Member Article

Work begins on ground-breaking dementia care home

The Chairman of North Tyneside, Councillor Tommy Mulvenna, has officially broken the turf to signal the start of work on Eothen Homes’ unique new care facility in Wallsend for elderly people and those with dementia.

Trustees from the Christian charity joined Councillor Mulvenna for the ceremony at the two-acre site, where Eothen is building a £6.2 million, 60-bed home that will be the first of its kind in the North East.

Designed using the latest research into the needs of people living with dementia, the home will provide a family environment where quality of life is at the top of the agenda.

Residents will live in four ‘family home’ units within the building, with large en-suite bedrooms, open plan kitchens and lounge areas. Eight flats are included in the development to allow partners or spouses to live independently but stay close to their loved ones who require specialist care. Communal areas of interest include a sensory garden with an aviary, fish pond and other animals. A key part of the design is freedom, security and space.

Around 850,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, according to figures from the Alzheimer’s Society, which also found eight in 10 older people in residential care have either dementia or issues with memory. One in six over-80s in the UK has dementia.

Eothen Homes chief executive, Jenny Hearl, said: “We are creating a really innovative home from home for elderly residents and people living with dementia, inspired by the pioneering Hogewey Village concept in The Netherlands.

“Our Wallsend facility will provide residents with a homely but stimulating and social environment, which research has shown can help improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, and in some cases slow the condition’s advance. Residents will be able to take part in creative tasks and activities, and care for the animals in the sensory garden.

“There is nothing like this in the North East and we are proud that Eothen Homes is setting a new standard for dementia care in the region.”

Surgo Construction has been appointed as the lead contractor on the new building, which is scheduled to open its doors to its first residents at the end of March next year. The new facility will create 42 new jobs.

The Chairman of North Tyneside, Councillor Mulvenna said: “I’m delighted to be breaking the turf on this fantastic project which will put Wallsend on the map as a centre for dementia care in the North East.

“Not only is the development a new concept for the region, but it will also create new jobs for North Tyneside.”

Eothen Homes is a registered charity based in Jesmond in Newcastle. It was set up in 1950 and runs high-quality homes for elderly people in Gosforth, Whitley Bay and Sutton in Surrey.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Astute.Work .