Orders Of St John Care Trust Invests Over £1 Million In Dementia Refurbishments As Part Of Trust-Wide Strategy
A leading UK care provider has invested over £1 million towards enhancing the dementia care and facilities at two of its homes.
The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT), one of the UK’s largest not for profit care providers, is midway through a refurbishment project at Coombe End Court in Marlborough, Wiltshire, and has officially announced a £795,000 refurbishment project at The Polars, Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.
The Poplars, which currently houses nearly 40 older people from Lincolnshire, is set to undergo an extensive renovation project that will see the number of dementia beds increased to meet a growing demand for additional specialist care within the local area.
As part of the £795,000 extension, 11 new en-suite dementia bedrooms will be added to The Poplars, along with additional living, dining and communal areas. The scheme will be linked to the home’s existing A-wing corridor to promote seamless integration and movement of residents.
Meanwhile, the £240,000 dementia renovation project at Coombe End Court, which began during November 2015, has reached its midway point. The project, designed to refurbish and redecorate the 60-bed care home by improving the physical and social environment for people living with dementia, will include the addition of a ‘destination area’ featuring a ‘café and bistro, cinema, corner shop and an informal seating area, along with an update to the home’s existing hair salon.
Coombe End Court will also see its ground floor, 20-bed household undergo a major refurbishment to incorporate best practice dementia design, in addition to all staff that work with residents with dementia receiving enhanced training.
Kevin Hall, Acting Operations Director for OSJCT, said: “With over 850,000 people living with the condition throughout the UK, dementia is a growing issue being faced by many of our residents.
“As part of our Trust-wide strategy, we decided it was of the utmost importance to ensure that the facilities we offer people in the region are of the highest quality, especially when it comes to dementia care and design. As a result, we’ve pressed ahead with these two refurbishment projects that will allow us to provide a much higher quality of dementia care to families in both Lincolnshire and Wiltshire.
“As a Trust, we strive to deliver care to the highest of standards while always being responsive and flexible when it comes to the services and facilities we offer. With dementia becoming more common with every year that passes, our priority is to provide people with the very best care and facilities so that those living with the condition maintain the highest possible quality of life.”