Friars Lodge

18-20 Priory Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4HR

01582668494

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

4 March 2020

Provider

Friars Lodge Limited

Beds

20 beds

About Friars Lodge

Friars Lodge is a residential care home in Central Bedfordshire, offering personal care to older people, including those living with dementia. Details of the most recent CQC inspection are set out below.

Friars Lodge provides personal care for up to 20 people with various needs, including dementia, across two floors featuring communal areas and individual bedrooms. At inspection, 15 people were living at the service.

Residents reported receiving good care and felt well supported by staff to meet their needs. People described staff as kind, caring, and friendly, delivering care in a respectful manner. Residents said they were happy living at the service and found the staff and registered manager approachable and helpful.

Staff echoed this sentiment, with one team member describing the service as a 'home from home'.

Source: CQC inspection report, 21 March 2020

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder people

Photographs of the home

Practical details from the provider

The provider lists a large lounge, smaller private lounge, dining room, wet room and landscaped gardens.

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: 20 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · LU5 4HR

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.

Rating report published 21 March 2020. Latest inspection date recorded: 4 March 2020.

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

Read Friars Lodge'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 Friars Lodge, consider asking...

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

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Friars Lodge, look out for...

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

Could the NHS fund Friars Lodge'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.

Find out if the NHS could fund these fees