Residential care boosted by £6.6m

EMMA CURRY

LANCASHIRE County Council is investing £6.6m to improve its residential care homes for older people.

The council’s cabinet has approved the funding, which will see improvements to all 17 county council-run homes.

The scheme will help to modernise the buildings, improve safety systems, install new facilities and redecorate the homes to provide a better environment for people with complex conditions such as dementia. County councillor Graham Gooch, cabinet member for adult services, said: “Our care homes provide vital support for more than 750 people across Lancashire.

“They have a great reputation with residents and their families and most are rated as good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

“They are used day in, day out, so there’s a lot of wear and tear on buildings, decoration and facilities. These aren’t just buildings, they’re people’s homes and we’ve got to keep them maintained to a high standard so they’re comfortable and meet modern standards.”

The £6.6m investment is made up of £1.7m which had been previously earmarked for care home improvements, plus an additional £4.9m from the capital budget, which has now been approved.

Surveys have been carried out at each care home to prioritise areas for improvement.

Some of the improvements that will be funded include internal decoration, floor coverings, kitchen units, updating fire protection measures and upgrading lighting.

Coun Gooch added: “The improvements will help to ensure we continue to fulfil standards set out by the CQC and offer good facilities in line with market expectations in the care sector.

“We’ve carried out research and are ensuring the improvements make the buildings as easy and safe to use as possible for people with dementia and other complex conditions.

“This scheme is a key part of our plans to provide even better care for older people across the county.”

Now that the funding has been approved, there will be a tendering process to award contracts for the work at the 17 care homes, then the improvements will be carried out over the next two years. ●● Men can be reluctant to seek advice over any mental health issues

‘This is a key part of our plan to provide even better care’