Member Article

North East not-for-profit expands residential care offer for dementia patients

A North East not-for-profit organisation which specialises in care and service provision for people living with dementia is expanding its full-time residential care services in order to meet client demand.

Dementia Care, which is this year celebrating its 25th anniversary as a registered charity, has created three further dementia-specific residential bedrooms at its Bradbury Centre facility in Brunswick Village, Newcastle, bringing its total bed count to eight.

The spacious rooms have been created by converting what was formerly used as office space for the charity. The rooms all boast modern design features and external windows, some with views of the landscaped gardens. There is also one double room to facilitate couples coming into care together.

Lindy Greenwood, head of operations at Dementia Care, said:

“We have always operated a respite care service at The Bradbury Centre which was housed above our day service centre. When we started to receive feedback from part-time residents saying that they wished they could live there permanently, we decided to apply for permission to convert our respite unit into five residential bedrooms.

“We managed to fill these initial rooms very quickly so expanding the service was always something we had thought about doing, but we wanted to do it in such a way that put the needs of the people we care for first.

“For many people living with dementia, moving into residential care can be incredibly scary and disorientating and can cause their condition to deteriorate faster. Research has shown that providing bespoke care in a more intimate environment helps people to feel more settled more quickly which is why we have opted to grow our care service in gradual stages.”

Dementia Care now operates two “pods” of rooms, the original pod containing five bedrooms and the new pod, three. Each pod has two dedicated members of staff on hand 24/7, with support from other part-time staff and carers. This high staff to resident ratio helps people to feel more at ease and allows them to live more independently for longer as their health is less likely to suffer rapid decline due to stress.

Residents can take advantage of the full array of day centre activities and amenities that The Bradbury Centre has to offer, including an on-site hairdressing and beauty salon, crafts room, TV lounge with pool table and the innovative Tovertafel, which allows residents to play specially designed, interactive games together which stimulate their cognitive reflexes.

Dr Fraser Quin, chief executive at Dementia Care, added:

“We are delighted with the work that has been carried out to develop our residential care services at The Bradbury Centre.

“Listening and responding to the needs of the people we care for has enabled us to venture into residential care in a uniquely bespoke way which sets us apart from other care providers.

“Client reactions to the new offer has been extremely positive so I fully anticipate that we will look to expand this service again in the near future.”

In addition to its residential offering, Dementia Care provides 24-hour home care and day services to people living with dementia, as well as specialist training and practical support for carers and family members.

The organisation is hosting a special anniversary conference at The Sage, Gateshead on 25 October where keynote speakers and medical professionals will discuss the latest developments in dementia specific care.

For more information about Dementia Care visit www.dementiacare.org or for conference tickets, visit bit.ly/DementiaCare25.

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