Common questions about our residential home
FEES
How much does it cost?
Our fees vary depending upon the room. Weekly charges are per person with self-funded weekly care costing from £970. Please contact us for full up-to-date rates and availability.
What do fees include?
Fees are payable monthly by standing order. All our fees include:-
- All rooms with en-suite toilets and basins
- All-inclusive meals and refreshments including alcohol
- Laundry service
- Activities and in-house events
- Around the clock 24-hour care
How does Birchwood House offer value for money for residents?
We pride ourselves on providing a true home-from-home in a beautiful setting with nine acres of landscaped gardens surrounding our traditional manor house in Speldhurst. We offer true value for money by giving a bespoke service to all of our residents, providing unrivalled care from our excellent, caring team and offering a wide range of activities and events. For more on the experience at Birchwood House, please see our testimonials.
Do you accept local authority funding?
Yes, we do, but we have a limited number of spaces. Please check for full details.
Do I qualify for financial assistance?
If you require financial assistance, your local authority will decide what level of care you require and look at your income and savings to determine whether you will need to make a contribution towards the cost.
TYPE OF CARE
What care do you provide?
Birchwood House is a family-run and well-established residential home. We provide around-the-clock care with qualified and experienced carers. We provide assistance with personal care including washing, dressing, taking medication, and going to the toilet. We also offer a full event schedule.
What security is in place?
We have strict safety measures in place to ensure the safety of our residents. This includes security cameras. We are unable to take in certain individuals requiring nursing care or advanced dementia as we are not a high secure care home.
Do you provide respite care?
Yes, we have been providing respite care for over 25 years. Find out more about respite care at Birchwood House.
Do you provide a trial period?
Unfortunately, we do not provide a trial period due to all the planning and admin required. However, we do offer temporary respite care which is based on a minimum 14-day duration.
FACILITIES
Can I personalise my own room?
We actively encourage our residents to decorate their rooms with personal belongings. We want it to feel like home. Furniture has to meet fire and health and safety regulations, so we ask you to discuss this before moving in.
Can I choose what I eat?
The daily menu is available in advance. We have an extensive menu to cover all food tastes and preferences. We cater for food allergies and a range of diets.
Do residents normally eat together?
We encourage our residents to eat in the dining room but this is completely up to you. If you would prefer to eat in your room, then we are more than happy to accommodate this.
Are snacks available during the day and the night?
Residents can request any light snacks or refreshments at any time.
Do health professionals visit?
We have a range of professionals who visit including an optometrist, reflexologist, and chiropodist. These are charged separately.
How often can friends and family visit?
Since the pandemic, we have had to introduce an appointment system and we normally ask that visitors avoid mealtimes if possible. Find out more about our COVID-19 visiting policy.
Is there good wheelchair access?
Yes, many of our residents use wheelchairs and all of our communal rooms and bedrooms have wheelchair access.
What time will I need to go to bed?
This is completely up to you. We do not have strict times.
Can I stay in my room?
Yes, you are free to do as you wish. However, we do encourage residents to participate in communal dining and enjoy the facilities available including the gardens.
Do you allow pets?
We sometimes allow pets but this is at the discretion of the management and assessed on an individual basis. We are advocates of pet therapy and do arrange this for residents from time to time.
Is it easy to park at Birchwood House?
Yes, we have ample parking. We have priority parking immediately outside the building and an overflow car park opposite the home on rare occasions the Birchwood House car park has been full.
Can I go out with my family?
Yes, whenever you like but we recommend that they are outdoor-based to reduce infection. Please see our latest visiting guidelines.
How do I attend hospital appointments?
If a family member can’t attend with you then we will be happy to escort you.
Can I keep my own GP?
We prefer you to use our GP who visits on a weekly basis. This has become even more important since the pandemic to limit infection control. Please contact us to discuss this in more detail and we would be happy to try and help.
Can I receive post?
Yes, this will be delivered Monday to Saturday to your room.
What facilities are available?
We have excellent facilities at Birchwood House and are a spacious home. We have plenty of bright communal rooms including a dining room, original Victorian conservatory, a new visiting suite, and a new hairdressing salon. We also have 9 acres of beautiful gardens with a terrace.
Do you have any activities available?
Yes, we run a full activities programme both in-house with our team as well as use expert professionals for some activities like group exercise. We hold regular themed events to entertain the residents including a Mexican event (link to news article) and a Medieval event (link to news article). To find out more view an example of a weekly activities schedule (link).
Will I have to take part in the activities?
No. This is very much down to you to decide but we always encourage residents to join in the wide range of activities available.
Can I smoke?
We allow residents to smoke in designated areas outdoors.
STAFF
What training do staff have?
All our staff have their Care Certificate and the majority of our staff have or are studying for NVQ Levels 2 or 3 in health and social care. As an employer, we have achieved Investors In People status. All our staff receive ongoing training to ensure they are up to date with all health and safety requirements.
What vetting and checks do you complete on staff?
We run full DBS checks on all staff prior to starting at Birchwood, thorough screening. We will always take up at least two references too.
How many staff do you have and what is the staff to resident ratio in the day, night, and weekend?
We have a total of 20 staff that work in our care home. There are 4 carers on duty at any one time in the day and 2 at night, during the week and weekends. All together, we aim for a 6:1 resident to carer ratio.
Can you choose if you have a male or female carer?
Yes, we will always do our best to accommodate resident preferences.
If you have any further questions, then please do call us on 01892 863 559 or email birchwood@birchwoodhouse.org.uk
