The first residents have started moving into Cambrian Green Court in Yate – South Gloucestershire Council’s first multi-million pound extra care housing development.
Councillor Matthew Riddle and staff from Cambrian Green Court met some of the new residents on Friday 28th January, including Eric Ball, who has moved there from Frome House, a care home in Yate. Cllr Riddle took the opportunity to show Mr Ball around the excellent facilities on offer in his new home.
Mr Ball has lived in the South Gloucestershire area from many years and worked as a foreman in a spray and body shop. When the closure of Frome House was announced, Mr Ball expressed an interest in the proposed extra care development at Cambrian Green Court and then visited the site regularly to watch the scheme progress. He was there when the foundations were laid and even got to know the contractors well.
Mr Ball was very impressed when he first looked around the facilities at Cambrian Green Court, commenting: “This place is marvelous and I am delighted to be able to have my own front door. I feel very safe and secure here and the staff have really helped me settle in – I know many of them from my time at Frome House, so I know that I can rely on them to provide the same marvelous level of care and support.”
Cambrian Green Court, run in partnership with care provider Housing 21, is one of three extra care developments being built which will eventually contribute towards 700 extra care housing apartments across South Gloucestershire. Two other schemes are opening in 2011. They are Badminton Gardens in Downend and Fiveways in Kingswood which together will provide over 100 new extra care apartments.
As part of a major transformation of older people’s services – backed by 90 per cent of residents and old people’s groups and charities – these extra care developments will be supplemented with two new state of the art care homes and more support for people to stay in their own homes. These new facilities will eventually replace the council’s aging care homes which are in the process of being decommissioned because they are no longer fit-for-purpose.
The extra care development is able to provide most residents, if they so choose, with a home for the remainder of their life, regardless of changes in their care needs.
Cllr Riddle said: “I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Eric Ball and all the new residents to Cambrian Green Court, including the excellent staff many of whom worked previously in Frome House.
“I am sure that Mr Ball will enjoy living in his spacious new apartment and that his family will have the piece of mind knowing that whilst Mr Ball is living independently, his needs and care are paramount.
“The differences between Cambrian Green Court and the ageing and soon-to-be de-commissioned Frome House care home could not be starker. In Frome House, it’s five or six residents per bathroom and the rooms are so small that it’s often not possible to install assistive technology, which means that many very frail residents have had to move out over the years.
“In Cambrian Green Court, you don’t just have a room – you have a whole apartment with an ensuite bathroom and well equipped kitchen as well as a 24/7 on site care and support team. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a restaurant, treatment room and hair and beauty salon within the building too.
“Extra care will transform the way that the council looks after its older residents and will provide the very best 21st century care facilities allowing choice, independence and dignity in older age.”
Source: South Gloucestershire Council
