Pioneering dementia care pilot scheme for Bury

Bury has been awarded £950,000 to create a pioneering scheme which will should improve the quality of life for people with dementia.

The work will be carried out at Rose Court, a privately run nursing and residential care home in Water Street, Radcliffe.

The project is one of 116 projects launched across the country with £50 million of Government money.

This grant will be used to renovate the care home to take into account the findings of a study conducted by the King’s Fund – Enhancing the Healing Environment – which said that a number of adjustments could be made to caring environments where people with dementia reside that could significantly improve the quality of people’s care.

Specific improvements at Rose Court:

* Create more space and comfort for residents by reducing the number of bedrooms from 109 to 85.

* Create a café, shop, a hairdresser’s, for use by residents, their family and carers

* Create a sensory garden and landscape the grounds

* Create a new sensory and multi-media room to help with memory stimulation

* Redecorate all the rooms to provide a calm environment, dementia-friendly furniture, non-slip flooring and grab rails

* Improved lighting

* Ensure that every resident will have a memory box and name plate at each room

In Bury there are around 2,000 dementia sufferers, and this is estimated to increase by 20% by the year 2020.

Coiuncillor Rishi Shori, cabinet membr for adult care, health and housing, said: “Last December the council committed Bury to becoming a ‘dementia friendly’ borough. This investment in dementia services at Rose Court is another step towards that aim, ensuring that people who need residential and nursing care get the best quality care available and that their families are supported as much as possible.”

“We want Rose Court to be a benchmark for quality, an exemplar of what other homes can aspire to.”

And Karen Davies, HC-One Rose Court Manager, said:"It is brilliant news that our bid for the Dementia Care grant was successful. The funding from this grant, as well as the additional funding from HC-One, means we will be able to further develop the facilities for dementia care at Rose Court and ensure we are always providing the kindest care to our residents. 

"We want to thank everyone who has helped to make the bid a success and we look forward to the work ahead."

ENDS

Press release issued: 30 July 2013.

Picture attached: Looking at the plans at Rose Court are (from left) Cllr Mike Connolly, leader of the council; Pat Jones-Greenhalgh, executive director of adult care services; Karen Davies, HC_One Rose Court manager; Bury South MP Ivan Lewis; and Cllr Rishi Shori, cabinet member for adult care, health and housing.