9.8 out of 10
Independently verified family reviews on carehome.co.uk
Award-Winning Home
Essex County Council Prosper Award and Maldon in Bloom Gold 2025
Grade II Listed
A home with real character, not a purpose-built facility
Why Families Choose The Lodge for Respite
A respite stay should be more than just a bed and basic care while someone else takes a break. At The Lodge, respite guests are welcomed as part of the home from day one. They are served the same home-cooked meals, join the same activities, spend time in the same award-winning gardens, and are looked after by the same care team as everyone who lives here permanently. The only difference is the length of stay.
The Same Home, The Same Welcome
Respite guests stay in a comfortable, furnished private room in our Grade II listed home. You're welcome to bring personal items to make it feel familiar.
From the moment you arrive, our care team will get to know you: your preferences, your routine, what you enjoy. Within a couple of days, it won't feel like a short stay. It'll feel like home.
Award-Winning Gardens and Proper Outdoor Space
Our gardens won the Maldon in Bloom Gold Award in 2025. For respite guests, especially those recovering from a hospital stay, access to fresh air, natural light and genuine outdoor space can make a real difference to recovery and wellbeing.
This isn't a courtyard between buildings. It's a proper garden with raised beds, a vegetable patch, mature trees and stunning countryside views.
Led by Clare
Our home manager, Clare Hatcher, was Highly Commended for Outstanding Leadership at the Essex Prosper Awards in 2025. Clare sets the tone for the whole team, and respite guests benefit from the same culture of care as permanent residents.
The Lodge has just 25 residents. That means our care team will know your loved one quickly.
When Respite Makes Sense
Every family's circumstances are different, but these are the most common reasons people come to us for a short stay:
You Need a Break as a Carer
Caring for a loved one at home is demanding, and everyone needs time to recharge. A respite stay at The Lodge means your loved one is in safe, experienced hands while you rest, travel or simply have some time to yourself.
You'll know they're being looked after properly, in a real home, by people who'll treat them as an individual.
Recovery After a Hospital Stay
Coming home from hospital isn't always straightforward, especially if the home environment isn't set up for recovery.
A respite stay bridges that gap: 24-hour care, proper meals, gentle activity, and a calm environment to recover in. Our gardens and outdoor space are particularly beneficial during recovery.
Trying The Lodge Before a Permanent Move
This is one of the best reasons to book a respite stay. It gives your loved one a chance to experience life at The Lodge, meet the care team, settle into a routine and see how it feels, all without the pressure of a permanent commitment. Quite a few of our permanent residents started with a respite stay and decided they didn't want to leave.
Planned Respite Around Surgery or Events
If you have a planned hospital admission, a holiday, or a period where you know you won't be able to provide care, a respite stay can be booked in advance.
We'd always recommend getting in touch early to check availability, but we can sometimes accommodate shorter-notice requests if we have a room free.
Everything a Permanent Resident Gets, From Day One
We don't have a separate 'respite package'. Respite guests receive exactly the same care, facilities and daily life as every permanent resident. That includes:
- A comfortable, furnished private room in our Grade II listed home
- 24-hour personalised care from our trained and experienced team
- Home-cooked meals, snacks and drinks throughout the day
- Full access to our award-winning gardens and outdoor spaces
- A daily activities programme: gardening, arts and crafts, music, quizzes, outings
- Wi-Fi, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
- Housekeeping, laundry and maintenance
- Dementia support at no extra cost, if needed
En-suite rooms are available, subject to availability. You're welcome to bring personal items, photos and small furniture to make the room feel familiar during your stay.
Respite Rates
Respite stays start from £1,350 per week, all-inclusive. Everything listed above is included in the price, with no hidden extras.
Minimum Stay
The minimum respite stay is two weeks. There's no maximum. Some guests stay for a month or longer, and as mentioned, quite a few have chosen to make The Lodge their permanent home.
Booking
We'd recommend booking as early as possible, especially for planned stays around surgery dates or holidays. However, we can sometimes accommodate shorter-notice requests if the room is free.
The best first step is to give us a call or click below to start a care enquiry. We'll have a conversation about your loved one's needs, talk through availability, and if you'd like to visit the home before confirming, we'll arrange that too. There's no pressure and no obligation.
Start a Care Enquiry or call us on: 01621 398 582
What Happens If We Want to Stay?
It happens more often than you might think. A family books a two-week respite stay, their loved one settles in, and after a few days they start saying they don't want to leave. The care team knows them. They've got a favourite spot in the garden. They're joining the afternoon quiz. It feels like home.
If that happens, the transition from respite to permanent is straightforward. There's no complicated process, no re-application, no starting from scratch. We simply have a conversation about what you'd like to do, confirm room availability, and take it from there. The care plan is already in place. The relationships are already built. It's just a matter of saying yes.
There's absolutely no pressure either way. A respite stay is a respite stay. But if The Lodge turns out to be the right fit, we'll make the next step as easy as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a respite stay last?
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The minimum stay is two weeks. There's no maximum. Some guests stay for several weeks or months. If you'd like to extend a stay, just let us know and we'll check availability.
How much does respite cost?
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Private rooms from £1,350 per week, all-inclusive. Everything is included: meals, activities, care, laundry, Wi-Fi and streaming.
Is respite care the same as permanent care?
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Yes. Respite guests receive exactly the same care, meals, activities and access to facilities as permanent residents. The only difference is the length of stay. We don't have a separate 'respite level' of service.
Can I visit The Lodge before booking respite?
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Absolutely. If time allows, we'd always encourage you to visit first. You can see the home and gardens, meet the team, and ask any questions. Call 01621 398 582 to arrange a visit.
Can you accommodate respite at short notice?
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We'll always try. We have a dedicated respite room, and if it's available, we can often move quite quickly. For planned stays, we'd recommend booking as far ahead as possible.
Do you provide dementia respite care?
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Yes. Our team has particular expertise in dementia care, and we welcome respite guests living with dementia. Dementia care is included in the standard fee at no extra cost.
What if we decide to stay permanently?
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That's straightforward. If your loved one settles in and you'd like to make it permanent, we simply have a conversation about next steps. The care plan is already in place, and the relationships are already built. Several of our permanent residents came to us through respite.
What should we bring for a respite stay?
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Personal clothing, toiletries, and any comfort items that will help your loved one feel at home: photos, a favourite blanket, a familiar cushion. You're also welcome to bring small items of furniture if you'd like. We provide everything else.
Where is The Lodge?
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We're in Maldon, a historic riverside town in central Essex. Chelmsford is about 20 minutes by car, Witham is 15 minutes, Colchester around 35 minutes. Free on-site parking.
Recognised for Exceptional Care
The Lodge has been recognised twice by independent bodies for the quality of what we do. In 2023, we received the Prosper Achievement Award from Essex County Council for our standards of care. In 2025, our gardens won the Maldon in Bloom Gold Award, recognising the outdoor environment our residents, families and team have created together.
Our home manager, Clare Hatcher, was Highly Commended for Outstanding Leadership at the Essex Prosper Awards in 2025. It's recognition that reflects something families see every day at The Lodge: a home that's led with genuine care, not just managed. Clare knows every resident personally and sets the standard for the whole team.
When we say The Lodge feels like a family, it starts with her. Read our case studies to see the difference we make
Our 9.8 out of 10 review score on carehome.co.uk, collected independently from families and visitors, backs up what those awards reflect.
But the feedback that means the most to us comes from the families who visit every week and tell us their mum or dad is happier than they've been in years. That's what we're here for.
