Ron Middleton VC Gardens

A nice place to retire

My grandfather has been a resident here for a few years now. Over the past two or so years there has been a real decline in the care here. The food is terrible. Recently he had to have sandwiches for dinner when they “ran out” of food for residents in his wing. This is so unacceptable and I’m unsure how this could ever happen. Overall the food quality has declined to the point that many residents refuse to eat it and are losing weight. Meals are also lacking in nutrition. (Eg Frozen fish fingers and chips etc with custard for dessert). Elderly people need healthy and freshly made meals full of lots of vegetables and protein - not deep fried rubbish and slop. My other concern relates to stimulation and activities for the residents. There seems to be a lack of both. The residents seem to be left in front of the television for hours and that’s that. Where is the music? Where are the sing-a-longs? Where are the visits from local preschool children to help improve the quality of life for the residents? If it weren’t for the fact that a change in facility would upset my grandfather to the point that we might lose him we would take him elsewhere. Please do better.

Both parents entered Ron Middleton October 2023. Our mum passed away in June 2024 and our dad passed in July 2024. I have given 4 /5 stars but if I could give 50 /50 to the Manager and staff I would. My reason for holding back on the 5th star is because I believe the hierarchy of this servicem along with the regulators etc do not do enough for the homes and any recrimination is left to manager and staff when those above then take nothing on board and do not provide appropriately for the homes needs. From my first involvement with the admin and .management I was impressed by the professionalism and tolerance I encountered. Robyn Rance appears to run a tight ship....whilst giving staff autonomy to do their specific tasks. Our parents were treated with the utmost respect and given dignity in their end of life. At no time did I witness any inappropriate behaviours by staff or management who worked within the parameters of their jobs. Meals were always an Issue with my mum, as they had been when at home. Dad ate everything he could without much complaint. There were times when they wouldnt eat, couldn't eat and staff presented different foods and options to please their palate. On one occasion when mum wasn't eating and it was mentioned that mum loved baked pumpkin, a staff member returned with a plate of baked pumpkin! My dad often had 4 or 5 meal tines, of custard which he could eat.. Meals were always a choice of 2.....and they worked hard to ensure residents were pleased with the foods on offer. There were hiccups with the care in the home. BUT MY ASSESSMENT ALWAYS SHOWED THESE RESULTED FROM HIGHER MANAGEMENT DIRECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS THAT WERE NOT ALWAYS REASONABLE AND OFTEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR STAFF TO IMPLEMENT. Staffing levels always seemed low. Again, often outside of the care managers ability to rectify. There were so many rules, do nots, not permitted, etc issues that impacted on the care which I saw staff do their best to negotiate ways around, just so they could DO their job to the best of their ability and for the best interests of the resident. Our family were heavily involved in our parents care and we tried hard to have someone see them every day. Staff shed as many tears as the family when we lost them and during their last time with us I personally felt staff gave as much care to me as my parents. I spent the last 28 hours beside my dad till he passed and I was treated extremely well and with honesty about the dying process. I would recommend this care home to anyone wanting a safe and accessible 24 hr care place for their loved one. I recommend that you be open and upfront and honest about ANY ISSUE that you or your loved one feel unhappy about, no matter how trivial. If you approach staff In an honest respectful manner I believe you will receive support and explanations and the issue will be remedied as I never found any problem too big or too small for them. My parents were always the focus. Thank you to the staff and RSL Lifecare for bring there for our family.

We were upset to see a couple of poor reviews in relation to occurrences at Ron Middleton and I would like to say unequivocally that this has NOT been our experience. We have found both management and staff to be helpful, supportive and solicitous. When needing to move our relative from another facility we made independent enquiries and received a formal and comprehensive assessment that was very favourable. Indeed, thus far, we consider ourselves to be very fortunate to have such a lovely and clean facility.

My sister moved into Ron Middleton Aged Facility in July 2021 from a previous aged care facility. From my initial contact through to the present time I have found Robyn and all the staff evidence professionalism, integrity and compassion. The respectful gentle manner I have observed with sometimes confused and anxious residents is impressive given the challenges of the last few years. The improvement in the quality her nutrition, her health care and especially her ability to have a wide variety of choice in activities and particularly library books enables her to be happy and comfortable.

If you are looking for a nursing home for your loved one, look no further. Over 6 years ago when we had to sadly choose a home for Mum, we discovered Ron Middleton nursing home. Ron Middleton is home where the residents have their own rooms and bathrooms with not having to share with anyone else. It’s a home that doesn’t smell like a hospital, so although a it’s nursing home, it’s actually more like a home away from home. We were welcomed from day 1 and immediately we were made to feel like family, and effectively that’s what happens, the staff as well as other residents and their families become your extended family. The staff have always been exceptional with our Mum, from diet to daily routines including her religious beliefs ensuring that she is catered for in all aspects. We have been through a couple of tumultuous years with Covid and floods yet the home with their amazing management were transparent and worked with us and kept us in the loop with everything that was happening to ensure our loved ones were safe. The management and staff are always friendly and welcoming no matter what time of the day we arrive, and Mum is always happy whenever we are there. Great facilities, fantastic inclusiveness and fabulous staff. Very grateful that we chose Ron Middleton for Mum.

We recently had to deal with a very serious and sensitive family issue. I found management extremely professional in their manner in dealing with this situation, I can't thank them enough. I have had lots of experience with nursing homes and Ron Middleton VC Gardens is one of the best around. I think they mostly do an amazing job as looking after people's loved ones in not easy.

Not even worth a star! Extremely poor management