Looking For A First Class Residential Dementia Care Home
In Rochester, Kent?
Moving into a care home is a big step for anyone, especially if they're living with dementia. You're bound to have lots of questions about what life here will be like for your loved one so we've detailed below a few of the most common questions we get asked to help you get a full picture of the wonderful life they can look forward to at Sherwood House in Rochester.
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What is the home like?
Sherwood House is a truly wonderful place combining the familiarity and comfort of a traditional family home with the conveniences and facilities of a well equipped modern residential care home.
Location & Surrounds
The home is located in a well established residential neigbourhood not far from the River Medway and the heart of Historic Rochester. The building was originally a large domestic residence with double fronted bay windows. It dates from the Victorian era as do all the homes in the area, with the historic Alms House being directly opposite.
The home is set back from the road and has it's own parking and a private, sheltered garden to the rear with comfortable seating, a water feature, an aviary and our charming pet Guinea pigs.
The area is well served by local facilities which are just a short distance away. These include shops, restaurants, pubs and a cinema so there'll be plenty of options should you decide to venture out of the home with your loved one during a visit.
If they like nature and walking there are woodlands and walks nearby. Take a walk in this beautiful area, you'll see birds, butterflies, and wild flowers in among the trees & meadow.
Rochester is also host to many historic festivals throughout the year, including the world renowned Dickens Festival.
Inside & Accommodation
Sherwood House is an impressive double fronted Victorian House that retains the high ceilings of the period giving it a light, airy and spacious feeling throughout. It very much retains the feeling of your own home home and is the antidote to the sterile, almost institutional feeling you get with modern purpose built care homes where all the rooms are exactly the same and there are long corridors to walk down in order to get to your room!
The home has been completely renovated to a very high standard, is fully equipped and includes many dementia friendly features to enable your loved one to feel at easy, comfortable, and able to navigate the home easily.
It is set over 4 floors with easy access to all floors via the build in shaft lift. The ground floor contains the main communal areas comprising: Large dining area with kitchenette juke box and tv, Light and airy day room with many comfortable and easy to use chairs, a large conservatory which opens out onto the beautiful, enclosed garden. We also have a hair salon area coming soon.
The 32 bedrooms are spread over the remaining three floors. All of are spacious, light and airy and decorated to a high standard. Please see the room section below for more details.
Is there a garden?
Yes! Your loved one will be able to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of our enclosed garden, which is accessible from both the conservatory and lounge areas.
It's sheltered, secure, secluded and sunny, without being too hot. There are several seating areas with comfortable outdoor furniture and parasols to keep provide shade when needed.
It truly is a delightful place where your loved one will be able to relax, maybe read a book, take afternoon tea, or simply chat with new found friends.
In the summer months the flower beds are bursting with a riot of cheerful coloured plants that delight the senses with perfumed fragrances when in bloom. These are complimented by contrasting potted shrubs and small trees and the garden is bordered by large mature evergreen trees for all year round colour.
If your loved one likes wildlife they will love the outdoor aviary where they can sit and watch the birds preening and chirping and can even feed them their favourite treats. The garden is also visited by a variety of wild birds many of whom can be heard tweeting from the surrounding foliage. We also keep some rather cute guinea pigs who are another resident favourite!
If your loved one enjoys gardening they can also keep their green fingers by helping to tend the flower beds and also the vegetable patch where we grow our own vegetable for the kitchen.
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What will their room be like?
Sherwood House has 32 spacious rooms spread over two floors and with a variety of styles, shapes and sizes so you'll be able to choose something that is exactly in line with your tastes and budget. For more information about fees and what's included please click here.
All rooms are comfortable with a light and airy feel while many have views of the garden. Whichever they choose, your loved one's room will be decorated to a high standard and well equipped with everything they need for daily life.
Items provided as standard include: a comfortable bed for that essential good nights sleep, a spacious wardrobe, bedside table with lamp, curtains, bedding and an armchair that's specially made to be easy to rise from. Ensuites are equipped with a shower, toilet and washbasin.
Identifying rooms is often difficult for people living with dementia so all our room doors are dementia friendly with personalised pictures and names so that your loved one will know they're in the right place.
This is their home and we'd love them to bring their own ornaments, treasured mementoes and small furniture items to make their room feel comfortably familiar. We'll even decorate it in line with their personal taste to make it truly feel like home if they'd like.
All rooms are easily accessible for those with limited mobility and there is a built-in shaft lift to whisk you effortlessly to your desired floor so stairs are never a problem. Your loved one will always be easily able to access the communal areas to get involved in the many activities provided or to simply join friends for a chat and catch up.
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How will they spend their day?
There's never a dull moment at Sherwood House!
If your loved one likes getting involved there are many activities, visiting entertainers, games and events for them to enjoy.
We don't need much excuse for a party and celebrate many special events such as Valentine’s Day, World Dementia Day, Mother’s Day, Trooping of the color, Chinese New Year & many, many more!
So, from exercise classes to live music performances, group games to walks to the shops, there's sure to be something that suits your loved one perfectly.
Just because you're in your twilight years doesn't mean not going out. We also organise regular trips to: The Over 60’s club, Age Concern, Aylesford Priory, walks to Rochester and local areas of interest, the cinema, football matches and concert trips.
