Reviews for Dudwell St Mary Care Home

"Dudwell St Mary's Care Home provides excellent care for all residents. The residents needs, both clinical and emotional, are met with care and compassion by all staff. The home is always very clean and well organised with cheerful staff who prioritise residents welfare and happiness above all else. Meal times are looked forward to by the residents with a good choice from the menus. A good residential home with staff who care with love for their residents."

"I don't get to visit often but my grandma is a resident at Dudwell st Mary. Every time I get to visit I'm made to feel welcome by everyone, and she is always doing fun things when I turn up. Her room is always tidy and clean and she always says her lunch was nice. I leave her feeling my parents made the right choice with this home."

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Today I had the pleasure of visiting Barchester – Dudwell St Mary Care Home with my ice cream van, serving soft serve whippy ice cream to both residents and staff.

From the moment I arrived and played the ice cream van chimes, everyone was in great spirits. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces and to watch residents enjoy the nostalgic experience of a classic 99 ice cream, bringing back many happy memories.

The staff were incredibly welcoming, friendly and supportive throughout the visit, helping to create a warm, fun and memorable atmosphere for everyone involved.

Thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure to visit such a caring and well-run home, and I would be delighted to return again in the future.

I cannot thank the staff enough for the amazing care, kindness, and support they provide every single day. From the moment you walk into the home, you are made to feel welcome and reassured that residents are genuinely cared for as individuals.
The staff are incredibly friendly, compassionate, and attentive, always taking the time to understand each resident’s personal needs, preferences, and routines. It is clear that dignity, respect, and independence are at the heart of everything they do. Nothing is ever too much trouble, and the team always go above and beyond to make residents feel safe, comfortable, and happy.
The atmosphere in the home is warm and caring, creating a real sense of community for both residents and their families. Communication is excellent, and families are always kept informed and involved. It is so comforting to know that loved ones are in such capable and caring hands.
I would highly recommend this care home to anyone looking for somewhere that truly provides person-centred care with kindness, professionalism, and genuine compassion.

My Dad spent his last days at Dudwell St Mary. He was not there long, but during this time he was looked after with kindness, care and compassion. From the start, the staff were extremely understanding, accommodating him at a few hours' notice. He had a lovely room with a view onto the terrace and woodland, and an ensuite bathroom.

The home itself is modern and bright - more like a hotel than a nursing home. But the thing that makes it really special is the staff. They were, without exception, brilliant with my Dad, paying attention to his care and nursing needs and ensuring they were on top of them at all times.

When he first arrived, they told me they are a family at Dudwell. In my experience this is true. Towards the end of Dad's life, I stayed there with him and they also looked after me. Everyone is wonderful - from the people on the desk and behind the scenes, to all the amazing staff who care for the residents, attend to their needs, cook their food, clean their rooms and organise their activities and events.

There are too many people to mention by name but special mention to Princess, who also made sure I was eating, Izzy, who forged a friendly relationship with my Dad and looked after me during the night, and Harley, who allowed me to use one of the rooms for a shower. They are all special people.

Most importantly, I felt that my Dad had dignity, care and respect in his last days.

"Mum has been a resident at Dudwell St Mary for a year and a half now. During that time she has settled and made some lovely friends. The social element is a big part of life at Dudwell St Mary, a lot of thought goes into social interactions and activities. The care continues to be of a very high standard and communication is very good with me as family."

"Overall I feel the care is excellent. The staff are always willing to help and make suggestions for on going care. I think that the entertainment Activities coordinators work tirelessly to please the residents and to provide activities to meet everyones needs. They need to be recognised for the huge contribution they make."

My Mum, who will be 103 next month, has been at Dudwell for almost two years. We had looked around at several care homes and this is the best we found. The staff are amazing - they all make time to talk to the residents and make them feel loved. When I returned from a long trip, Mum told me not to worry about her, as all her friends had been to visit her while I was away. I discovered that she was talking about all the lovely staff! There are a lot of varied activities on offer, and Mum particularly enjoys the religious meetings and the visits from school children. Nowhere is perfect, but the few issues we have had, have been quickly resolved. The lift is unfortunately a recurring problem as it is out of order from time to time, which can be a problem for those not on the ground floor. Overall, we would not want Mum to be anywhere else and would like to thank all the staff for their outstanding care.

