North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has officially opened the marketing suite at Abbey House, a new specialist dementia home being built in Swindon, as a major recruitment drive gets underway.
The launch comes as Milestones Trust, the charity which is behind Abbey House, celebrates its 30th anniversary and long history of providing care and support to vulnerable people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and dementia in the South West.
Due to open in June this year, Abbey House will provide for 73 people over three floors with a particular focus on providing specialist care for people with dementia.
Abbey House has been designed to be a state-of-the-art care home that will allow residents to stay in a familiar environment as their needs change, thanks to its offering of a mix of both residential and nursing services. The design of Abbey House has been carefully thought through to meet Stirling dementia care standards, a framework that ensures the needs of those living in the home with dementia are met. Examples include ensuring that beds are positioned so residents can see bathrooms; using transparent panelled wardrobes and the use of enhanced, mood-appropriate lighting.
It will specialise in providing both residential and nursing care for people across the dementia spectrum, from those who are physically active, to people who may have medical conditions complicated by living with dementia requiring nursing care and those who require end of life care.
The facilities include landscaped communal gardens, activity rooms, hairdressing facilities, community café and coffee shop, lounge and dining rooms, and assisted bathrooms. The care home will have specific areas to enable community involvement to help combat isolation, while all bedrooms have en-suites and ground-floor rooms have direct access to the gardens. The entire building will be equipped with wi-fi, a nurse call system and secure door entry to manage the safe care and support of residents.
John Hoskinson, CEO of Milestones Trust, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new team that will deliver an exceptional service designed to change the face of eldercare and dementia support in Swindon. If you are passionate about working in a team to provide high quality and personalised care, then we want to hear from you. These are highly rewarding roles that make a real difference to people’s lives and bring with them a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction. With Milestones Trust approaching its 30th anniversary, it is indeed a time for reflection on the high quality care and support we have provided for thousands of vulnerable people, as well as an opportunity to look ahead to the future. Care workers are the unsung heroes of the industry, doing a job that requires a huge amount of skill and dedication to help vulnerable people with complex needs. With the nation’s care sector facing unprecedented challenges including funding, the recruitment and retention of staff and an ageing population, I hope that in future we see the incredible work of care workers recognised and valued by society.”
Justin Tomlinson MP said: “It is fantastic to open the marketing suite for this wonderful facility, which will be an exciting addition for Swindon. I have no doubt that these rooms will be snapped up. Swindon is very much a town on the up and this is further evidence that organisations are choosing to invest in our town, creating vital jobs for our local economy.”
To find out more about the care that will be on offer at Abbey House, people can pop along to one of its upcoming open days or make an appointment for a visit during general opening hours from mid-April. The open days are scheduled for: Saturday 9th April - 10.30am to 2.30pm; Sunday 24th April - 10.30am to 2.30pm; Monday 2nd May - 1pm to 4pm.
General opening hours from 13th April are as follows: Wednesdays, 10am to 4pm; Thursdays, 3pm to 7pm; Fridays, 10am to 4pm. To make an appointment to visit, please call the team at Abbey House on 01793 987 730.If you are unable to make these dates please do call the Abbey House team and they will arrange a more convenient time.
Anyone interested in job opportunities at Abbey House, can call 0117 9709 333, email recruitment@milestonestrust.org.uk or visit www.milestonestrust.org.uk/workforus
