FAQ's

Our priority is always the safety and wellbeing of our residents and team. Residents living with dementia will always be supported by our trained team. As part of our health and safety measures entrances, exits and gardens will all be secure. This means the Home will not only be safe for our residents but also safe for those living nearby.

Some elderly people need higher level 24/7 hr of care, which they cannot get at home. Plus our carehome help combat loneliness and isolation.

Life in a care home is for living. We often find that upon moving into a care home our residents enjoy new activities and services that they may not have done previously. Requiring care does not mean that residents do not also require some of the additional services much in the same way that people not living in a care home do. We offer the convenience of providing care and additional facilities all in one safe, comfortable location.

All of our homes integrate with the local community and we love to support local businesses and charities.

There is no minimum age, typical new resident is 85 and older, the average age is 95 years, but sadly some people have dementia at a younger age.

We offer nursing, residential, dementia.

Yes, there are different size rooms, suites, flatlets, dementia, nursing and residential.

Sadly, the answer is yes. This is proposed to be a class-leading specialist dementia care home. Research by Alzheimer’s Research UK predicts that one million people in the UK will be living with dementia by 2025, and this will increase to two million by 2050. Within 10 miles of the Sonning site, the elderly population is estimated to be approximately 14,000 people by 2025, increasing by more than 10% in the five years to 2030. Of the existing care homes to meet this need, three quarters are either converted properties or older purpose-built facilities, often unable to provide the facilities (such as private bathrooms for each resident) that we would want for our loved ones. By 2025 there will be an estimated undersupply of 253 beds for the immediate area, increasing to well over 300 in the next five years.

Hallmark Care Homes were awarded Care Provider and Care Home Group of the Year 2021, leading the way in designing care homes in line with the very latest research in facilitating healthy and active ageing. For those living with dementia, home has to be a place where people can continue to really “live” and feel they belong, surrounded by friends.

The approach is based on the latest evidence of providing the best building design to support residents’ wellbeing. It creates “households” of 8-10 residents, with each household having its own lounge, dining and kitchen areas and quiet area where residents live as a family with others with similar interests to them. There are no long corridors, good visual access from bedrooms to communal areas, large windows for high levels of natural daylight and safe and secure access to active garden spaces.

Everyone’s experience of living with dementia is different, but it is inevitable that some people will need a higher level of care and facilities which they simply cannot get at home. The household approach to care also helps combat loneliness and isolation, a significant issue for many.

Life in a care home is for living. Residents can continue to enjoy activities, restart those they’ve been unable to continue from home, or take part in new activities: Lunch with the family in the café; a celebration room for those special occasions; hairdressing or watching a film with friends; a walk in the rose garden or pushing grandchildren on a swing or helping with the vegetable garden. They are not extras, they are essential to maintaining individual lifestyle choices and enjoying stimulating and fulfilling lives.

All of our homes have strong links with the local community, interacting and supporting community groups, charities, clubs, schools and local businesses. Locally sourced produce is used in the kitchens and, in addition to our care team, opportunities exist for local businesses such as therapists, florists, newsagents and hairdressers.

The majority of residents come from the immediate locality – 90% of residents living in the two Hallmark Care Homes closest to Sonning (at Alexander Grange and Henley Manor) previously lived within 30 minutes of their new home. They and their families were and are part of the local community. As well as remaining local, this frees up family homes in the area. In Wokingham as a whole, 89% of people aged 65+ are living in homes with at least one empty bedroom (two thirds with two empty bedrooms); in Sonning it is 85% and just over half. Research by Knight Frank indicates that a around 25 family homes could be released every year as a result of the opening of a care home such as that proposed for Sonning.

The Care Home will be supported by visiting healthcare professionals (such as physiotherapy and podiatry) and by locum doctors, all funded by Hallmark and separate (and additional to) local healthcare services. Residents will have access to a wide range of activities and the continuous observation of their health and wellbeing by the care team - research confirms that these both help reduce health/wellbeing issues overall and identify emerging health issues early, resulting in less need for the involvement of locals doctors and/or hospitalisations compared to those who live at home.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for regulating all care homes in England. Prior to any care home being allowed to open, it must pass a robust inspection process ensure that the care home is likely to be safe, effective, responsive, caring and well led. Upon opening, the care home will then be inspected periodically at frequencies determined by the regulator.

All teams are trained in line with their duties and standards set out by the Care Certificate. In addition to this mandatory and statutory training we also provide our team with specialised training in key areas e.g. dementia care. Many of our team will hold or be working towards QCFs in Care. Nurses will be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Team members will be using cars and other means + visitors

Ambulances are only called in the event if an emergency therefore it is difficult to anticipate this, however we will provide a dedicated ambulance bay as part of our car park.

We are not cutting down all the trees, our plan is to plant more trees. (native species)

There will be a new pedestrian path down Duffield Road.

Presentation of our care homes including our gardens and grounds is of upmost importance to Hallmark Care Homes. Each of our homes is provided with a dedicated-on site maintenance team which includes a maintenance operative and a gardener. Our team undertake regular audits of our care homes to ensure they are always of a high standard and safe for our residents, visitors and neighbours.

Our activities programme is very much driven by residents and their choices, allowing them to do what they want when they want to do it. Alongside this we also offer residents new experiences and opportunities.

No, our proposed building is sufficient for our current needs.

No, the approved access for the new houses with planning permission on the site will be used. Extra planting will be provided around the access (as part of nearly 100 new trees which will be planted).

