An £8.5 million care home called Linden House for people with dementia opens in Hampshire, with themed rooms and gardens, the first of its kind.
The United Kingdom leads the way in innovative dementia care, and Linden House will be no exception. Every detail of Lymington’s Linden House has been designed with dementia care in mind.
As reported in BBC News, the care home will evoke the Georgian grandeur of Lymington with its own town square featuring shop fronts and gardens, beach huts, and gazebos.
The owners reveal that the inside of the home will “prompt interactivity and reminiscence.” According to an Alzheimer’s Society spokeswoman, the designs will contribute to improving the quality of life of its residents.
There are more than 290 care homes in Hampshire that offer various services to individuals with dementia and memory loss, but Linden House takes a step into the future of memory care homes.
According to the Daily Mail:
“Navigational aids such as color-coded doors help the home’s residents find their way around the three-storey care home. The home also boasts three hotel suites which are free of charge for relatives who have travelled to visit residents.”
“Residents can take advantage of the outside boules area among the home’s manicured gardens, or practise golf on Linden House’s putting green.”
“The rooms are large and spacious with high quality finishes throughout and some en-suite rooms come with hydrotherapy spa baths.”
Prospective residents are subject to a pre-admission assessment, and fees are based on a person’s needs, although they are all-inclusive.
The New Forest, where the home is situated, is a popular retirement area where dementia cases are expected to rise 43 per cent in the next 20 years.
Up to 60 residents will live in one of four small “house groups,” each with a friendly atmosphere of safety, security and togetherness. Along with nods to Lymington’s history and coastal features, the complex will offer such amenities as a cafe, hairdressing salon, and a cinema.
Lymington’s Linden House will prompt interactivity and reminiscence.
The weekly accommodation cost of £980 includes services such as chiropody and specialist dementia care, for Lymington and the surrounding area. (Some residents will also receive funding under NHS Continuing Healthcare and social services support.)
Executive Chair of Colten Care Inn, Ian Hudson, spoke to BBC about the care home’s philosophy. Like many memory care homes, Linden House is determined to help patients “maintain practical life skills and a spirit of independence for as long as possible.”
Specialization in dementia care homes is quickly becoming a worldwide trend. Like Linden House, many memory care homes are introducing their residents to more stimulating environments. Themed rooms, like the gardens at Linden House, provide creative solutions to reduce frustration and agitation in individuals with dementia.