Water Royd Care Home

Friendly people

A beautiful home which is spotlessly clean, if you turn up unexpected you are more than welcome to take look around, the residents that are able to walk around seem happy and relaxed, in the rooms residents make it homely by adding family photos and ornaments

I really want to give less than 1 starHas dealings with this carehome has been absolutely diabolical when my Mum came home from there in March .Items of clothing and valuables that can't be replaced gone missing .I would not recommend this carehome to anyone

Perhaps one of the worst experiences of my life. The staff here are all in cahoots with one another and close ranks over any concerns raised regarding your loved ones in their care. The Assistant Manager Louise Parker in particular must have previously been fired from the Gestapo for being too harsh. A most unpleasant character who didnt act in the best interest of the resident (inmate) on this occasion.My Mother has since passed, and only now do we feel we can be honest about our experience due to fear of repercussions against her. Terrible experience.

Whilst I don't doubt the quality of care given was adequate, it's a business, run as a business. The carers may care, but management certainly do not. The most expensive care home in Barnsley, we expected not only exceptional care but also good customer service, extended to the family. They agreed one price yet charged another & denied the discussion had even taken place. When queried, the Manager responded that our dying Mother should find somewhere else to live! Not very caring is it? It is fair to point out that Mum went into Water Royd during the Covid pandemic & we initially accepted the necessity to limit visits to half an hour per week. Whilst, in response to government guidance, other care homes then opened their doors to welcome visitors more regularly for the wellbeing of their residents, Water Royd stuck religiously to 'One half an hour visit per week for up to two people' and even then, due to their errors we were turned away at the door on occasion. They justified this by saying they didn't have the staff to administrate recording of visitors for Covid. Well they were charging more than any other home in Barnsley yet other homes seemed to manage accepting visitors more regularly. They did offer outside visits if the outside visiting area wasn't occupied, and residents families were allowed to take residents out. Mum was far too poorly for the most part but yet was not permitted additional visits despite a member of their staff ringing to say she was depressed and thought we had abandoned her. they relented and made a one off concession for an additional visit because it was affecting Mum so badly. Despite this having a profound and negative effect on our Mum's wellbeing, they did not relent until she was at the very end of life and practically unconscious. Now, if/when you have a cause to question them or complain (and trust me, you will) the Management and staff close ranks and back each other up with un truths and inaccuracies. Complaints are not met with an openmidedness and approach to resolve, but rather with a counter attack where lies are fabricated against members of the visiting family about language they have adopted towards care staff. We took a call advising us our poor Mum had got out of bed three times in ten minutes, and on the third she fell and broke her hip. When we questioned why she had been left alone so un settled, resulting in her falling and breaking her hip their story miraculously changed from what we had been advised. Due to her having to wait 4 hours for an ambulance, a member of our family was able to wait with her. Had this not happened, we would never have found that the carpet was strongly stained and smelled of former residents' urine, that the toilet had poo down the outside of it, and that belongings handed to staff at the door the day previously remained in the communal lounge. Naturally we complained and again, instead of addressing the complaint in the correct manner, the Deputy Manager attacked the family accusing Mum's Son of swearing at staff. (He absolutely did not) . The Deputy Manager assured us she had know member of staff all her life, and that she had never told a lie. Demonstrative of a closed approach. We asked to visit to discuss and sort the issue out. We were shocked. We just couldn't believe their response, saying if we visited, they would call the police! They said the member of staff whom had allegedly been sworn at, was sat outside crying for fear that we were going to 'get her'. (Surely if that were the case, she would have stayed safely indoors?) Our aged Father (who suffers dementia & bladder problems) was repeatedly subjected to the undignified necessity of having to urinate in the garden when they refused to let him visit the toilet whilst visiting. Yes he did say he would p**s in the garden. Unbelievably, we were advised visits would be withdrawn if he didn't stop making staff cry by swearing at them! This is a brief summary but it's about the money, residents' mental wellbeing is not a priority there at all