Cheriton Care Home
Discover bespoke residential care from a highly trained care team in our welcoming care home.
Cheriton Care Home in Dorchester, is a real home-from-home in the heart of Dorset’s county town.
This beautiful Tudor-clad house features 70 newly refurbished bedrooms, comprising Badbury House and Maumbury House where we offer 24-hour a day high-quality and affordable residential, respite, reablement and dementia care.
We want it to feel like home so we’ve taken care and time to furnish our communal rooms so they’re comfortable and welcoming. We have four lounges and two dining rooms which means there’s plenty of space for group activities, or somewhere to find a quieter spot.
Social activities
We’re lucky to have two activities coordinators – one, who works with you one-to-one, spending time getting to know your likes and dislikes, and another, who organises the group activities.
Four-legged and feathered friends are always welcome, at Cheriton. We love it when visitors bring their pets in. Barclay the golden retriever visits every Friday and can always be sure of plenty of cuddles and treats.
We welcome all sorts of musical entertainers, including singers, ukulele-players and interactive musicians getting our residents involved with percussion, and sing-a-long leaders.
We have links with a local Dorchester pre-school. Each Wednesday children visit us to play games, and sing songs and nursery rhymes.
Dining
At Cheriton Care Home you will be served freshly prepared home cooked meals by our team of expert chefs. They ensure all our meals are healthy, nutritionally balanced and, most importantly, locally sourced wherever possible. Meals are served in one of our superb dining rooms, but you also have the option for food to be served in your room for a more private dining experience.
Nutrition is an important part of the care we provide. That’s why our catering team take time to get to know your likes and dislikes before putting together a vibrant and varied menu for you to choose from.
Bedrooms
We have 70 bedrooms for people living at Cheriton, with a range of room sizes, including some able to accommodate couples. We have ground floor rooms with direct access to the garden or our courtyard and the first-floor rooms that are fully accessible, by stairs or a lift.
The bedrooms are a blank canvas for you to personalise with your own photos, pictures and furniture to help you feel at home. It also helps our care team understand what’s important to you, help in building a warm relationship.
Gardens
We have two secure enclosed gardens where you can join in outdoor activities or simply enjoy being outside. The garden has level access, a lawn area and a patio. Each bedroom with direct garden access has a patio table, chairs and planters outside their door.
Members of our gardening club discuss and decide on new planting they’d like to see in the garden.
But perhaps our most popular garden resident is Trott the tortoise. Trott belongs to a member of our team and comes to spend the summer at Cheriton. While Trott has the run of the garden, he loves to spend time with Pete the gardener.
Tour our home
Cheriton Care Home features
70 newly refurbished bedrooms, including some able to accommodate couples
Delicious home-cooked meals with a 5 star food rating
Dorchester town minutes away with a range of shops, restaurants and parks
Some of our rooms offer direct access to our stunning gardens
24-hour bespoke residential and dementia care
Daily activities and weekly outings with our very own minibus
We have a tablet for residents to use to video call family regularly
Multiple spacious communal lounges and dining areas
This is the first home Mum has gone into. My first contact regarding my worries about Mum was with the Deputy Manager. Instantly I became less worried. She put my mind at rest on so many issues and questions I had. I found her to be very competent with her knowledge and skills showing a great deal of experience she has. The Deputy Manager always had time for my questions and was extremely efficient with feedback. Having this kind of approachable personality wanting to put my and my family’s mind at rest. Also, the carers are well-mannered and respectable with the residents.
(September 2024)
Mum was a resident of Rochester Care Home for nearly 6 years. I cannot thank the manager and her wonderful team enough for all they did for her while she was there. She could not have been in a better place for the last years of her life. As a family, we have got to know the staff as dear friends who have always greeted us with a cheery smile and ‘gone that extra mile’ for all involved. Mum spent the last two weeks of her life receiving palliative care. She was treated with dignity and compassion. My family have felt very supported by the manager and her staff during this difficult time for which we are truly thankful. We cannot praise Rochester Care Home enough for the work they do.
(September 2024)
As soon as I stepped inside the Nursing Home I sensed a friendly caring atmosphere, and I knew that my husband would be well looked after and in safe hands. The staff could not be more professional and helpful to both my husband and myself and nothing too much bother for them. Every resident has their own room and is encouraged to bring personal belongings to make it their home. I can relax knowing that my husband is being cared for 24/7.
(September 2024)
My family member lived at the care home for a number of years, and I honestly don’t know what we would have done, as a family, without them. They were so supportive of our family as well as providing above and beyond care to my family member. I will always recommend this wonderful home to anyone!
(August 2024)
My grandad has been a resident for three weeks and the positive change in his mental health and wellbeing has been exponential. He feels safe and cared for and I am secure in the fact he is receiving quality care. The staff have been supportive and what could have been a stressful transition has in fact been surprisingly easy. I am grateful to all staff and residents who have made this more a pleasure for my grandad.
(August 2024)
My mum has been a resident for the last 2 and a bit years and during that time I have seen a huge improvement in her overall physical health. She has actually put weight on as she is getting 3 good meals a day unlike when she was living on her own, and she excepts help now when there’s a medical issue and let’s the staff get her the help that is needed medically. Before she went in she would refuse any intervention. The accommodation is very nice, the rooms are adequate for her needs, the garden area is very nice, and she has made friends. The staff are always professional and caring and residents are treated with the utmost dignity, the food is good, and plenty of it. A massive thank you to ALL the staff.
(July 2024)
Visit us
Frequently asked questions
We’re located in the heart of Dorchester, close to Brewery Square and all the town’s amenities. Our location in the centre of Dorset means Cheriton is really easy to get to. We’re within easy reach of the A35 and both train stations. And we’re right on the bus route to and from Weymouth.
Our bespoke care and support is available for a single weekly fee. That includes care, accommodation, laundry, meals, housekeeping, social outings and more.
That means no additional charges or hidden fees, just consistent, all-inclusive support for a weekly fee.
If you would like to view our home then don’t hesitate to give us a call and we would be happy to arrange a no obligation home visit. Alternatively, we have regular coffee mornings where anyone is able to pop in. This is great opportunity to get to know our team and residents.
Once you become a resident at our home, there are no set visiting hours, so your family and friends are free to come and go as much as they want.
Prior to your move in to our home, you’ll receive a free no obligation care assessment so we can understand your care needs and create a care plan that suits you best. Your family is welcome to join this process. This allows us to create a bespoke care package that allows you to have the best quality of life.
Plus, through our portal, you and your loved ones can easily check on your care with real-time updates on medication, nutrition, welfare, and more. Read notes from our care teams and keep tabs on the care you receive—all at the click of a button.
Funding may be available from your local authority. Firstly, they will check how much help and what kind of care you need: this is the needs assessment. Following on from that, the free financial assessment calculates the total cost of care and how much you’ll need to contribute.
If you don’t want a financial assessment you can choose to pay for your care home yourself – this is called self-funding.
Here at Cheriton we offer tailored 24-hour a day respite care that allows you to continue living life your way with as much support you may need from our care team.
This could be a one-off stay, to give a regular family carer a much-needed break, or a regular arrangement to give you variety in your care. Our personalised care can last as long as you need it to and can start within 24-hours.
Yes, we are delighted to welcome visitors into our home. Once you become a resident at our home, there are no set visiting hours, so your family and friends are free to come and go as much as they want.