Review from M A (Son of Resident) published on 2 November 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

My introduction to The Orchard Nursing Home was a pleasant one. They have a dedicated member of staff to give you a guided tour of the home. He was most helpful and addressed any concerns I had about my mother's move to The Orchard. My mother has settled in well thanks to the friendly and efficient

staff.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Warren G (Husband of Resident) published on 22 October 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

I have been welcomed and greeted civilly at all times and I appreciate that I can see my wife at any time if I so wish. Staff are friendly and familiar and I have no reason to believe they are hiding anything from me.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from M B (Wife of Resident) published on 17 October 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

My husband was well looked after. I had every confidence that he would in a safe and caring environment. The staff were very helpful. The food was tasty.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Lisa N (Daughter of Resident) published on 8 October 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience

Mum has been a resident at The Orchard for two months. The positive change in her general wellbeing has been phenomenal despite her complex health needs. Mum is happier than I’ve seen her in a long time. She is cared for not only with dignity and respect but love and laughter too. This is extended

to our family as well.

The Orchard has high standards for all aspects of their provision and these are maintained by the whole of the staff team. If there is a problem I know they will contact me. Likewise, if I have a concern there is always someone to talk to and resolution is speedy.

A huge thank you to the management and their whole staff team for making what has been a traumatic year much more peaceful.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Roy A (Son-in-law of Resident) published on 11 September 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

Since my father-in-law came to The Orchard Nursing Home roughly 3-4 months ago I must confess I have never seen more hard working people and the kindness shown to their relatives it is by far the best nursing home I have seen and I have seen quite a few. My father-in-law says the staff show him kindness

and are very helpful.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Anne N (Daughter of Resident) published on 29 June 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

Very good on the whole. Mum found early morning difficult as she often wakes around 6.30am but has not got up until 9.30. She found the staff friendly, kind and helpful as did we.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Jackie E (Daughter of Resident) published on 26 June 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

Hit and miss with number of carers daily.
As of Friday 25th May to date my father's dentures have been mislaid!

Reply from Wendy Walker, Home Manager at The Orchard Nursing Home

The health and wellbeing of our residents is our absolutely priority and we work hard to ensure the correct number of carers are here for every shift. We are in contact with this family regarding the resident’s dentures and have arranged for a dentist to come in and replace them. Our home manager’s door is always open if relatives or residents have anything to discuss with them now or in the future.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from J G (Son of Resident) published on 25 June 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

The Orchard Nursing Home in St Albans is very clean, the management and staff are very friendly, hardworking, very caring, very helpful and it's a very well run home.
Safety and security is very good.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Clive P (Son of Resident) published on 22 June 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

My mum has been in The Orchard for 8 months and she has been well looked after generally. However, we are disappointed with her teeth cleaning, putting in her hearing aids and lack of notification of her personal needs like when toiletries run out. Staff seem very busy, in particular, the nurses and

this will become more of a problem when spaces are filled. More communication needed. The recent CQC report of management was disappointing.

Reply from Wendy Walker, Home Manager at The Orchard Nursing Home

We are delighted to hear that your mother has settled in at The Orchard and is being well looked after at our home. The health and wellbeing of our residents is always our first priority and we work hard with relatives and residents to make sure all care needs are met using the key worker system. Please be assured that we ensure the correct number of carers are on shift and as the number of residents increases in the future so will the number of carers. If you wish to discuss this in more detail either with your key worker or the home manager our door is always open.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from John M (Son of Resident) published on 4 June 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience

My mother has fairly advanced dementia and has been at the Orchard for nearly two years. The home is clean, light and brightly furnished, with a pleasant garden full of flowers. The manager is friendly and approachable. Most importantly, the staff are kind and patient with the residents. I am confident

Mum is being looked after well and would have no hesitation in recommending the home.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Janice C (Daughter of Resident) published on 17 April 2018
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

We are very pleased with the level of care and the quality of the full-time staff. It is now great that we have a permanent manager who appears to be very experienced and extremely approachable. After the refurbishment of the ground and first floor to a high standard, it is disappointing that there

is no plan to refurbish the second floor which is now looking a little tired.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from J A-B (Daughter of Resident) published on 1 August 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

Very good dementia and general care. My mother was expecting end of life care but improved and gained 2 stone and now well and able to participate in the home life.
Very pleased and can recommend.

