Investment In Care In Sunderland & North East
Care in Sunderland and the surrounding area has taken a dramatic change for the better, as Orchard Care Homes completes the first phase of a development project in five homes in the region, worth over half a million pounds of investment.
To officially launch the reopening of the homes, The Right Worshipful Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Alan Emerson, visited Archers Park in Farringdon, and spent time with the residents and care staff.
Having taken over the homes a year ago, Orchard Care Homes began regeneration work in the spring and has invested significant time and money in bringing the homes to the same high standards of care provision as the wider group. From cosmetic upgrades to the addition of pub spaces and the implementation of dementia strategies throughout the home, where tactile and visually stimulating environments are created with the purpose of supporting the lives of and enhancing the memories of those living with dementia.
The five homes are:
Archer’s Park, Farringdon, 40-bed / Archer’s Court, Farringdon, 40-bed / Ashlea Lodge, Millfield, 40-bed
Green Lodge, Billingham, 55-bed / Paddock Stile Manor, Houghton-le-Spring, 40-bed
The Mayor said; “I am very pleased to be officially launching the newly renovated homes in Sunderland, and thank Orchard Care Homes for choosing to invest in improving residential care home facilities for the citizens of Sunderland, and for ensuring the residents have a wide range of amenities and a varied programme of activities.”
A particular focus in the homes has been given to providing and tailoring facilities for men in the region, who are often overlooked in care home settings due to their minority. The group has made a commitment to ensure that men are adequately provided for, which has included the creation of a pub in several homes, a tinker shed in another, and a dedicated Men’s Wellbeing champion with a programme of activities in every home.
Comments Jackie Murray, Regional Operations Manager for Orchard Care Homes, “We are delighted with the refreshed look and feel of the homes, and there has definitely been an immediate impact on the residents and families living here, in addition to those who visit.
“We are providing high quality care for more than two hundred residents in the region, and the renovations are an important part of our journey to strive for even better, whilst attracting the best staff and talent that this industry and this region has to offer.”
Tracey Tomlinson, Director of Customer Experience, Orchard Care Homes, “This is a promising time for care in the Sunderland area, as we launch the first phase of development work in our homes.
“We are committed to establishing our homes at the heart of their communities. We have taken steps to implement a strategy into our new homes that specifically caters to the interests and needs of our male residents, irrelevant of their numbers in the home, to ensure they are not overlooked, and we have a passionate team on board to assist us with this vision.”
