ABOUT US

Vale House is a 40-bed nursing home in Sandford, providing specialist care to the end of their lives to men and women who suffer from dementia in its severest forms.

The original home was set up in 1990, in Botley, west Oxford, by a group of volunteers, specifically to provide psychological, physical and palliative nursing care for people profoundly affected by dementia. We are proud that this care home was opened officially by Diana, Princess of Wales.

Our new home in Sandford, east of Oxford, is state-of-the-art and stunning. It has been designed by GBS Architects of Oxford. We have taken account of colours and patterns that have been shown to enhance the living experience of our residents. Every bedroom has a memory box at the door, which can be filled with momentoes by the family, reminders of special times in their lives. And, when words mean little, residents may recognise their rooms from these boxes of treasures.

All areas can be reached by everyone; the beauty of of Vale House is enhanced by the space that is available. Some of our wanderers are able to tread the corridors and come across visual delights at every turn. We have TV in some of the common rooms and we have quiet areas. There are window corners in which to sit and take in the views, fields, the village, ponies grazing, and busy roads. Perhaps all we need now is a spa!We have 40 individual en suite bedrooms with an extensive range of facilities that include specialist hydrotherapeutic bathrooms, a family room, a choice of living rooms and two courtyard gardens with sensory planting. At ground level we have an urban garden that is overlooked by two wings and a water garden that can be seen from the other two wings. We also have a roof garden so that residents on the upper floor have a close point of access.
Visiting relatives will find some attractive walks around Sandford, including one down to the lock, where there is outdoor seating at the King’s Arms. Opposite Vale House is the Four Pillars Hotel, perfect for coffee or lunch, and of course overnight if you have travelled some way. When the car park at Vale House is full, the Four Pillars have kindly offered to let us use their car park, and there is also parking on the road outside the home.
Vale House is a registered charity and a registered company limited by guarantee. It is managed by a voluntary Board of Directors, who appoint a Registered Manager who is responsible for the daily running of the home. All aspects of the home conform to the requirements of the Commission for Social Care Regulation and it is inspected regularly by them. Vale House is non-profit-making and receives no direct grant from any public authority
Vale House has regularly received excellent (3-star) ratings from our Regulators, the Inspectors of the Care Quality Commission. This rating is awarded to only 13% of care homes nationally.

Our CQC rating

Fees and Admission 

The cost of caring for each resident is currently £888 per week, and the fees may be met in one of three ways. Where the person’s care needs are formally and independently assessed as being ‘extremely complex’, the cost is met by the NHS through the ‘Continuing Care Funding’ budget. Where the care needed is not at such an extreme level, but the resident is assessed as having few private means (currently, less than £23,000 in capital), financial assistance is given through the Local Authority.

Otherwise, the residents’ fees are paid out of their own (or their families’) resources. There is no other regular income for the home and all other expenses for improving the fabric and facilities or providing extra benefits for the residents must be covered through fundraising, donations, legacies and similar means.

The application procedure is simple: it involves a form giving us details about the resident. A full assessment is then made by a qualified nurse from Vale House.

When a room becomes available it is offered to the most needy family at the time and they will be given a Welcome Booklet to explain all the details of admission and about life in Vale House.


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