Astral Lodge Residential Care Home

What families say

Families often mention how welcoming they find the atmosphere here. Residents seem to settle well after the initial transition, with many appearing more content as they adjust to their new surroundings. The staff focus on creating moments of connection and joy through organised activities and celebrations.

Based on 15 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness65
• Activities & engagement55
• Food quality55
• Healthcare65
• Management & leadership70
• Resident happiness65

What inspectors found

Inspected 2018-11-06 · Report published 2018-11-06 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"Astral Lodge was rated Good for Safe at the February 2022 inspection. This indicates that medicines management, staffing arrangements, and risk management met the required standard at the time. The published summary does not include specific inspector observations, staffing ratios, or details about how falls or incidents are recorded and reviewed. The home has a dementia specialism, which means safe environments, consistent staffing, and responsive night cover are particularly important. No concerns were raised in this domain.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring, but for a home caring for people with dementia it is the detail behind the rating that really matters. Good Practice research consistently identifies night staffing as the point where safety is most likely to slip, particularly in smaller homes. Our family review data also shows that attentiveness of staff is mentioned in 14% of positive reviews, suggesting families notice and value visible, responsive care. Because the published findings give no staffing numbers or incident-review examples, you need to ask these questions directly on your visit.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that night staffing levels and agency staff reliance are two of the strongest predictors of safety incidents in care homes, particularly for residents with dementia who may be distressed or at risk of falls overnight.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, not a template. Count how many permanent staff were on each night shift and whether any agency names appear. For a 14-bed home, find out whether a senior carer or manager is always on overnight."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The home was rated Good for Effective at the February 2022 inspection. This domain covers care planning, staff training, nutrition, and access to healthcare professionals such as GPs. The published summary does not describe the content of care plans, how frequently they are reviewed, what dementia-specific training staff have completed, or how the home works with GPs and other health professionals. No shortfalls were identified in this domain. The home lists dementia as a specialism, so the quality of training and care planning in this area is especially relevant.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effective care for someone with dementia depends on staff who genuinely understand the condition, not just those who have completed a basic induction module. The Good Practice evidence base emphasises that care plans should be living documents, updated regularly with input from the person and their family, and should include personal history, preferences, and communication cues. Food quality is rated as important by 20.9% of the weight in our family scoring model, and yet mealtime practice is not described at all in the published findings. Ask to read a sample care plan (with names removed) and to visit at lunchtime.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that dementia-specific training, particularly in non-verbal communication and person-centred approaches, significantly improves the quality of daily interactions and reduces incidents of distress in residents.","watch_out":"Ask the manager what dementia training staff have completed in the past 12 months and how it is refreshed. Request to see the training matrix showing which staff have completed which modules and when. Generic mandatory training is not the same as dementia-specific practice development."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"Astral Lodge was rated Good for Caring at the February 2022 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and support for independence. The published summary does not include any inspector observations of staff interactions, resident quotes about how they feel treated, or examples of how the home promotes privacy and dignity in practice. No concerns were raised. For a dementia-specific home, the quality of moment-to-moment interaction, including tone of voice, use of preferred names, and unhurried pace, is central to this domain.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned by name in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassionate treatment appears in 55.2%. These are not abstract values; they show up in specific, observable behaviours. Does a carer knock before entering your parent's room? Do they use the name your parent prefers? Do they crouch down to make eye contact rather than talking from standing height? The published inspection gives no evidence on any of these points, so your own visit observation is essential. Good Practice research confirms that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal communication for people with dementia.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that person-centred interactions, including use of preferred names, eye contact, and unhurried pace, are strongly associated with lower rates of distress and better wellbeing outcomes for people living with dementia.","watch_out":"During your visit, sit in a communal area for at least 20 minutes and watch how staff interact when they are not aware of being observed. Note whether they address your parent's potential future peers by name, whether they rush, and whether they respond to non-verbal cues such as restlessness or withdrawal."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The home was rated Good for Responsive at the February 2022 inspection. This domain covers activities, individual engagement, and how well the home responds to each person's needs and preferences. The published summary does not describe what activities are offered, how they are tailored to individuals, whether one-to-one engagement is available for people who cannot join group activities, or how end-of-life preferences are recorded and honoured. No concerns were identified. At 14 beds, the home is small enough that genuinely individual care is possible, but the inspection provides no evidence either way.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities are weighted at 21.4% in our family scoring model and resident happiness at 27.1%, both reflecting how much families care about whether their parent has a life worth living, not just a safe place to sleep. Good Practice research highlights that for people with dementia, meaningful activity does not have to mean a structured group session. It can be folding laundry, tending plants, looking through photographs, or simply having a conversation about a topic that mattered to them. The published findings give no evidence of whether Astral Lodge offers this kind of individual engagement. Ask specifically about what happens for residents who cannot or do not want to join group activities.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and task-based individual activities, such as everyday household roles and sensory engagement, significantly reduce withdrawn behaviour and improve mood in people with moderate to advanced dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator (or manager, if there is no dedicated coordinator) to describe what happened last Tuesday for a resident who prefers to be on their own rather than in a group. If the answer is vague, this is a gap worth probing further."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"Astral Lodge was rated Good for Well-led at the February 2022 inspection. A named registered manager, Mrs Jane Shingirai Zinhu, is recorded as holding that role. The home is run by Mrs Aunjali Johar and Mr Navneet Singh Johar as owners. The published summary does not describe how the manager supports staff, how feedback from residents and families is gathered or acted upon, how the home investigates incidents, or how the culture within the team is maintained. No governance concerns were identified at the time of inspection.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good Practice research shows that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in a care home. A manager who has been in post for several years, who knows each resident by name and history, and who staff feel comfortable approaching with concerns, creates a very different environment from one where the manager is new, absent, or largely office-bound. Our family review data shows that management quality is cited in 23.4% of positive reviews. The published findings confirm a manager is in place but say nothing about her visibility, tenure, or relationship with staff and residents. Ask these questions directly.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that homes where staff felt empowered to raise concerns without fear and where managers were visible on the floor consistently outperformed peer homes on resident wellbeing and safety measures.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long she has been in post at Astral Lodge and whether she is present on a typical weekday morning. Then ask a carer (not the manager) the same question. If answers differ significantly, that tells you something important about how leadership works day to day."}

  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

What the evidence base says

Against the DCC Good Practice in Dementia Care standards, this home’s evidence aligns most strongly on The home specialises in dementia care and supports adults over 65. Most residents live with dementia, which shapes the care approach and daily routines.. Gaps or open questions remain on The team shows understanding of dementia's challenges, helping residents through difficult transitions. They provide organised activities aimed at maintaining wellbeing and engagement for those living with the condition. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.