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Exterior at Elmside
Photo: MHA. Used with permission.
Rated:GoodResidential

Elmside

Elmside Walk, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1HB
01462451737
Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

7 January 2026

Provider

Methodist Homes

Beds

69 beds

About Elmside

Elmside is a residential care home located in Hertfordshire, East of England. Its registered care categories include dementia and older people. The home has 69 beds. CQC records an overall rating of Good, published in March 2026. The home is operated by Methodist Homes.

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder people

Photographs of the home

Exterior at Elmside
Exterior at Elmside. Photograph from the provider’s website.Photo: MHA. Used with permission.

Practical details from the provider

  • The provider lists furnished single en-suite rooms and couples' suites.
  • Shared facilities include lounges, a hairdressing salon and landscaped gardens with patios.

Published on the provider's website, checked 20 September 2026. Confirm arrangements with the home before deciding.

Fees and availability

We have not verified a current weekly fee for this home. Ask for a written quote based on the room and care needed, including any extra charges.

Check current vacancies, the admission assessment and visiting arrangements directly with the home.

Care and inspection details

Checked against the CQC register on 20 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service
Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity
69 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked
Registered · SG5 1HB

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Dementia.

These describe the registration. The home must assess whether it can meet the individual person's needs and whether a place is available.

CQC ratings in more detail

Overall rating shown by CQC: Good.

Assessment published 3 March 2026. Assessment date recorded: 7 January 2026.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 3 March 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of Inspection: 13 January 2026 to 3 February 2026. This inspection was unannounced.

Elmside is a purpose-built building providing accommodation and personal care to 60 older people at the time of the inspection. The service is registered to support up to 69 people.

At our last inspection, published 21 July 2018, we rated this service as good.

Since our last inspection, there was a new manager in post. They had been in post 3 months at the time of our visit. The service had systems in place to help ensure people received a good standard of care and staff were supported and trained. The new manager had identified areas that needed addressing and development. There were systems in place to improve people’s lives and experiences, and they were motivated to ensure people were happy and well cared for. They were well supported by an experienced deputy manager.

Medicines management systems were in place and managed well. Records were clear and accurate.

Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns relating to abuse. Information was displayed and safeguarding concerns were reported appropriately.

Infection prevention control was practiced. The environment was clean and well maintained.

The management team spent time around the home providing support and guidance. People, relatives and staff were positive about their presence, guidance and approach.

People, relatives and staff had opportunities for meetings and sharing their views. People’s choices were sought, and they were supported in accordance with their wishes and needs. Relatives were involved with people’s care planning and reviews.

Mealtime experiences were pleasant, staff checked on people to help ensure people ate well and enjoyed their food. More development would be beneficial for the staff when supporting people living with dementia with their mealtime. People felt they had enough to do, and they had appropriate access to health and social care support services.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs, however some people did feel they may need to wait for support at times. Staff were positive about the service they provided, the management team and liked working there.

Safe
Good
Effective
Good
Caring
Good
Responsive
Good
Well-led
Good

Read Elmside's CQC record and reports.

Contains Care Quality Commission information under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings and registration details can change after the date checked.

5 Questions to Ask on Your Visit

When visiting Elmside, consider asking...

  1. 1.What specific dementia training do staff receive and how recently?
  2. 2.How do you support a resident who becomes distressed or confused?
  3. 3.How does the home keep a record of a resident's life history and personal preferences?
  4. 4.How do you involve families as dementia progresses and communication becomes harder?
  5. 5.What happens when a resident's dementia reaches an advanced stage?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Elmside, look out for...

  1. 1.Is the environment calm, uncluttered and easy to navigate?
  2. 2.Do staff speak to residents with patience and dignity, even if they repeat themselves?
  3. 3.Are there memory cues around the home -- photos, familiar objects, clear signage?
  4. 4.Do residents seem settled and safe, or agitated and unsupervised?
  5. 5.Is there meaningful activity happening, or are residents just sitting quietly with nothing to do?

Could the NHS fund Elmside's fees?

The average nursing home costs £1,535 per week. That's £79,820 a year. NHS Continuing Healthcare could cover all of it. No means test, no contribution from you.

Location

Elmside Walk, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1HB

CQC Logo

Elmside

CQC overall rating

Good

Assessment date: 7 January 2026

View full inspection report
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