Care Homes in Rochester
Rochester has 23 CQC registered care homes. 14 are rated Good, 5 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate, and 3 have not yet been rated. 13 of the 23 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Rochester at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Rochester, to help you judge the options below.
- Medway Council pays, residential care: £875 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,500 to £1,809, median £1,600
- Care home beds filled across Medway: 90%. The 12 month average is 87%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 64
- People aged 75 and over: 23,900. Rising to 26,900 by 2035, up 13%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 1 opened, 2 closed
- Who pays, across Medway (estimate): 51% council, 28% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 3,100. Rising to 3,700 by 2035, up 21%
- People aged 85 and over: 5,800. Rising to 8,500 by 2035, up 47%
Planned and recent building work within 5 miles
- 6 Capstone Road Lordswood Chatham Medway. Application for a 6 bed care home through a change of use. Submitted 15 October 2025. Decision not yet recorded. (3.1 miles away)
- Land South Of Innovation Centre Medway Maidstone Road Chatham Medway. Application for a 80 bed care home. Submitted 1 July 2026. Decision not yet recorded. (3.7 miles away)
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Arranging a care home place in Rochester and meeting the cost
A list with grades this varied makes the reading matter more, though the practical steps are the same whichever home is eventually chosen. Both begin with an assessment rather than a viewing.
The care needs assessment
An assessment is free, is not means tested and is open to anyone who appears to need care. A social worker or occupational therapist will consider washing and dressing, meals, medication, mobility, continence and safety alone overnight, taking account of what relatives have observed as well as what the person says. Medway Council Adult Social Care carries out that assessment and the financial assessment that follows it. If residential care is the recommendation, the reasons are written into a support plan which travels with the person, and a separate carer's assessment is available to the relative who has been providing support.
Fees, contributions and top ups
The financial assessment examines income, savings and capital. Above the national threshold the placement is privately funded and the contract is made directly with the home; below it, the council contributes up to a level it judges sufficient to meet assessed needs. Where a family prefers a home charging more than that, a third party top up may be requested, and it should be affordable for years rather than months. Ask each home for its weekly rate in writing, for a list of what is charged separately, and for confirmation of how much notice is given before fees are increased.
Choosing between the care homes in Rochester
Here the grades do real work, and the reports behind them do more.
Taking the ratings seriously
Thirteen homes are rated Good, six are rated Requires Improvement, one is rated Inadequate and two carry no rating. Where a home has been rated Inadequate or Requires Improvement, the report sets out exactly what inspectors found, whether that concerned staffing, medicines, safety or leadership, and what the provider was instructed to put right. Read the date as closely as the finding, because a home under new management can improve quickly, and a home that was strong three years ago may not be strong now. Where a home is rated Good, look at what inspectors said about staffing levels and how residents are supported to make choices.
What to look for on the visit
Call in at a busy hour rather than a convenient one, and see the home twice if you can. Watch how staff speak to residents who cannot easily reply, whether people appear occupied, and how long anyone waits after asking for help. Ask how long the manager has been in post, what turnover has been like and how the home supports someone whose needs increase. If the home has been rated below Good, ask precisely what has changed since and look for evidence rather than reassurance. Ask about meals, visiting and night staffing as well, and notice whether the manager seems to know the residents by name or only by room number.
23 care homes in Rochester
- Care Home · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Avenues South East - 2a Higham Road · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Yew Tree Holdings · Rochester, Medway · CQC Requires improvement
- Lake View Lodge · Rochester, Medway
- The Kent Autistic Trust - 52a River Drive · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Sinon House Therapeutic Unit · Rochester, Medway · CQC Requires improvement
- Frindsbury House · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Lake View Lodge · Rochester, Medway
- Jersey Road · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Welcome House - Nickleby Lodge · Rochester, Medway · CQC Requires improvement
- Chimnies Residential Care Home · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Downers Court · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Avenues South East - 74 Wilson Avenue · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Sir Evelyn Road · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Watts Healthcare · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Grafton Lodge · Rochester, Medway · CQC Requires improvement
- Millstream House · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Welcome House - The Chestnuts · Rochester, Medway · CQC Inadequate
- Orchard View · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- House · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- Castle View House · Rochester, Medway · CQC Good
- St Williams · Rochester, Medway
- Lizbis Care Home · Rochester, Medway · CQC Requires improvement
What care costs in Medway, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care South East figure, because too few Medway homes publish this price. 107 homes. Median £1,600. | £875 | £1,500 to £1,809 |
| Nursing care South East figure, because too few Medway homes publish this price. 63 homes. Median £1,933. | £1,126 | £1,617 to £2,080 |
| Residential dementia care South East figure, because too few Medway homes publish this price. 82 homes. Median £1,709. | Not published separately | £1,571 to £1,942 |
| Nursing dementia care South East figure, because too few Medway homes publish this price. 37 homes. Median £2,050. | Not published separately | £1,975 to £2,226 |
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
- Chimnies Residential Care Home, 22 September 2026, Good
- Sir Evelyn Road, 16 September 2026, Good
- Frindsbury House, 10 August 2026, Good
Longest since a report
- Avenues South East - 2a Higham Road, 11 January 2018, Good
- Downers Court, 31 July 2018, Good
- Avenues South East - 74 Wilson Avenue, 8 September 2018, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Rochester
How many care homes are there in Rochester?
Rochester has 23 CQC registered care homes: 14 Good, 5 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate, 3 not yet rated. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a care home cost in Rochester?
Medway Council pays an average of £875 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,500 to £1,809 a week. South East figure, because too few Medway homes publish this price. 107 homes. Median £1,600. 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 Rochester were inspected most recently?
Chimnies Residential Care Home (22 September 2026), Sir Evelyn Road (16 September 2026) and Frindsbury House (10 August 2026) have the most recent CQC reports.