Care Homes in Dorchester
Dorchester has 11 CQC registered care homes. 11 are rated Good. 3 of the 11 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Dorchester at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Dorchester, to help you judge the options below.
- Dorset Council pays, residential care: £1,156 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,400 to £1,650, median £1,549
- Care home beds filled across Dorset: 83%. The 12 month average is 83%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 59
- People aged 75 and over: 66,500. Rising to 78,700 by 2035, up 18%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 1 opened, 1 closed. 9 changed owner, covering 422 beds.
- Who pays, across Dorset (estimate): 33% council, 57% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 8,600. Rising to 11,000 by 2035, up 28%
- People aged 85 and over: 17,900. Rising to 27,800 by 2035, up 55%
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Planning and paying for a care home place in Dorchester
Beginning with an assessment
An assessment of need is free and available to anyone who appears to require care and support, whatever their savings. The practitioner will look at washing, dressing, eating, managing medicines, mobility and safety at home, and at how much a relative has been quietly absorbing. The written record that follows becomes the yardstick for judging whether a home can meet the need. Having it before you visit anywhere converts a general anxiety into a specific list you can test each home against.
Working out who pays
A financial assessment follows the assessment of need. Capital above the national threshold means funding a placement privately, while people below it receive a contribution towards the weekly fee, and a property is disregarded in certain circumstances, such as where a partner continues to live in it. Both assessments are arranged through Dorset Council adult social care, which also commissions funded placements and reviews them. Where health needs are substantial, ask about NHS continuing healthcare, which is assessed clinically rather than on means.
Getting a clear view of fees
Weekly fees vary between homes and between rooms in the same home, shaped by room size, whether there is an ensuite and the level of support needed. Ask for a written schedule separating what the fee covers from what is billed on top, since hairdressing, chiropody, outings and newspapers usually sit outside it. Ask how often fees are reviewed, what notice is given of a rise, and what happens if savings fall towards the threshold while someone is living there.
Choosing between the Dorchester homes and what to check
When every home is rated the same
All eleven homes here hold a Good rating, which means the rating cannot do your shortlisting for you. Open the reports and read the detail instead. Inspectors describe staffing levels, how people spend their day, how the home responds when someone is distressed and how families are involved, and homes with identical ratings often read very differently. Note the inspection dates as well, because a home assessed recently offers more current evidence than one judged several years ago.
What a visit adds
Call in more than once and at different hours, including late afternoon when the day has lost its shape. Watch whether staff speak to residents in passing rather than only while carrying out a task, and whether people who cannot move easily are still part of the room. Ask how long the manager has been in post, how many staff have been there over a year and how much agency cover is used, because continuity shapes the experience more than furnishings do.
Matching the home to the person
With quality broadly settled, fit becomes the deciding factor. Consider travel for the relatives who will visit most often, whether a lively or a quieter household suits better, and whether diet, faith or first language need accommodating. Ask what the home does when needs increase, and what happens if nursing care becomes necessary, since all of these homes are registered for personal care rather than nursing. Homes such as Wolfeton Manor, Park House and Maiden Castle House each have their own character, and that is worth testing in person.
11 care homes in Dorchester
- Culliford House · Icen Way, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1ET
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Mrs Suzanne Jackson
Culliford House is a residential care home in Dorchester for older people who need help with daily living. We support people living with dementia and people with mental health needs, and we offer respite stays as well as permanent places....
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Respite Care - Wolfeton Manor · 16 East Hill, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9QL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Wolfeton Manor Healthcare Limited
Wolfeton Manor is a residential care home in Dorchester, Dorset, providing a home for older people who would rather not manage on their own any longer. Our residents arrive for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes the house had become too much...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Respite Care - Grassington House · 50 Prince Of Wales Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1PP
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Grassington House Care Home Ltd
Grassington House is a residential care home in Dorchester, Dorset, providing a settled home for older people who need support with daily living. We care for residents living with dementia, and we offer respite stays for people who need...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Encompass Care Respite Accommodation and Outreach Service · Encombe, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1PW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Encompass Care Organisation UK
We at Encompass Care Respite Accommodation and Outreach Service are proud to offer a welcoming residential care home in Dorchester, Dorset, providing specialist support for adults with a wide range of needs. Our home is a place where...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Maiden Castle House · 12-14 Gloucester Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2NJ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Care South
Maiden Castle House is a residential care home in Dorchester, caring for older people who can no longer manage safely on their own. We aim for the feel of a household rather than an institution, with people keeping their own routines,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Selwood House Care Home · Chestnut Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9FN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Country Court Care Homes 2 Limited
Selwood House Care Home is in Dorchester, providing residential care for older people who can no longer manage safely on their own. We keep the feel of a house rather than a unit, with people keeping their own habits, their own belongings...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Grove Lodge · Hyde Crook, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9NW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Hyde Crook Nursing Home Limited
At Grove Lodge, we provide residential and dementia care for older people in the heart of Dorchester, Dorset. We also offer respite care for those who need a short term stay, whether that is to recover after a period in hospital or to give...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Cheriton Care Home · 10 Weymouth Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2EN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Cheriton Care Centre Limited
Cheriton is a residential care home in Dorchester, Dorset. We are home to older people, including many living with dementia, and we support younger adults too. Respite stays are part of what we do. We try to run an ordinary household...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Montrose Care Home · 40 Prince Of Wales Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1PW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Gingerbread Care Limited
Montrose Care Home is a residential home in Dorchester, Dorset. We are a permanent home to older people, and we also offer respite stays for those needing care for a short period or whose family carer needs a break. Most of our residents...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Respite Care - Glencairn Residential Home · 16-17 Cornwall Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1RU
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Gingerbread Care Limited
Glencairn Residential Home is in Dorchester. We provide residential care for older people, including those living with dementia and people with a physical disability, and we offer respite stays. We are a residential home rather than a...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Respite Care - Park House · Martinstown, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9JN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Park House Care (UK) Ltd
We are a residential care home in Dorchester supporting adults with a wide range of needs. The people who live here include older people, younger adults, people living with dementia, adults with learning disabilities, autistic people,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
What care costs in Dorset, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care South West figure, because too few Dorset homes publish this price. 52 homes. Median £1,549. | £1,156 | £1,400 to £1,650 |
| Nursing care South West figure, because too few Dorset homes publish this price. 16 homes. Median £1,810. | £1,183 | £1,599 to £1,983 |
| Residential dementia care South West figure, because too few Dorset homes publish this price. 19 homes. Median £1,665. | Not published separately | £1,450 to £1,813 |
| Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few Dorset homes publish this price. 75 homes. Median £2,050. | Not published separately | £1,890 to £2,221 |
Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.
Inspected most recently
- Montrose Care Home, 23 February 2026, Good
- Glencairn Residential Home, 21 January 2026, Good
- Grove Lodge, 13 November 2025, Good
Longest since a report
- Encompass Care Respite Accommodation and Outreach Service, 5 June 2018, Good
- Grassington House, 12 September 2018, Good
- Culliford House, 10 May 2022, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Dorchester
How many care homes are there in Dorchester?
Dorchester has 11 CQC registered care homes: 11 Good. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a care home cost in Dorchester?
Dorset Council pays an average of £1,156 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,400 to £1,650 a week. South West figure, because too few Dorset homes publish this price. 52 homes. Median £1,549. Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price.
Which care homes in Dorchester were inspected most recently?
Montrose Care Home (23 February 2026), Glencairn Residential Home (21 January 2026) and Grove Lodge (13 November 2025) have the most recent CQC reports.