Regular Activities at Sherwood House
OMi Mobii Magic Surface Interactive Table/Floor System
Sensory experiences are very important for those living with dementia. Our OMi projector table provides them with 'magical' experiences that can delight, excite and sooth depending on the mood. It has been specially developed for those living with dementia and in 2018 won the prestigious National Dementia Care Outstanding Product AWARD in 'Recognition of the incredible opportunities it has brought people at all stages of dementia'.
Please watch the video below to see some of the experiences your loved can enjoy.
How do I know my loved one will be well looked after?
One of the hardest things you'll find when searching for a suitable care home for your loved one is judging how good the care they provide is. Every care home says they provide excellent care, but how do you really know they do?
Here are a few very strong indicators we believe show Sherwood to be one of the top care homes in the region.
Reviews and testimonials
The best place to find reviews of care homes is www.carehome.co.uk. This is the largest website in the UK listing care homes and here residents and families (the people who really know how good the level of care is at a home) can leave a review and rate a home's performance in 12 different areas. All reviews are verified to ensure they are genuine.
Sherwood House has truly excellent reviews and, at the time of writing, has an exceptional rating of 10 out of 10 across all the reviews on www.carehome.co.uk. We strong advise you thoroughly read the reviews of all care homes you may be considering. You can read our reviews by clicking here or on our reviews & testimonials page.
We also have a thick file of letters and cards from families who have been delighted and thankful for the care we've provided for their loved ones over the years. When you come to take a look around we'd be delighted to show you these.
CQC Report
All care homes in the UK are regularly inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who give a rating of either Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate.
We are delighted to say that Sherwood House achieved an over 'Good' rating following our most recent inspection on 17th June 2021. Here is a flavour of the report.
People looked relaxed and happy, there was plenty of laughter, fun and interaction. People told us, “I love it. I want to stay here for the rest of my life” and “We do have some fun here.” Relatives told us, “I saw mum on Tuesday, it made me very happy to see mum looking so well”; “Hand on my heart it was the best decision for mum to live here”; “It's an incredible place” and “Ten stars for them.”
Activities & WhatsApp
Finally, check out a care home's blog and Facebook page for actual evidence of the great lives their residents are living at the home. You should see lots of pictures and videos of the activities and events taking place at the home. This is also a great way for you to keep in touch and get involved with what's happening at the home. You can check out our news and blog page by clicking here and our Facebook page here. While you're on our Facebook page why not Like it and leave a comment? We'd love to hear from you.
In addition to the blog and Facebook page we also have a WhatsApp group where families get daily updates and can see pictures and videos of their loved ones having fun and joining in the many activities at the home. We believe regular communication is vital for you to know that your loved one is receiving the best possible care. The regular updates on WhatsApp are extremely popular and are regularly highlighted in the many excellent reviews of Sherwood House on www.carehome.co.uk
We recommend asking any care home you visit about communication and how often they provide updates for you. If done regularly and properly, it really will set your mind at rest.
Here's a selection of posts from our News and Blog page
Will they enjoy the food?
Definitely, if they like tasty cuisine prepared from freshly sourced local ingredients.
Our Head Chef Andrew Day is highly qualified with City Guilds 706/1,2 & 3 and is ably assisted by Chef Sabrina Neeve and Kitchen Assistant Lorraine McQueen. Together they create mouth-wateringly tasty food for all pallets and dietary needs. But don't just take our word for it. Here's how Debbie, daughter of one of our residents describes it.
"The food is excellent, and I would be happy to book a table here if it was a restaurant! Sherwood house is not 5 stars, it’s 10-stars!"
The kitchen has a five-star food rating and is a busy place producing breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Typically there are two main choices for each meal, though we'll be happy to provide a third option if your loved one would like something different. If they have special dietary needs, these will of course be met and will be identified in their care plan. Choices are given both verbally and pictorially to so your loved one can be confident in their choice of meal.
Menus are created with feedback from the residents with special days like 'London Day Pie Mash & Liquor' and 'Taste it Tuesdays' with fruits, cheeses and wine selection proving particularly popular!.
Breakfast consists of various cereals and toast and on occasions all day breakfast, croissants and crumpets.
In addition, tea and coffee is served throughout the day along with squash, milkshake, alcoholic beverages, hot chocolate and milk. These are complimented with puddings and delicious home baked cakes and birthday cakes.
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Main meals are served in the spacious and beautifully decorated dining room which features high tradition ceilings making it exceptionally light and airy. This is the beating heart of the home and a great place for socialising. If the mood takes them, your loved one can catch up with friends while enjoying their meal here, or alternatively they can eat in the conservatory, the garden (weather permitting), or their own bedroom. This is their home and the choice is theirs.
What should I do now?
The best way to find out if Sherwood House is the right place for you or your loved one is to come and visit. We’d be delighted to meet you and to show you around the facilities. You’re welcome anytime though it’s best to phone ahead to ensure the Home Manager is on site if you'd like to have a confidential chat about your requirements.
For further information or to arrange a personal guided tour please call us on 01634 326865, email us at info@sherwoodhouserochester.co.uk or click on one of the buttons below to select your preferred option.
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