New dementia-focused care home opens in Rhyl

07/09/2011

A new 35-bed purpose-built care home has opened in Rhyl after the development company received a £1.3 million finance package from Yorkshire Bank.

Developments, a family-run firm founded in 2001 by David Arrowsmith, has moved into the care sector for the first time after seeing considerable success in the residential construction industry.

The firm has built on its construction experience and introduced two new members to the business, Rebecca Wallis and Emma Burt, both experienced nurses with substantial healthcare experience who will manage the new care home.

The home, Richmond House, is based on Brighton Road and will specialise in providing a luxury living environment, state-of-the-art facilities and personal care for sufferers of dementia. This condition – which affects over 750,000 people in the UK – is a growing concern to many families who are seeing loved ones affected and unable to cope at home.

The building development started in May 2010 and was completed at the end of July 2011. Full-time and part-time residents are in the process of moving in and the care home anticipates full occupancy by the end of this year.

Carole Ashton, managing director of Cameron Developments, said: “The level of facilities and care makes Richmond House unique in this area. I have personal experience of looking for a dementia care home and saw a real need to improve the level of care. That’s what inspired us to develop Richmond House, offering a home-from-home to sufferers and making sure their families know they are receiving the best quality care.

“Although this is the first care home we have developed, I see a real need for more like Richmond House and am hopeful of expanding. The support from Yorkshire Bank, both financially and operationally, has made this possible and I am really pleased they understood what our goals were and helped us achieve them.”

Richmond House, which will have 35 employees, is built on a one-acre site and offers a library, sports lounge, garden room, therapeutic bathroom, a surgery and treatment room and a hairdressing salon together with wet rooms and assisted bathrooms, alongside its 35 ensuite bedrooms.

David Haworth, business partner at Yorkshire Bank’s Liverpool Financial Solutions Centre, which provided funding for the development, said: “Cameron Developments has seen great success in residential property and with the family’s background in healthcare, the development of a care home was a natural fit. We have been particularly impressed with the quality of facilities and the way the users will be looked after and look forward to seeing the continued success of the business.”

The nursing team at Richmond House encourages users to plan their dietary requirements and maintain skills such as cooking and baking with the kitchen staff. This focus on preserving life skills extends to gardening and maintaining other hobbies and interests which individual residents have enjoyed throughout their lives.

An advanced nurse call and monitoring system has also been integrated into every room. This is designed to alert the staffs’ attention to possible issues while maintaining the resident’s privacy, dignity and independence.

Under floor heating is used throughout as a measure to avoid hot and cold spots in the home and the monitoring system also enables the use of efficient lighting and ensures immediate nurse alerts if unusual and danger-posing movements occur.

Fire is always a great concern in any home and in Richmond House this has been overcome with a sprinkler and fire suppression system which covers the entire building.

Carole continued: “We had the luxury of designing this home from scratch and we have incorporated technology, the latest research in dementia care and innovative building techniques into this property. In this environment we intend to offer the best care possible to both residents, their family and friends. Just as you would expect at home.”