Reply from Clare Francis, Home Manager at The Orchard Nursing Home

At Caring Homes we take feedback from our residents and their families very seriously and we are delighted to hear that this resident has gained weight and is enjoying life at The Orchard Nursing Home. We are always pleased when families are happy with the care received and would feel able to recommend our home as having very good dementia and general care.

Our care team strives to ensure every resident is enjoying life at the home to the full and will be working with this resident and family to ensure our daily activities are suitable and being taken full advantage of. Our home manager’s door is always open for discussion on any aspect of care at The Orchard.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from S T (Friend of Resident) published on 9 May 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

As we live in Canada and were able to visit just three times during our stay I do not feel qualified to answer all questions. We did find the staff caring and helpful. Our dear resident became more her old self by our third visit and we happily went down memory lane together. We found the facility clean,

her room as well. Several staff members showed interest in our being there and asked questions. We leave for home today feeling reassured of our dear friends care.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from R C (Daughter of Resident) published on 2 May 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

Staff are caring and courteous. Initial concerns have been addressed and facilities considerably improved.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Andrew L (Son of Resident) published on 31 October 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience

My family were looking for home who could offer my Mother daycare as she has advanced alzheimers. First impressions of The Orchard were excellent. The home is modern, clean and felt very welcoming. Friends had already reassured us that the home was good. I had visited other homes but my brother and

I both immediately felt that The Orchard was right for my Mother. She has attended the home since June 2016 and my family and friends have really noticed an improvement with my Mother. She is happy to attend the home and is extremely well cared for by the warm-hearted staff.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Nick C (Nephew of Resident) published on 26 October 2016
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

A very clean and tidy nursing home and were pleased that my aunt spent her last stages of Alzheimer's and was clearly a little upset by the move, but soon began to settle in. We were told she was not eating or drinking, but this was something she had not done for a very long time, we were not surprised.

We found the staff confident and caring. The nature of the disease means patients walk around on the floor and lot and it's hard to stop them walking into rooms that are not their own.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from A W (Sister of Resident) published on 11 March 2016
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

Over years this is the third member of our family to be in The Orchard and we have no complaints.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Colin S (Son of Resident) published on 24 February 2016
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience

Outstanding care since my dad's admission in October 2013 to date. Despite change of ownership of the care home standards have maintained and improved. I have been impressed by the standard of care and support by all staff not only to my dad but our family as well in this difficult time. I would highly

recommend this home to friends and relatives.

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

Review from Rosie C (Great-Niece of Resident) published on 12 August 2015
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience

The Orchard care home and all the staff are amazing. My Aunt was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour last November. She had an operation and Radio Therapy to give her a bit more time but sadly rapidly deteriorated towards the end of June this year where she was hospitalised for 3 weeks. I decided I wanted

her out of hospital and somewhere where I was confident she would get 24 hour care that was a "home from home" and that's exactly what we got. I viewed the home on my own and was shown all the rooms available and all the facilities on offer. I met the manager who was wonderfully supportive through this very emotional time and reserved my Aunts room with her there and then. This was the first home on a list of others I was due to view but I was so confident and overwhelmed by how lovely it was and it just felt right. We talked daily, chasing paperwork and hospital tests and finally got my Aunt into her room on The 8th of July. She had her Jazz music playing and was surrounded by photos of her loved ones and fresh flowers. Her key worker and Nurse washed and changed her and got her comfortable and settled straight away. We kissed her goodbye and told her we would see her tomorrow and felt confident that she was happy and relaxed. Sadly just as we arrived home (an hour away) we got a call to say that we better come back. My Beautiful Aunt slipped away 10 minutes after that call was made. When we arrived back to the home the manager greeted us at the door and told us the bad news. We got to see my Aunt who looked so peaceful and finally at rest and still listening to her Jazz music. We were offered plenty of shoulders to cry on and cups of tea. I really couldn't have wished for a better ending to my Aunts wonderful life and I know she couldn't have either. The manager was amazing from start to finish and listened to my wishes all the way through and I felt that my Aunt was in the best hands (apart from mine, obviously) thank you so much to everyone at The Orchards, a truly wonderful place. Rosie x

Facilities

Care / Support

Cleanliness

Treated with Dignity

Food & Drink

Staff

Activities

Management

Safety / Security

Rooms

Value for Money

The Orchard Nursing Home

Care Provided by The Orchard Nursing Home

Good to Know

Funding & Fees Guide for The Orchard Nursing Home

Facilities