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QuestionsThe things families actually ask, answered plainly
Everything we get asked on the phone and on visits, in one place. If yours is not here, ring 01206 304007 and a real person will answer.
Before you ring, and after
What happens if I ring at 8pm on a Sunday?
The call is answered by the senior member of staff on duty. They can give you information, arrange an urgent visit if that is the right thing to do, or take your details so the Home Manager rings you back the following morning. The home is staffed 24 hours a day, so somebody always picks up.
What happens on the first phone call?
We ask what is happening, who the care is for, what help they need at the moment and when it might start. We will say honestly whether Stronvar sounds right, and what to do if it does not. Then we arrange a time for you to come and look round.
Can we visit before we decide?
Yes, and we would much rather you did. Ring us and we will find a time that suits you, including evenings and weekends. Bring whoever needs to see it. There is no script and no sales tour. You will meet Peter, see the rooms that are free and meet the staff who would be looking after your relative.
What does the assessment involve?
Before anyone moves in, Peter or a senior member of staff meets your relative, talks with you, and reads anything the GP, hospital or social worker has provided. It is there to make sure we can look after them properly, and to tell you honestly if we cannot.
How quickly can someone move in?
It depends on room availability and on the assessment, which we arrange quickly. Once we have met your relative and agreed that Stronvar is right for them, a move can often be arranged in days rather than weeks. Ring 01206 304007 and we will tell you exactly where things stand.
What we do, and what we do not
Do you provide nursing care?
No. Stronvar is a residential home, not a nursing home. We help with washing, dressing, medication, meals and daily life, with staff on site 24 hours a day. If a resident comes to need nursing care we raise it with the family early and help find the right next step. More on our residential care page.
Do you support people living with dementia?
Yes, where their needs remain appropriate for a residential setting. We are not a specialist dementia unit, but a small home with the same familiar faces every day is often exactly what helps. Our dementia care page explains honestly what we can and cannot offer.
Do you offer short-term or respite stays?
Yes. Respite stays run from a few days to several weeks, with everything a permanent resident receives. Families use them for a break, for cover after a hospital stay, or as a trial before a permanent decision. It is often how families first get to know us.
What is day care?
A full day with us, including lunch cooked in our own kitchen, activities and company, then home again in the evening. It suits someone living alone, or a carer who needs a regular break. See our day care page.
What happens if my relative's needs change?
We tell you early and honestly. If a resident's needs grow beyond what a residential home can safely meet, we raise it with the family as soon as we see it and help you find the right next step, rather than waiting for a crisis.
Money, plainly
What do the fees depend on?
Fees depend on the care each resident needs and on the room, so a single figure would not quite fit your situation. Ring 01206 304007 and the Home Manager will give you current figures, or download our brochure, which includes the full fee sheet.
What is included in the fee?
The room, all meals, personal care, laundry, activities and staff on site 24 hours a day. There is no separate menu of extras to work through.
What about funding and Social Services?
Social Services funded placements and third party top ups may be considered, after a conversation with the Home Manager. Ring us even if you are not sure what your relative is entitled to. We deal with this every week and will point you at the right person. Our funding guide explains how it works in Essex.
What is a third party top up?
When the council agrees to fund a placement it pays up to a set rate. If the home a family chooses costs more than that, someone other than the resident, usually a relative, can agree to pay the difference. That is a third party top up. We consider them after a conversation with the Home Manager.
The small things that matter
Can my relative bring their own furniture?
Yes, and we hope they will. Every room is fully furnished, but residents are warmly encouraged to bring their own furniture, photographs and treasured possessions. People settle faster when the room already looks like theirs.
Is the food cooked on site?
Yes. Meals are prepared in our own kitchen and served at laid tables in the dining room. Dietary needs are catered for properly, not worked around. If someone would rather eat in their room, that is fine too.
When can we visit?
At any reasonable hour. There is no set visiting window. Come for lunch, come in the evening, bring the grandchildren. You will see the home as it actually is.
Can residents go outside?
Whenever they like. The garden is enclosed, with a lawn, mature trees and raised beds, and several ground floor rooms open straight onto the courtyard through their own patio doors.
How many people live at Stronvar?
Seventeen. That is the whole point of the place. One building, one dining room, and staff who know every resident and most of their families by name.
Where exactly are you, and is there parking?
Strangers Corner, Church Road, Brightlingsea, Colchester, Essex CO7 0QT, with parking on site. We regularly welcome families from Brightlingsea, Colchester, Wivenhoe, Alresford, Clacton-on-Sea, Elmstead Market and the wider Tendring area. Directions are here.
Guides for families
Some questions need more than a paragraph. These are written plainly, for families doing this for the first time.
How to choose a care home
What to look for, what to ask, and how to tell a good home from a brochure.
Read the guidePaying for care
Local authority funding, NHS continuing care, self-funding, and what happens when savings run down.
Read the guideMoving into a care home
What to bring, what the first week is really like, and how to help someone settle.
Read the guideStill have a question? Ring us
There is no question too small. Ring and a real person will answer, any hour of any day, or come and ask us in person over a cup of tea.
Or ring 01206 304007, any hour of any day.