I cannot possibly say enough wonderful things about this care home. My mother is currently close to life end with dementia and I travelled from the USA to visit her last week. The staff are so kind and the facilities are clean. Each time I enter to visit I am offered a cup of tea which includes a little cake or cookie and then I am taken up to her room. My mum is treated with such love and kindness by the staff. The staff are international yet so closely connected with the selfless purpose of caring for their patients. Sadly today I will say my goodbyes to my mother and return to my family overseas but will do so knowing she is surrounded by love and quality care. Mum looks very comfortable and happy which brings comfort to all the children. It’s never easy for children to be at this phase of life with parents dying but I cannot possibly think of a better place for her. I am so appreciative to all of the wonderful caregivers who are like angels!

"Friendly greeting in reception. Most staff good, some warmer than others to Mum (& myself) A few 'really' understood/knew Mum. Those who did - thankyou so much. Motto 'tailored to individual needs' not always implemented. If residents are unable to speak up for themselves, they need a relative to speak on their behalf. Even ie how Mum liked her tea - many times I politely said to carers, also spoke to nurses about it, yet rarely did Mum get tea to her liking. A little thing, but an important one to residents. Mum was there 4yrs. Management/nurses are happy to talk with you to try resolving issues, and discuss anything about your loved one. More carers on floor 1 would benefit for more time on individual care to be given, and talking. Value for money - satisfactoryish. Care/support/dignity between satisfactory/good. Sometimes excellent. Excellent activities - wide variety, excellent activities team. Lovely that housekeeping & maintenance teams interact with residents. High security, I always felt Mum was safe. Very good end of life care for Mum (& Dad) Both were in the right place. Positively, overall is good. Thank you Dudwell"

"Dudwell has provided brilliant care for my Dad , who became a resident in June . He looks so well- he's put on weight after enjoying the delicious meals provided. It's such a good atmosphere, with the dining room and lounge being such a nice place to socialise. My family has been through a dementia loss , as my husband passed away 3 years ago and our 3 young children were left quite traumatised after experiencing this . My youngest daughter, who is 15 would not visit her Grandad to begin with as it brought too many memories back , but now she visits him on a regular basis- a real testament to Dudwell! Not only has the home looked after Dad , but the biggest gift they have given us , has been to reunite my Dad with Mum . They bent over backwards to get mum a space in St Mary's ( building adjacent to Dudwell ) , so that they could be together after 60 years of marriage,. Mum doesn't have dementia, so it's an ideal solution, as she can visit Dad whenever she wants."

"Mum and Dad have both been in Dudwells for almost three years now and they have been treated with kindness and compassion. They both appreciate the family atmosphere and how the carers take the time to really get to know them and personalise their care and nursing support. Dad has been very ill over the past months and as a family we really appreciate the high quality of nursing care that he has received and the support given to Mum throughout this time"

We have been working with Dudwell St Mary for a few months now and when we first arrived the scenery was stunning. The staff have been nothing but helpful and there is a really good energy about the place. The home is clean and seems to be plenty activities for the residents to join in with. What a lovely place!

"For my mother and for me too actually. Barchester St Mary is like home from home. Everyone is very kind, caring and friendly and the atmosphere uplifting, positive and fun! I love visiting my mum and the St. Mary's team always make me feel very welcome. And Mum is so happy!"

My mum has been living at Dudwell St Mary for about 18 months and from the moment we were lucky enough to find a place for her there, at pretty short notice, our experience has been excellent. Without exception the staff are all wonderful, it has been a delight to get to know many of them. Her room and the facilities are all fantastically maintained, and the food offering in the lovely restaurant is varied and appropriate to the guests needs. Mum settled in so well and is happy in this very caring environment. Thank you so much to Emma and her great team.

I am so happy with the care mum receives at Dudwell St Mary’s. When doing my research for the best and most appropriate residential setting for mum, I decided this is the only home I would be happy to live in so that’s how I made the decision. All the staff are lovely and genuinely care. They take time to really get to know residents and meet their needs in all regards.