The questions families actually ask us

Residential care provides accommodation, meals and support with personal care — washing, dressing, medication and daily living. Nursing care adds a qualified nurse on duty at all times for medical needs.

Mon Choisy and Kirlena House are residential care homes, registered with the CQC for personal care with accommodation, with dementia as a registered specialism. Medical needs are met in partnership with local GPs and district nurses who visit our homes regularly. If an assessment shows someone needs full-time nursing, we will say so honestly and help your family find the right setting.

The starting point is a free care needs assessment from the county council’s adult social care team — anyone can request one, regardless of finances.

The assessment considers alternatives too, such as home care, adaptations and extra-care housing. If residential care is the answer, we always carry out our own pre-admission assessment and will be honest about whether we can meet your parent’s needs.

Mon Choisy is the larger, more active home (28 large rooms) and is often better suited to more complex dementia and higher levels of care. Kirlena House is smaller and more intimate — purpose-built in 1989 for dementia care, with nearly all of its 14 rooms en suite.

Both homes share the same team values and village setting on Kennington Road. The best way to decide is to visit both — we’ll help you weigh it up honestly.

We review care plans continually and adapt support as needs change within our registration as residential care homes. If someone develops needs that genuinely require full-time nursing, we hold a best-interest meeting with our care team and the family.

The person’s best interest drives the decision, always — early, honestly and with no surprises. Our aim is a home for life within the care we are registered to provide.

Residential care is from £1,480 to £1,800 per week depending on the level of care and support required; residential dementia care is from £1,600 to £2,190 per week.

The exact fee is agreed in writing after a pre-admission assessment, before any commitment. Use the estimator on our fees page for a personalised range.

The weekly fee covers accommodation, all care and support set out in the personal care plan, medication administration, meals and daily living. There is no deposit, and billing is monthly in advance.

Charged separately: hairdressing, chiropody, appointments (family escorts preferred; a staff escort can be arranged at additional cost), toiletries, and personal items. You receive the full breakdown in writing before moving in.

Yes — we welcome local-authority-funded residents and work closely with our local communities. If savings and assets are below £23,250 (England), the council may contribute following a financial assessment.

A care needs assessment comes first. Where a council-funded resident chooses to stay with us privately, we can accept a third-party top-up. Our team is also experienced with NHS Continuing Healthcare applications.

Not necessarily, and never in a rush. The property is disregarded for the first 12 weeks of permanent care, and entirely if a spouse or certain relatives still live there.

Deferred payment agreements let the council pay fees as a loan secured against the property. We recommend regulated later-life financial advice (SOLLA, moneyhelper.org.uk) before deciding anything.

Yes — and every permanent placement automatically begins with a four-week trial period, with advance fees refunded if it doesn’t become permanent.

Separate respite stays are also welcome at both homes: typically around £100 per week above the equivalent long-term rate, minimum one week, shorter by discussion. Many families use one as a gentle trial.

During the four-week trial period, two weeks’ notice — and any fees paid in advance are refunded.

After the trial, a permanent placement carries a three-month written notice period. If we re-let the room during those three months, we refund the balance pro rata, so you never pay twice for the same room. Respite stays end on one week’s notice from either side.

Personal care is just the start. Residents enjoy home-cooked food, a busy monthly activities programme and, above all, a genuine family feel — our motto is kindness, comfort and respect.

Activities range from outings and in-house performances to visits from local schools and trishaw rides with our partners at Cycling Without Age Oxfordshire. Every plan is shaped around what each resident actually enjoys.

Everything is cooked fresh, in-house, by our chef and kitchen team working to restaurant-standard catering. Menus change week by week, with variety and choice at the heart of it.

Allergies, soft diets and religious and cultural diets are all catered for, and themed food evenings are a regular fixture. Families are welcome to join residents for a meal when visiting.

Yes — we encourage residents to bring personal items and effects to make their room their own. Pets are welcome to visit.

Furniture and larger items are subject to a quick review with the manager, mainly for safety and space.

Visitors are always welcome, including children, and we don’t impose unreasonable restrictions.

Come and see us at any reasonable time — and if you’d like to join your relative for a meal, just let us know.

Both homes have strong, long-standing links with local healthcare professionals. GPs and district nurses visit regularly, and we arrange opticians, chiropody and dental care as needed.

Appointments outside the home are ideally attended with family; where that isn’t possible, a staff escort can be arranged at additional cost.

Yes. Dementia is a registered specialism at both homes, and all our staff take regular refresher courses in the latest dementia approaches, matched to the needs of the residents they support.

Just as importantly, our staffing is consistent: we are fully staffed, use no agency staff, and nearly all of our team have been with us for over three years — so residents are cared for by people who truly know them.

Every resident has a personalised care plan led by our care team leaders, covering medical, personal and dietary needs and personal preferences — built with the resident and their family.

Plans are reviewed regularly, medication is managed through our electronic EMAR system, and families are told promptly about any change in health or medication.

Talk to the Registered Manager first — Kiran Audit at Mon Choisy, Magdalena Liskiewicz at Kirlena House. Most concerns are resolved in that conversation.

There is a written complaints procedure, and unresolved concerns can go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, who covers self-funded residents too.