£2 million transformation of adult care facility begins

A £2 million refurbishment of a rehabilitation centre for people who need to regain their confidence and skills to manage everyday living tasks has begun.

The renovation and extension of Killelea House in Bury will help people coming out of hospital to re-engage with their communities and help those who need a period of rehabilitation to continue living in their own homes and prevent hospital admissions. 

The centre provides therapy and treatment for adults following an illness or injury, and need intensive rehabilitation. The team includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and support staff, who help those who no longer need to be in hospital but are not physically ready to go home.

At the heart of the re-vamped building will be a fully equipped therapy hub where the focus will be on helping people to regain the confidence and skills they need to manage everyday living tasks and engage in their communities when they return home.

Four reablement flats will be created as a ‘halfway home’ option so people can ‘test’ out their abilities in the unit before going home. Updated equipment and assistive technology will also be used to reduce the length of stay and familiarise people with any kit before they need to make use of it at home. This is promoting a service of independence and wellness for the people of Bury.

A bistro café, hairdresser’s and a small shop will also encourage social interaction, boost local employment and provide income generation opportunities.

Councillor Trevor Holt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This is a fantastic scheme to meet the demands of a growing elderly population who will rely more and more on intermediate care services.

"The new Killelea will provide care and support for vulnerable people with the emphasis on increasing people’s independence to live on their own for longer."

The work is being carried out by H H Smith and Sons Co. Ltd and is expected to take 43 weeksto complete.

Pat Jones-Greenhalgh, executive director of communities and wellbeing at Bury Council, said: "These new facilities will provide up-to-date approaches to reablement, focusing on independence and reducing the likelihood of people being re-admitted to hospital or going into a residential home.”

While the rebuild is taking place, the IMC service has moved to The Beeches at Walshaw Hall.

Customers who were moved to The Beeches last week felt that it had gone smoothly, one describing it as “a walk in the park”. All were complimentary and said the staff had been very supportive ahead of their transfer. One resident, James LLoynds, said his stay at Killelea had been very positive and he now felt much more confident in his mobility.

ENDS

Press release issued: 8 February 2017.

Picture: At the start of the Killelea transformation are (from left) Christine Hesketh, registered manager for IMC; Gabriel Gallagher from builders H H Smith & Sons Co. Ltd; Pat Jones-Greenhalgh, executive director for communities and wellbeing; and the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Mike Connolly.