Member Article

First look inside the care home of the future

Vida Healthcare, a national provider of specialist dementia care, has cause for celebration as it announces the launch of its new state of the art care home, Vida Court, which has been built to transform the care available to people living with dementia. The home is set to officially welcome residents through its doors in November 2021.

Dubbed the care home of the future, Vida Court has been designed with innovative and industry-leading facilities to enhance resident’s daily living activities and wellbeing to the optimum potential. The 12 seater cinema, convenience store, hair salon, florist and coffee shop are included in the home of the future to provide residents with a level of normalcy and consistency with their previous home beyond the realms of a traditional care home.

The 68,000 square foot care home, located in the hamlet of Harlow Carr on the outskirts of Harrogate, will create over 200 jobs and has capacity for 100 residents. The bespoke design of Vida’s homes has led to the care provider becoming one of the leading specialists in dementia care, and receiving Outstanding status from the Care Quality Commission which places it in the top three percent of care home operators in the country.

Following the impact of Covid-19, the home has been designed so that each bedroom has a large glass window and every house within the home has a garden room to ensure good ventilation. Air exchange has been included to ensure clean air constantly flows throughout the building. The natural light and views from the windows and garden rooms will also maintain a good level of mental wellbeing for both staff, residents and their family members when visiting.

A continuous walkway has been incorporated into the design of every house within Vida Court as a crucial aspect of specialist dementia care provision. The walkways will enable residents to move freely throughout their home, and walk with purpose which supports individuals who like to keep active during their time with Vida Healthcare.

Technology will play a crucial role in facilitating an energising and positive living environment. Sensory TV windows, walls and artwork will provide residents with opportunities to interact with different environments and stimulate memories and positive behaviours which may have been buried due to their dementia. Circadian lighting has also been installed to help residents prepare naturally for sleep and waking to maintain a regular routine which supports effective caregiving.

James Rycroft, Managing Director at Vida Healthcare, commented: “At Vida we’re committed to delivering the highest quality care to people living with dementia from across the UK and beyond. We hope that Vida Court, which integrates the most cutting edge facilities and technology, will end the perception of care homes as a last resort.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming our new staff members and residents to our home of the future and leading the way in care delivery to some of our most vulnerable people. We hope that as more care home operators develop cutting edge care homes, the UK will become the global leader for high quality care for people with chronic conditions and the elderly.”

Vida Court has been designed by specialist interior designer, Nanu Soda, and built by Caddick Construction and offers an inviting and homely environment for residents to minimise stress, and support them as they transition from living at home to moving into a care home.

Alongside providing people living with dementia with specialist environments and care, Vida Healthcare also ensures that its staff are supported with a bespoke professional development training pathway. This not only ensures resident needs are met everyday, but provides staff with opportunities to achieve promotions and learn valuable caring skills.

James Rycroft added: “We believe that our staff are the lifeblood of Vida Healthcare and it’s essential that we continue to support them. The 200 new staff members who will be working at Vida Court will have access to the best training and development, which we provide in partnership with Vida Academy. This promotes lifelong learning across our homes and establishes our staff as true dementia ambassadors.”

Vida Court will welcome people living with dementia from across the UK. A first look is available for potential residents and their families on 6 September, with the home officially opening to residents in November.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucky North .