The mayor of Poole, councillor Marion Le Poidevin, officiated at the grand opening of Oakdale care home, joined by members of the community and local healthcare professionals.
Guests were given the opportunity to take a tour of the new purpose-built 84-bed, residential, nursing and dementia care home based in Kingsmill Road. Key features of the home were unveiled, such as the tranquil spa room for residents and the bistro, which is the real heart of the home, providing residents with the chance to catch up with visiting friends and relatives over a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake.
Rachel Dryden, chief executive officer at Encore, says: “This is the third home we have opened in Dorset, and with each build we have learned from the previous home and made slight tweaks over the years that will benefit our residents. For example, all floors in the home are carpeted in order to minimise noise which helps reduce anxiety for our residents with dementia.
“We are so proud of what we have achieved at Oakdale. We believe that we have made our vision a reality, of creating an environment that not only supports residents’ care, but also the wellbeing of our team. It is our team that turns the building from bricks and mortar into a home and their kindness and compassion really shines through in everything that they do.”
Attendees also had the chance to meet with members of the care team who introduced the new training room that is also available for members of the community to use.
David Taylor, home manager of Oakdale, explains: “We are committed to serving our local community and look forward to getting to know our neighbours over the coming months. We hope the public will use this learning resource and in return give us the opportunity to get to know them. We will provide all visitors with a warm welcome and some homemade cakes.”
The home’s architecture has been designed with resident wellbeing at its core. The building’s spacious communal areas, large floor-to-ceiling windows and verandas ensure the home is flooded with natural light, creating a warm and bright ambiance. The building’s layout has also been created to allow residents to spend time with friends in the numerous lounges that are located on each floor. There are also cosy ‘snug’ areas in the home to enable residents to enjoy some quiet time for themselves.
