Dementia Care Home

Hill House Residential Care Home

High Street, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 0AG

Residential homes

At a Glance

The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.

DCC Family Score
38/ 100
Weighted from family reviews
Dementia SpecialismConfirmed

Residential homes

Families Rate The Staff30 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”30%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds37
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
  • Last inspected2023-06-09

Save Hill House Residential Care Home to your shortlist

Keep a running list, add visit notes, and compare homes side-by-side. Free account — it takes a minute.

The Evidence

What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.

Section 01

What families say

Families often comment on how content their relatives seem here. The atmosphere feels more like a comfortable house than a clinical setting, with staff who take time to chat and connect with both residents and visitors.

The eight family priority themes

  • Staff warmth30
  • Compassion & dignity30
  • Cleanliness35
  • Activities & engagement30
  • Food quality30
  • Healthcare30
  • Management & leadership25
  • Resident happiness30
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-06-09

  • Is this home safe?

    Not yet rated
    The June 2023 inspection resulted in an overall Inadequate rating, but the published text available does not provide specific detail about what inspectors found in relation to safety. The safe domain was listed as not yet rated in the data provided, which itself signals an unusual inspection situation. No specific observations about medicines management, falls, infection control, or staffing safety were available for analysis. Given the severity of an Inadequate overall rating, concerns about safety cannot be ruled out.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Not yet rated
    The effective domain was listed as not yet rated in the data provided, and the published inspection text does not contain specific findings about training, care planning, healthcare access, or food quality. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which means it should be able to demonstrate dementia-specific training and care planning approaches, but no evidence of this was available for review. The absence of domain-level ratings alongside an overall Inadequate finding is an unusual combination that warrants direct questions to the home.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Not yet rated
    The caring domain was listed as not yet rated in the data provided, and no inspector observations, resident testimony, or relative feedback about staff kindness, dignity, or respect were available in the published inspection text. An Inadequate overall rating can coexist with pockets of genuine kindness from individual staff, but the absence of recorded evidence means no positive claims about caring practice can be made here. The home's previous Good rating suggests caring standards were once evidenced, but that cannot be assumed to reflect the current position.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Not yet rated
    The responsive domain was listed as not yet rated in the data provided, and no specific findings about activities, individual engagement, complaints handling, or end-of-life care were available in the published inspection text. For a 37-bed home with a dementia specialism, the responsiveness of care to individual needs is particularly important, as people with dementia are often unable to advocate for themselves. No evidence either positive or concerning was available for this domain.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Not yet rated
    The well-led domain was listed as not yet rated in the data provided, and no specific findings about the manager's visibility, governance systems, staff culture, or how the home responds to concerns were available in the published inspection text. The decline from Good to Inadequate at this inspection is itself a leadership finding: it indicates that something went wrong at a management and governance level significant enough for inspectors to reach their most serious overall conclusion. The nominated individual is recorded as Mrs Shelina Rudd, and the provider is ADR Care Homes Limited.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    Hill House provides residential care for adults over 65, with specialist dementia support available. They also accommodate younger adults who need care. For residents living with dementia, the team provides specialised support within the home's calm, familiar environment. All areas worth probing directly during a visit.

The DCC Verdict

Our editorial view, built from the three lenses: what families tell us, what inspectors record, and how the home sits against good dementia-care practice.

38/ 100

DCC Family Score

This home received an overall Inadequate rating at the inspection covered in this report, representing a significant decline from a previous Good rating. Across every theme, the evidence base is too thin or too concerning to score above the midpoint.

Homes in East typically score 68–82.

The three-lens summary

Lens 01

What families tell us

Families often comment on how content their relatives seem here. The atmosphere feels more like a comfortable house than a clinical setting, with staff who take time to chat and connect with both residents and visitors.

Lens 02

What inspectors have recorded

The management team stays visible and involved in daily life at the home. They're known for being approachable when families have questions and for keeping communication channels open.

Lens 03

How it sits against good practice

If you're looking for somewhere that feels relaxed and welcoming, it's worth arranging a visit to see the atmosphere for yourself.

DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

This home was rated Inadequate at the inspection covered in this report, dated June 2023, representing a significant decline from a previous rating of Good. The published inspection text available for analysis is extremely limited, making it impossible to identify specific strengths or pinpoint exactly where care fell short across any of the five domains. What is clear is that an Inadequate overall rating is the most serious classification and signals that inspectors found failures significant enough to place the home in special measures. The most important thing to understand before considering this home is that the published findings referenced in the care home data relate to June 2023, while a more recent assessment from October 2024 appears to have resulted in Good ratings across all domains. You must read that October 2024 report in full before forming any view. Ask the manager directly what changed between 2023 and 2024, what improvements were made, and whether the home is currently under any regulatory conditions. On any visit, pay close attention to how staff interact with your parent in corridors and communal areas, whether the building feels calm and well-maintained, and whether the manager is present and can answer your questions without hesitation.

The three questions to ask when you visit

Save this home. Compare it against your shortlist.

Let our analysis show you how Hill House Residential Care Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.

Create free account →

In Their Own Words

How Hill House Residential Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.

What Hill House Residential Care Home says about itself

Where caring staff create a warm, welcoming atmosphere

Dedicated residential home Support in Huntingdon

When you walk into Hill House in Huntingdon, you'll notice something different about the way staff interact with residents and families. This East England care home has built a reputation for its approachable team and the comfortable, relaxed environment they've created for older adults.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    Hill House provides residential care for adults over 65, with specialist dementia support available. They also accommodate younger adults who need care.

    How they describe their dementia care

    For residents living with dementia, the team provides specialised support within the home's calm, familiar environment.

    “If you're looking for somewhere that feels relaxed and welcoming, it's worth arranging a visit to see the atmosphere for yourself.”

    DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.

    Free download – Dementia Stage 4

    Not sure if it's dementia or just ageing? Here's the checklist your GP will use.

    Twelve signs to observe. A simple scoring framework. A printable, one-page record you can take to your next GP appointment, so you go in with specifics, not anxiety.

    Download Your Checklist

    No registration required to download. Free.

    Related:

    What Real Families Say About Dementia Care Homes: The Eight Things That Matter Most

    A Which? Report for Care Homes: Real Family Reviews, Not Just Official Inspections

    Step-by-Step Guide to Finding a Care Home for Your Mum in the UK

    What Does 'Dementia Specialist' Actually Mean? How to Tell If a Care Home Really Is One

    Best UK Website for Comparing Dementia Care Homes (Beyond CQC Ratings)

    Dementia care gifts that help

    The Thoughtful Gift That Makes a Difficult Day Easier

    The things that make the greatest difference to someone living with dementia are rarely the most obvious ones. They are the things that ease the day — that give a carer a moment to breathe, or give the person they care for a moment of calm or quiet joy. Every item here was chosen because it works, and because it reduces stress for everyone in the room.

    Comforting Memories

    Britain 1940 to 1970: Memory Lane

    Card Game

    The Card Game That Turns Familiar Phrases Into Open Doors

    Memory Box

    The Box That Holds a Life

    Digital Photoframe

    The Frame That Brings the Family Into the Room

    Digital Calendar

    The Clock That Knows What Day It Is

    FAQs Related to Care Homes increasing support care

    How often to visit a parent with dementia in a care home — and what makes a visit actually matter

    read this FAQ

    Care home fees and dementia — who pays, who doesn't, and what determines the difference

    read this FAQ

    Do you have to sell the house to pay for dementia care? The options most families don't know about

    read this FAQ

    The 7-year rule and care home fees — what it actually means and why it's misunderstood

    read this FAQ

    How much the NHS will pay for a care home — and what happens when the home costs more

    read this FAQ

    NHS Continuing Healthcare and dementia — who qualifies, how to apply, and what to do if refused

    read this FAQ

    When the NHS pays for dementia care — the two situations and how to access both

    read this FAQ

    What the NHS actually covers in dementia care — and the funding most eligible families never claim

    read this FAQ
    We use cookies in order to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.
    Accept