Plans to improve care for older people in Wyre

Lancashire County Council (LCC) is considering a proposal to make a major investment in a new specialist care home to meet the needs of people with dementia, and an extra care scheme for older people, in Wyre.

A spokesman for LCC said councillors will be asked to give the go-ahead for a new state of the art care home, and an extra care scheme for older people to support independent living in self-contained homes, to be built on the site of the current Bowgreave Rise care home in Garstang.

The report proposes that Lancashire County Council would as a first phase develop, own and operate the new residential care home, and subsequently contract a registered housing provider to develop the extra care scheme.

This comes following an eight-week consultation in January with residents, families and other key stakeholders on an initial proposal on replacing the current care home with an extra care scheme for older people, and supported housing, or bungalows, for people with social care needs.

However, following feedback received during the consultation, the council is now proposing to build a new care home on the site to address the need for residential care, including people with dementia, and develop an extra care scheme for older people alongside in partnership with a registered care provider.

A spokesman for LCC said the new proposal would minimise disruption to existing Bowgreave Rise residents as they would remain in the existing home while a new care home is built towards the rear of the site. Once the new residential care home is completed, residents would transfer from the old care home to the new one.

The existing care home would then be demolished and an extra care scheme built on the front of the site, including the cleared area where the current home now stands.

Cllr Graham Gooch, cabinet member of adult services, said: ‘Our new proposals for Bowgreave Rise aim to address the need for residential care including people with dementia, as well as increasing the housing and care options for the people of Wyre through the development of the extra care facility.

‘I’m very grateful to everyone who responded to the consultation for helping us to shape these proposals for the future of care provision for older people in Wyre, and make some changes that we think better reflect people’s needs.

‘There is a need for more provision in this area for people with dementia, and the modern new care home being proposed will help to address this. The proposal for an extra care facility on the same site will help to add to the range of options for older people depending on the level of support they need.

‘Many respondents to the consultation recognised the need to invest in Bowgreave Rise, but also emphasised the importance of ensuring minimal disruption to existing residents. The new proposal will ensure this by constructing the new home so that existing residents can move in and receive the same level of care before the site is cleared to begin work on the extra care scheme.’

The proposal is due to be discussed at a meeting of Lancashire County Council’s cabinet at 2pm on September 3.

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