Outdated dementia day care centres to be rebuilt

OUTMODED DEMENTIA day centres in Huddersfield and Mirfield are to be flattened and rebuilt to provide 21st century care for sufferers and carers.

The 1960s buildings – Knowl Park House in Mirfield and The Homestead in Almondbury – will be demolished.

Work will begin first at Knowl Park House, where the new build will include a ‘Centre of Excellence’ attached to the new day centre. The scheme is estimated to be complete by late autumn of 2022.

Both 25-place facilities will continue to be run by Kirklees Council, which is redesigning how it tackles dementia care.

The current day centres provide opportunities to help people with complex dementia to continue to live in their own homes and remain as independent as possible for longer.

Day opportunities can also give carers or family a break.

By commissioning the two new purpose-designed day centres for people with complex needs associated with dementia the council aims to provide services appropriate for the 21st century.

The cost will be covered by the council’s capital budget.

Councillor Viv Kendrick, in presenting the project on behalf of her absent colleague Mus Khan to the council’s decision-making Cabinet, said: “It will be a fantastic development.”

She added: “This is about investing in key day dementia centres within Kirklees.

“We have one in Mirfield, we have one in Almondbury but they really are past their sell-by date.

“Times have changed. The needs of people with dementia and their carers have been much more clearly identified in recent years. The intention is to invest in rebuilding new centres with an enhanced centre.”