Enter and view: Oasis House Residential Home

Healthwatch Bedford Borough conducted an announced Enter and View visit to Oasis House on 19 February 2026 as part of its ongoing work programme. Oasis House is a care home for up to 30 older people living with all stages of dementia, and the home was operating at full capacity at the time of the visit. 

They found the home to have a calm, welcoming and inviting atmosphere. The building is spread across three floors and includes a well-designed, accessible garden with raised flower beds, covered seating areas and outdoor activities for residents. Residents were observed taking part in activities, while quieter spaces were also available for those who preferred them. 

The home had a stable workforce with long-serving staff and only one vacancy at the time of the visit. Records had been managed digitally for more than eight years, and staff received mandatory training, including Oliver McGowan training and induction support for new recruits.

Oasis House had access to a range of healthcare services, including GP support, pharmacy services, dental care, optometry, chiropody and district nursing. However, the home reported challenges with external services, particularly long waiting times for speech and language therapy and limited support from dementia services. Staff also expressed concerns about communication from district nurses and hospital discharge practices. 

The report highlighted several positive examples of safe and person-centred care. The home was piloting an artificial intelligence monitoring device that could detect when residents left their beds, identify potential falls and communicate directly with residents to determine whether assistance was needed. Individual residents' fire safety needs were clearly identified, and shower temperatures had been adjusted to be dementia friendly. Relatives reported that their loved ones felt safe living at the home.

Residents and relatives generally spoke positively about the service. Staff were described as compassionate, professional, friendly and good communicators, and the home benefited from strong staff retention, which promoted continuity of care. One relative described finding Oasis House as "hitting the jackpot" because of the improvements they had seen in their loved one's wellbeing.

The inspection found some areas where communication and information could be improved. Daily activity information displayed within the home was out of date, and although staff wore different coloured uniforms, it was not always easy for residents and visitors to identify staff roles. The management team was described as approachable and operated an open-door policy. 

Residents reported having choice and control over their daily lives, including when they got up, when they went to bed, what they wore and how they spent their time. They were involved in menu planning, with menus reviewed three times a year, and alternative meal options were available. Residents gave positive feedback about the quality of food and the availability of refreshments. 

The home offered a wide range of activities, including arts and crafts, music sessions, games, trips to parks and the town centre, and hand massages for bed-bound residents. Residents said they enjoyed both the activities and the companionship of other people living in the home. 

Feedback systems were in place, with complaints recorded and action plans developed. Residents said they felt able to raise concerns with staff. However, one relative reported not being involved in care planning and said they had not attended residents' or relatives' meetings.

The main challenges identified by the home were securing sufficient funding for residents requiring one-to-one support and managing situations where family instructions conflicted with staff views on residents' best interests.

Overall, Healthwatch found Oasis House to be a caring and supportive environment with positive resident experiences and committed staff. The report made four recommendations: reintroducing regular relatives' meetings, introducing a "You Said, We Did" board, ensuring wet-floor warning signs are consistently displayed during cleaning, and providing an information board explaining staff uniforms and roles.