Dementia Care Home

Elmsfield House Ltd

Elmsfield House, Carnforth, Lancashire, LA6 1RJ

Nursing homes, Residential homes

At a Glance

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

DCC Family Score
72/ 100
Weighted from family reviews
Dementia SpecialismConfirmed

Nursing homes, Residential homes

Families Rate The Staff72 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”68%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds25
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Dementia
  • Last inspected2019-05-17

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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

The eight family priority themes

  • Staff warmth72
  • Compassion & dignity72
  • Cleanliness68
  • Activities & engagement60
  • Food quality55
  • Healthcare65
  • Management & leadership75
  • Resident happiness68
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-05-17

  • Is this home safe?

    Good
    The Safe domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection, representing an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. This suggests inspectors found that risks to residents were being managed appropriately and that the issues which led to the earlier Requires Improvement judgement had been addressed. No specific detail about falls management, medicine administration, infection control practices, or staffing ratios is available in the published summary. The home has 25 beds and specialises in dementia care, a group for whom safety depends heavily on consistent staffing and a well-designed environment. The July 2023 monitoring review identified no concerns sufficient to trigger a reassessment.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Good
    The Effective domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection, again an improvement on the previous rating. This domain covers whether staff have the right training and skills, whether care plans reflect individual needs, whether residents have access to healthcare professionals including GPs, and whether food is appropriate and enjoyable. No specific detail about dementia training content, care plan review frequency, GP access arrangements, or mealtimes is available in the published summary. The home is registered as a dementia specialist, which means effective practice in this domain is particularly important for your parent.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Good
    The Caring domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection. This is the domain that most directly reflects whether staff are kind, whether your parent's dignity is protected, and whether they are treated as an individual rather than a task on a schedule. No direct quotes from residents or relatives are available in the published summary, and no specific inspector observations about staff interactions, use of preferred names, or responses to distress are recorded. A Good rating in this domain does require inspectors to have found positive evidence, but the detail needed to verify what that evidence was is not publicly available for this inspection.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Good
    The Responsive domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection. This domain covers whether the home provides activities that are meaningful and tailored to individual interests, whether your parent will have a life here rather than simply be kept safe, and whether end-of-life care is planned and personalised. No specific detail about the activity programme, individual engagement for people who cannot join group activities, or end-of-life planning is available in the published summary. For a dementia specialist home, the responsive domain is where the difference between a good day and a difficult day is most often determined.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Good
    The Well-led domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection, having previously been rated Requires Improvement. The inspection identifies two registered managers and a nominated individual, which confirms a clear governance structure is in place. The consistent improvement across all five domains from the previous inspection to Good suggests that leadership has been effective in driving change and sustaining it. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no new concerns. No specific detail about the manager's tenure, staff culture, how concerns are raised and acted on, or how families are kept informed is available in the published summary.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    Elmsfield House provides specialist dementia care alongside general support for people aged over 65. The team has experience helping residents transition into care, including coordinating moves directly from hospital discharge. For those living with dementia, the home offers structured daily routines with regular afternoon activities. Staff understand the importance of consistency and professional support in dementia care. 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.

72/ 100

DCC Family Score

Elmsfield House scores 72 out of 100, reflecting a genuine and encouraging improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating to Good across all five domains. The score is held back by limited specific detail in the published findings, meaning several important areas cannot be fully verified from the inspection text alone.

Homes in North West typically score 68–82.
DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

Elmsfield House in Carnforth was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its last full inspection in February 2021, a meaningful improvement on its previous Requires Improvement rating. The home is a small 25-bed service registered to care for people over 65, including people living with dementia, and the turnaround to a consistent Good across safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness, and leadership is a positive signal. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence to prompt a reassessment of that rating. The main limitation here is that the published inspection text provides very little specific detail: no direct quotes from residents or relatives, no named observations from inspectors, and no specific data on staffing ratios, night cover, agency use, or activity programmes. This means the Good rating is credible but cannot be fully verified from what is publicly available. When you visit, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota (not a template), ask how many staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, and observe whether staff greet your parent by their preferred name and move without hurry.

The three questions to ask when you visit

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In Their Own Words

How Elmsfield House Ltd describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.

What Elmsfield House Ltd says about itself

Where professional care meets afternoon entertainment in Carnforth

Compassionate Care in Carnforth at Elmsfield House Limited

Families visiting Elmsfield House in Carnforth often comment on the structured approach to daily life, with residents enjoying regular afternoon activities and entertainment. This care home specialises in supporting people over 65, including those living with dementia. The professional staff team coordinates care from the moment someone arrives, whether that's from their own home or directly from hospital.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    Elmsfield House provides specialist dementia care alongside general support for people aged over 65. The team has experience helping residents transition into care, including coordinating moves directly from hospital discharge.

    How they describe their dementia care

    For those living with dementia, the home offers structured daily routines with regular afternoon activities. Staff understand the importance of consistency and professional support in dementia care.

    “If you'd like to see the pleasant visiting spaces and learn more about the activity programme, the team at Elmsfield House would be happy to show you around.”

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

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    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

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