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NW care home invest £7m in dementia centre

Heathlands Village care home in Manchester has announced a £7m redevelopment scheme, which will see the establishment of a dementia care centre at the existing site in Prestwich.

The care home, which is part of social care charity, The Fed, has commissioned architecture company Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams to design what they’ve said will be a new landmark site.

Work will include a complete refiguration of the internal and external areas of the site as well as the creation of a secure sensory garden and a community “hub” for families and carers.

The announcement has come during Dementia Awareness Week, alongside statistics that show over 80,000 people suffer from the condition in the North West today.

Last week, the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt suggested dementia has now replaced cancer as the most significant challenge for the NHS.

Karen Phillips, chief executive of The Fed and Heathlands Village, commented: “There couldn’t be a better time to announce plans for the redevelopment of Heathlands Village than during Dementia Awareness Week.

“Dementia is a growing problem: over 70 per cent of residents at Heathlands Village are living with the condition, and statistics suggest that this number will increase by over a third in the next 15 years.

“Given these statistics, it’s imperative that we have a facility which will allow us to deliver first-rate dementia care to people in a state-of-the-art environment.

“We have taken the decision to invest in our care infrastructure now so that, in years to come, current and future residents will be able to live their lives to the full, in surroundings which suit their varying needs.”

Andy Avery, design director at Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams, added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Heathlands Village on the provision of a modern new care home.

“This scheme will have a significant and positive impact on the lives of many in the North West region.”

A developer will soon be appointed to the project, following the completion of a tender process that is currently underway.

Work will begin on the site in September 2013, and it is anticipated the centre will open early in 2015.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .