Wednesday February 11th 2026
Murray House
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Staff at a Borders dementia specialist care home “always take time” with the people they are looking after, according to a new report.
Murray House in Angraflat Road was paid an unannounced visit by two representatives of the Care Inspectorate on January 23.
The home, overseen by care provider Queens House (Kelso) Ltd, is currently registered to provide care to a maximum of 27 adults, nine with a physical disability and/or cognitive disability and 18 people living with dementia.
It is split into three units: Murray House East, Murray House West and Evanthea House.
Each unit has a sitting room, dining, kitchen, toilet, and bathing/facilities. Individual bedrooms are equipped with tracking hoists and have en-suite showers, toilets and wash-hand basins.
Key findings were that staff treated people using the service with genuine kindness and compassion.
People were offered a variety of stimulating activities which were meaningful and benefited their health and well-being.
Medication processes were safe and new audit processes were being developed to ensure all issues were identified and resolved promptly.
Some inconsistencies in essential health monitoring had been identified by the manager; however, improvements were still needed to ensure all actions were followed through to completion.
Overall, the home provided a warm, homely, and welcoming environment which was well-maintained and enhanced individuals’ comfort and well-being.
The service was rated ‘good’ for supporting people’s well-being and ‘very good’ for its setting.
A report states: “People experiencing care benefited from warm, respectful, and compassionate interactions with staff.
“Staff knew people well and demonstrated genuine kindness and patience when offering support.
“People’s preferred communication styles were understood and used consistently, helping individuals feel comfortable, listened to, and reassured.
“Relatives told us staff were ‘kind’, ‘supportive’, and ‘always take time with people’, which contributed to a positive and trusting atmosphere within the home.
“Nursing staff were present in the home at all times. This gave reassurance that people could access prompt and appropriate healthcare.
“Staff worked well with external professionals, including GPs, dieticians, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists. This supported people to receive the right care from the right person at the right time.”
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