Residents celebrate the start of construction on their new Eye care home

Company news

Sep 03, 2014

Residents and colleagues from Care UK’s Paddock House care home in Eye were joined by Suffolk County Council to mark the start of construction on their new care home, on Castleton Way in the town.

Amongst them was Paddock House carer Martin Crisp who nominated the home’s winning name, Hartismere Place, following a community ‘give a home a name’ competition run by Care UK earlier this year.

Hartismere Place, adjacent to Hartismere Health and Care Centre, is being built by Care UK’s construction partner Castleoak and will provide nursing and specialist dementia care for up to 60 residents. A separate Hartismere Club will be built on the same site and will provide a regular treat for older people living locally, enabling them to maintain their independence whilst making new friends, keeping up with favourite hobbies and taking part in new activities. The club will also provide a valuable respite service for family carers, and will be able support older people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

When Hartismere Place and the adjacent day club open in October 2015, they will be a part of Eye’s community health village.

Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services at Suffolk County Council, Alan Murray, said: “I’m very excited about the construction beginning on the new care home in Eye, this is yet another stepping stone in realising the vision we had for the future of long term care in Suffolk.

“Hartismere Place looks set to boast some great facilities and with its friendly and welcoming design I am sure that the residents will be extremely pleased with their new home when it opens in October next year.

“With the number of older people and those suffering with dementia in Suffolk set to double by 2030, it was essential that we found a provider that was able to invest in and run homes and clubs that provided the highest quality of care for Suffolk residents – Care UK has demonstrated that it is more than up to the job.”

Guy McGregor, Suffolk County Councillor, Hoxne and Eye Division, said: “Today marks the final stage of the Eye element of Suffolk County Council’s ambitious programme of modernising its care home provision. This started 5 years ago when Suffolk CC resolved to seek a partner to assist it in the task of providing modern care facilities for the elderly for whom care provision at home was no longer possible.

“This building is more than the replacement of the much loved Paddock House, it will be a symbol of what facilities should be provided for our elderly population who live in residential homes.

I am sure that the ethos of superb care and commitment to the well-being for the elderly that Paddock House exemplified will be present here and I look forward to the opening in a year’s time.

“We must now start thinking about the future use and design of the Paddock House site whose control reverts back to Suffolk CC on the completion of this new care home. To this end I will be proposing the setting up of a Task Group to influence the proposals.”

Care UK Regional Director, Phillip Steyn, said: “We are delighted that this new care home is now underway. It will be a fantastic facility for the local community, forming part of the town’s health village, and we look forward to welcoming the first residents and club members when it opens in October 2015.”

Hartismere Place will be a state-of-the-art new care home, with attractive facilities such as a fully landscaped garden with sitting out areas, a coffee shop, a hairdressers and a small cinema. The generously sized bedrooms are all ensuite with shower facilities and, to give a homely feel, small groups of residents will share their own dining room and lounge. The design over three floors is spacious, light and airy, with many communal areas for residents to meet with family, friends and fellow residents.

Residents at Paddock House on Wellington Road in Eye will have the choice to move into Hartismere Place when it opens, after which the existing home, built in 1959, will close and the building will be returned to Suffolk County Council. Residents and their relatives are being closely consulted and kept fully informed about their choices.

For further information see www.careuk.com/suffolk-new-homes or call 0333 321 0956.

Photo caption: Residents and colleagues from Care UK’s Paddock House care home in Eye join Suffolk County Council and Care UK’s construction partner Castleoak to celebrate the start of construction on their new care home, Hartismere Place. (Centre with spade) Suffolk County Councillor Alan Murray, cabinet member for health and adult care, with (to his left) Care UK Regional Director Phillip Steyn.