UK's leading reviews site for care homes hits 100,000 reviews

Looking for a care home can be exhausting and time consuming, involving numerous visits to homes and trawling through their CQC reports.

However, with reviews of care homes on carehome.co.uk now topping 100,000, many people searching for a care home are also using this valuable resource to help them. Reviews of care homes give an insider's view of the home and can highlight aspects of a care home that stand out, such as good end of life care or warm and compassionate staff.

Bowes House care home in Hailsham, East Sussex was reviewed by a granddaughter of a resident, who gives a poignant account of her grandad’s last days.

She reveals that she “was concerned about my Grandad going into a care home, but I was completely wrong. Bowes House was outstanding; such a friendly and welcoming place.

“My Grandad didn't have long left and we got a call one night to go there immediately. Four days later, we hadn't left.

“Bowes House provided us with food, blankets, somewhere to sleep so that we didn't have to leave. We never expected that treatment. Their generosity made such a horrible time a bit more bearable. Their actions meant my Nan got one last night next to her husband and we were with him as he took his last breath.”

In another review, a daughter of a resident in Avonbourne Care Centre in Salisbury, revealed the difference the care home had made to her mum's wellbeing.

She said: "My 107 year old mother has been given a new lease of life during her stay at Avonbourne. From sitting all day unmoving on a sofa in her own flat, most of the time asleep, she is now joining anything going - exercise class, flower arranging, beauty morning etc. The kindness and care she and other residents receive is touching and reassuring."

For the last three years, the reviews team at carehome.co.uk has been checking and verifying every review and ensuring they comply with certain standards. They recently published their 100,000th review of a care home, giving people a fuller and more rounded picture of what a care home is really like.

Reviews 'give people an invaluable insight into the care home'

Amanda Hopkins, reviews manager for carehome.co.uk, said: “We are delighted to have reached 100,000 published reviews on carehome.co.uk.

“It has taken us three years to reach this milestone. Every review is personally checked and verified by the reviews team. Finding and choosing a care home for a loved one can be extremely difficult but our huge amount of reviews makes the whole process a lot simpler.

“Reading people’s honest opinions of care homes gives an invaluable insight into what they are really like.”

Each care home on carehome.co.uk which has reviews, has a review score, with the maximum score being 10.

Residents and their friends and family can rate the home on categories such as best value for money, staff, food and drink and whether they are treated with dignity. They can also write personal comments and say how likely they would be to recommend the home.

They can either submit their review online or write them on a card which is then posted to carehome.co.uk.

Every year, carehome.co.uk uses care homes' reviews scores to find out the Top 20 care homes for each region. To see the Top 20 care homes for 2018 click here.

For more information on carehome.co.uk’s reviews policy click here.