FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Choosing a care home is an important decision and it often comes with many questions. We’ve been supporting residents and their families for over 15 years in our wonderful family-run home. These are some of the questions we’re asked most often when people get in touch or visit us for a tour.
Care Related
We provide long- and short-stay residential care, together with respite and convalescent care. Our home offers 65 ensuite bedrooms, all of which are larger than industry standards. Residents benefit from personalised care plans, vibrant community engagement and close collaboration between our management, health and activities teams.
We have four units – or wings – at Temple Grove. One of these is dedicated to complex care needs and another for people with dementia. The remaining two units provide more general care. Before a new resident joins us, we make a home visit to get to know you and to establish which unit is most appropriate for your needs.
Dementia care at Temple Grove is provided in our dedicated Victoria Wing, a calm and supportive unit, with its own lounge. The unit can accommodate 15 residents, cared for by a specialist team of 10 staff. We take a person-centred approach, with excellent staff-to-resident ratios and a highly trained team who focus on understanding each resident as an individual. Through specialist training, gentle routines and meaningful activities, we create a safe, reassuring environment where residents feel comfortable, calm and able to enjoy everyday life.
It’s extremely rare for anyone to need to move rooms. If a resident’s health needs become more complex or their behaviour becomes significantly more challenging, we always aim to provide the additional care and support they need within their existing room and familiar surroundings. Only in exceptional circumstances would a room move ever be considered, and this would always be discussed fully with the resident and their family.
Absolutely, there are generally 6–8 nurses in the building during days and never less than two at nights. Each unit has its own dedicated nursing team. All of our senior management team are registered nurses, as are many of our carers, so there are nurses available around the clock, every day of the year.
We are lucky to have a very high ratio of one carer to three residents, which is substantially above industry standards. That’s why the level of care – and friendship – is so brilliant. The result? Happy, relaxed residents and fulfilled, supported staff… a winning combination.
In addition, we over-staff to ensure we never have to use agency staff. This means that all our staff are fully accountable and are able to develop strong relationships with our residents.
When a resident becomes unwell, they are supported quickly and carefully by our on-site nursing team. All residents are registered with a local GP surgery in Buxted, and a GP carries out a weekly ward round, with additional visits arranged whenever needed.
Our management team are all registered nurses and many of our carers are clinically trained, with several nurses on duty at any one time. Most illnesses are treated here at Temple Grove, in line with each resident’s wishes, and hospital admission is only arranged when it is truly necessary. Wherever possible, we aim to provide treatment in the comfort and familiarity of the home.
Each of the four units has its own dedicated team, so residents get to know their carers well and form strong bonds with them.
Every resident is allocated a Welfare Officer who supports them and their family throughout their time at Temple Grove. Our high staff-to-resident ratio means there is plenty of quality time available to spend with residents. While some residents enjoy joining in with activities, others prefer quiet time, which is absolutely fine. We are well versed in recognising signs of loneliness and are always on hand for reading the newspaper, chatting or simply sitting together.
Our staff turnover is very low. Almost one quarter of our 100+ team have been at Temple Grove for more than 10 years.
Our 2019 inspection rated Temple Grove as Outstanding. In our most recent mock inspection (run by an external company) we were again awarded Outstanding. A Health & Safety Site Visit in July 2025 found us to be fully compliant in all 71 areas inspected, with no recommendations made. We also have annual external fire safety and legionella inspections and again are fully compliant.
Food Focus
Yes. We offer a set daily menu with a choice at every mealtime, and residents are always free to choose what and when they would like to eat. If none of the options appeal, our on-site chef is happy to prepare an alternative meal to suit individual tastes.
All dietary needs are carefully catered for. Each resident has a detailed care plan that records their likes and dislikes, allergies and any special dietary requirements, such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian or texture-modified diets. Our kitchen team works closely with care staff to make sure every resident’s meal is safe, enjoyable and tailored to them.
Temple Grove takes pride in the variety and quality of the food we prepare in our on-site kitchen using fresh produce purchased locally. Our chefs love creating new recipes and regularly listen to residents’ feedback, involving them in menu planning to make sure meals are both nutritious and enjoyable. Provenance of food is also important to us, with our meat and dairy products sourced from local butchers and dairies, not wholesalers.
