Yahoo News St Austell to get new care home to look after 76 people with dementia
Plans have been unveiled for a purpose-built 76-bed care home near St Austell. The outline planning application is for a new care home on the grounds of an existing care home, Hendra Court in Par.
The plans were submitted by architectural practice Poynton Bradbury Architects on behalf of Cornwallis Care Services. According to the Local Neighbourhood Plan, the parish of Tywardreath and Par has an ageing demographic with one in four residents living with a limiting, long-term illness.
It said the new care home will increase the provision of residential care facilities in the area and help meet demand. Managing director of Cornwallis Care Services, Stuart Clarkson, said: “The plans for increased dementia and mental health beds in Par are critical for Cornwall Council to achieve their strategy for care home provision. Put quite simply, there is insufficient care provision for dementia health nursing in mid Cornwall.”
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Mr Clarkson says Cornwall Council favours building new care homes and creating dementia-friendly environments over a reliance on changes to existing care home buildings to improve living standards. Stuart added: “New care homes enable the provision of technology-enabled care and this in turn promotes independence.”
Hendra Court currently provides both residential and nursing care for 50 residents, many of whom are living with dementia. The existing accommodation includes an historic house and a series of single-storey extensions to the rear, which were built to meet an increased demand for care beds over the years.
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Mr Clarkson said: “Many of the buildings are becoming increasingly difficult to adapt to meet improved care home standards.” The proposed development will involve the demolition of 18 existing care bedrooms and the construction of a replacement care home, supporting residents with dementia and nursing needs.
The accommodation is organised around a shared communal courtyard, which sits at the heart of the scheme, with views out towards the historic house and wooded landscape beyond. Access to secure outdoor space will help to improve the health and wellbeing of residents by promoting physical activity and improved mental health.
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Poynton Bradbury Architects' project architect and later living and care specialist Josie Dorling said: “The building is arranged into three wings of sleeping accommodation centred around a communal wing where residents share more domestic-scale living spaces and activity rooms, which are designed to foster social interaction.
“Bedroom doors have been recessed off the corridors to provide clearly defined spaces, which can be used to create colour contrast and display resident’s personal items, helping them to differentiate one bedroom from another and aid with way-finding."
The development will be completed in phases to allow existing residents to be transferred across from the existing care home into the new building once it’s complete. Cornwallis Care Services hope to redevelop the historic house and remaining extensions into close care accommodation in the future.
