People living at The Oaks Residential Home in St Ann’s will benefit from new facilities after a major facelift.
The improvement work on The Oaks, a specialist dementia care home with 32 beds, focused on improving the Acorn Wing, a unit which was previously used by The Salvation Army who relocated their services.
The improvements are designed to meet future demand at the home by creating an additional 10 beds, taking the total capacity of The Oaks Residential Home to 42.
All of the new bedrooms have been designed to a high specification with the needs of people with dementia and physical frailties in mind. Each bedroom has its own colour scheme, a specialist bed that can be adjusted to cater for individual needs, dementia-friendly furniture and a refurbished en-suite shower room.
The Acorn Wing now boasts two airy modern kitchenettes which enable residents to maintain their independence in a supportive environment, a bright, comfortable lounge where they can socialise with other residents as well as a conservatory and outside space. To ensure residents are able to enjoy the facilities whatever their physical ability there is a dedicated lift.
The reception area has also been remodelled making it more user-friendly and practical. All of this combined will help residents and visitors feel comfortable using the facilities.
During the refurbishment works in the Acorn Wing, The Oaks was maintained with minimal disruption to citizens. As a testament to how little interference the works had, external inspections from Care Quality Commission and NHS Clinical Commission Group resulted in ‘Good’ and ‘Green’ ratings.
Councillor Alex Norris, Portfolio Holder for Adults, Health and Community Sector, said: “The Oaks is a valuable asset in the heart of St Ann’s and this physical expansion will benefit 10 of the most vulnerable older citizens within our community.
“These improvements will enable it to meet the needs of a growing population of vulnerable older people in Nottingham City. By bringing the Acorn Wing back into use, we are supporting the economic sustainability of the service – emphasising Nottingham City Council’s reputation as a quality provider of residential care within the city.”
Nottingham City Council worked in partnership with Phillip Best Design who provided the architectural designs, Nottingham City Homes who project-managed the scheme over a 26-week programme and Keepmoat who completed the building works. Now the new wing is officially open, there are plans to refurbish the existing 32 bedrooms.