Family and friends are very welcome to join residents for meals for a small charge, and can bring in favourite foods from home too. Our communal rooms can be booked for special occasions, making it easy for families to come together to celebrate birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Christmas meals or simply enjoy time with grandchildren in a relaxed, homely setting.
Snacks are available 24 hours a day – from soups and omelettes to sandwiches and smoothies. Subject to risk assessment, residents may use their nearest kitchen to prepare their own snacks and drinks if they wish.
The Finances
Our current fee is £1,994 per week, charged as a flat rate.
No. We charge a single flat fee regardless of care needs.
Our fees include accommodation, meals, nursing care, personal care and all daily activities and outings. Additional services such as physiotherapy, chiropody, osteopathy, opticians, audiology, hairdressing and newspaper delivery are charged separately.
If an individual has sufficient income, savings or assets, they are usually required to pay for care home fees themselves, although in some cases, family members may choose to contribute towards the cost of care. Care fees may be paid for by a combination of sources, such as self-funding and local authority funding.
If an individual has complex healthcare needs that require full-time nursing care, they may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding, which covers the full cost of care and is not means tested.
If a resident is eligible for Funded Nursing Care (FNC), a contribution from the NHS is paid directly to Temple Grove to cover nursing care. The resident (or local authority) continues to pay accommodation and personal care costs. FNC is usually awarded when someone does not meet the threshold for Continuing Healthcare but still requires regular nursing care from a registered nurse.
We ask for a one-month notice period.
If a resident’s financial circumstances change, we encourage open and early discussions so we can explore the options together. This may include advice around funding, involvement from the local authority or reviewing the most appropriate care setting.
Practical Issues
Of course. Bring what you like (as long as it fits!).
All of our bedrooms are large single en-suite rooms with views of the gardens, many with individual terraces, and all with internet and WiFi access, remote-controlled flat screen televisions with Freeview, telephone points and a 24-hour nurse call system.
We welcome couples and can rearrange your two bedrooms however you like. One option is two single beds in one room and a private sitting room in the other.
Where to start? A shop, café, on-call doctor, family rooms, library, hairdressing salon, home cinema room, full programme of activities, daily delivery of papers and magazines, personal laundry and housekeeping services, living room with working fireplace, and an extensive daily menu using predominantly fresh, locally sourced produce. However, most importantly is the friendship and peace of mind found within our lovely home, all set in beautiful, landscaped gardens in the heart of the Sussex countryside.
We want you to continue to enjoy your current recreational and social pastimes and make every effort to make that happen.
In addition, we have a dedicated activities team who provide a full and varied programme including bingo, book club, singing sessions (and our own choir – the Temple Tones), art classes, gardening club, cooking and menu planning, chair yoga, garden walks, toddler group and visits from animals (kittens – even sheep sometimes). We also bring in entertainers and arrange trips out to National Trust properties, garden centres, church, pubs and shopping.
We’re a sociable place and there’s usually a party being planned – from summer BBQs to evening soirées when some of our talented staff perform. We even host an annual dog show.
Naturally, every resident is free to choose whether to join in or not. There are plenty of quiet corners in Temple Grove where residents, along with family and friends, can relax in peace if they wish.
Yes – we welcome furry friends into Temple Grove, and even have our own semi-resident dog, Bertie the dachshund.
Absolutely. Just let us know where you’re going and roughly when to expect you back (so we don’t worry). If a resident has dementia, they are naturally not able to come and go at will.
We don’t have any. Visit whenever you like.
A difficult question, as we’re all so different. But with lots to do for those who want to be active, and gentle companionship for others who prefer quiet time, we aim to make settling in as kind and comfortable an experience as possible.
Next Steps
Our General Manager, Eileen Allison, is the main contact at Temple Grove.
Give us a call for a general chat: 01825 714 400.
Come for a tour and dip into daily life at Temple Grove.
We arrange a home visit to meet and get to know the person who is planning to join us in their current environment. This pre-admission assessment looks at health needs, medication, skin integrity, pressure areas, mobility, social life, personality and food preferences, so we can make sure the right unit, equipment, meals and activities are in place. We also need evidence of two years’ worth of funds.
If everything is straightforward, it can take as little as 24 hours to move in.
Any other questions or concerns? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.