agnes Petu-Stiles

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Our carers and nurses are highly skilled, with qualifications to manage all types of care, including residential, nursing and dementia. Within each team we’re able to offer specialist care for complex conditions. I have many years nursing experience it is great to work with such a friendly team who deliver the highest standard of care for all our residents.


Vicky

Vicky Ashby

Job Title: Senior Wellbeing Co Ordinator

I have been a Well Being Co-Ordinator for 8 years and love my job. I am also the Regional Well Being Ambassador for all the Homes in our Region. My passion is to enhance the daily wellbeing of each of our residents with person-centred engagement and activities.