An inspirational new £7.5 million dementia specialist care home has been given the go-ahead in Warwick after being granted planning permission.
Designed for WCS Care, which operates 12 care homes across the county with almost half recognised as ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the state-of-the-art replacement care home will sit on the existing site of Woodside on Spinney Hill.
Built over 50 years ago, Woodside provided long-term residential and short-term respite care for older people and people with dementia. However, as one of the Warwickshire-based charity’s older homes, it was due for an upgrade.
It closed earlier this year with residents moving to Castle Brook in Kenilworth until building work on the new home is complete.
WCS Care will create a deluxe ‘village experience’ for 72 older people and people with dementia that includes family-scale households for up to six people, with ensuite showers and toilets for everyone.
There will also be a relaxing spa, pamper salon, deluxe cinema, shop, and coin-operated, fully staffed, traditional launderette, as well as table tennis and companion cycling for two – all to ensure the people who live there enjoy life as much as possible.
It will feature the latest technology designed to enhance and integrate into daily life without being intrusive, including circadian rhythm lighting and night-time acoustic monitoring to help ensure a good night’s sleep.
Smart phone apps connected to electronic care planning will mean carers spend more time with residents in the household, rather than in lengthy handovers. It’s linked to a Relatives’ Gateway, where people can check and interact with their loved one’s care 24-hours a day, wherever they are.
Ed Russell, WCS Care’s director of innovation and delivery, says: ‘We’re delighted that our inspirational new home has been given the go-ahead and that we’ll be able to continue to meet the aspirations of residents in Warwick for many years to come.
‘We’ve brought many of the ideas that have already had a positive impact on health and wellbeing for people living with dementia into the design for our new home in Warwick – such as our traditional launderette, table tennis, and deluxe cinema – along with a host of new features such as circadian rhythm lighting.
‘It’s a really exciting time at WCS Care as we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and creativity in care to ensure every day is well lived.’
Work is set to begin this summer with the new home scheduled to open in Spring 2019.