Parking spaces for team members and visitors have been provided at basement level. This allows the ground level outside the building to be used for the extensive landscaped gardens and ensures no parking on nearby roads – everyone visiting the site will know how and where to park. There is also space for the mini-bus which will provide transport for the team and for residents’ outings.

The approved access for the new houses with planning permission on the site will be used, and as servicing (including private refuse collections as these are not provided by the Council) and deliveries are controlled by Hallmark, these will be arranged for less-busy times of day. In addition, visitors also tend to visit during the middle of the day, meaning fewer cars during morning/afternoon rush-hours than would happen with the new houses with planning permission.

A calming, open, green setting is really important for residents and for how the care home looks. Across the site, the trees and hedging along the main road boundaries will be thickened with new planting of native species (new trees and underplanting of hedgerows). There will also be new trees as part of the landscaped gardens and woodland walk. With the building in the centre of the site (compared to the new houses with planning permission which are located around the edge of the site), there will be very few places outside from where it will be seen. The proposed total of new trees is 97.

There are many wide and varied roles other than the care team. As a general example Housekeeping will have 12-15 team members, Kitchen & Hosts will have 15-20, Reception & Administration will have 5-6 team members, Lifestyles and Wellbeing will have 12-15 team members, maintenance and gardening will have 2 team members. These team members (who are typically locals too) will work in shifts across the day.

There will be no more or less lights on in the Care Home than in any private home. Internal lights may need to be switched on during the night as out team continue to work, but all windows/doors have appropriate privacy coverings such as blinds and curtains, and these will be drawn as required. External lighting is typically used between dusk until dawn when required as residents don’t generally use the outdoors at night.

Yes, all those things to try to help make the area safer will be provided. We will work with neighbours, the Parish Council and Borough Council to introduce additional safety measures.

Planning permission has been granted for new houses on the site. Some additional information needs to be provided to the Borough Council (called “approval of conditions”) but there is nothing to stop those houses being built. The land will therefore provide housing in some form in the very near future. In addition, as part of its new Local Plan, the Council is proposing more houses on land to the rear of this site. The Council has to try to find sites for new housing (including housing for the elderly and those with specialist health needs) to meet local demand. It has recently been unable to grant enough planning permissions to meet that demand, and there is not enough land available in towns and villages. It is therefore looking at land on the edge of towns and villages.

Sites of 2 acres are not available in town centre locations, this site is quieter and more open.

Care home need to spread around the community, want to be where families are, local

No, will have own private GP/doctor, visiting regularly on site. Our aim is to prevent falls by design, and we will have full time nursing team, administer medicines, drugs, dressings – less impact on doctors

All will be available to locals with a 3-5 miles radius. An exclusive sales period for local people and there local families will be implemented.

The security and safety of our residents is our priority, however local music groups, schools, artists/performers will be invited in. The home will be a part of community

Neither, it will be the residents choice. It is theirs and/or their families

All residents are carefully assessed to ensure that their needs can be safely and appropriately met within the care home.

Residents may travel by car, taxi or using the home’s transport, the frequency will depend on residents choices and will not be prescriptive

No, security & safety is paramount for our Carehomes.

No, we respectfully consider the existing boundaries, retaining as many of the trees and hedges, and we will be using the access road as agreed per the residential consent. Security & safety needs to be maintained, for both carehome and local residents.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) are responsible for regulating all care homes in England and prior to any care home being allowed to open it must pass a robust inspection process ensure that the care home is likely to be safe, effective, responsive, caring and well led. Upon opening the care home will then be inspected periodically at frequencies determined by the regulator.

All teams are trained in line with their duties and standards set out by the Care Certificate. In addition to this mandatory and statutory training we also provide our team with specialised training in key areas e.g. dementia care. Many of our team will hold or be working towards QCF’s in Care. Nurses will be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

There are many wide and varied roles other than care team. As a general example Housekeeping will have 12-15 team members, Kitchen & Hosts will have 15-20, Reception & Administration will have 5-6 team members, Lifestyles and Wellbeing will have 12-15 team members, maintenance and gardening will have 2 team members.

Our care team works from 7am -7pm and vice versa for nights. Other team members may work alternative times for example, support roles works from 9am-5pm etc.

There will be a need for some internal lights to be switched on during the night as out team continue to work however windows and doors have suitable coverings such as blinds and curtains and these will be drawn as required. External lighting is generally controlled via a timer or a photocell and comes on at dusk until dawn. The amount of external lighting is kept to a minimum and is for security purposes only as our team and residents don’t generally use the outdoors at night. Lighting is carefully designed to consider angles, colour temperature

Yes, our only request is that the visits are convenient to the residents receiving the visit. There are no visiting restrictions from Hallmark.

We don’t offer a care package as such. Our fee rates include the type of care required i.e. nursing, residential, or dementia care and in addition to care include a number of all inclusive services such as hairdressing, chiropody services, therapies etc.

Our rooms are available to both singles and couples.

We will encourage our teams to park within the designated areas within the care home car park, and will be instructed not to park in local streets etc.

Staff will be able to use the parking that is provided on site. Both staff and visitors will be asked not to park on the road.

In our experience it is rare for a resident living in a care home to have a car, however it would not be impossible. If a resident still had the desire and ability to drive along with all the statutory requirements such as a driving licence, insurance etc. we would support them to do so safely. (Currently there is only one resident in the whole of England who owns a car).