Mar 01 - Alzheimer’s and Dementia Home Project Scrapped for Complete Restructure
By mid April, the full designs for a complete re structure of the proposed Alzheimer’s and Dementia Home at the former Royal Naval Hospital, are expected to be completed. The former Administration had originally planned for a 66-bed project, which would be made up of 58 beds in the Alzheimer’s and Dementia unit and 8 beds in a separate unit for disabled patients. The project was revised and the Unit was set to include a further 22 beds. At this point the former administration was advised against the idea as it went against UK regulations and the plan dropped to 80 beds.
Speaking on a tour of the former Royal Naval Hospital site, yesterday morning, Minister for Social Services, Samantha Sacramento explained that on her second day of Office she halted the development of the project, insisting that she wasn’t satisfied that the end product would be fit for its user. The Government then contracted professional consultant Bob Wilson of Chapplow Wilson Associates, to head the plans. The company, an independent consultancy, provides specialised services in designing and building care homes in the UK.
The revised plan, which was revealed to the press, the Alzheimer’s Support Group and number of Care Agency staff members will include 52 beds, and will be based around a social care model. Nursing facilities will be available, but in terms of care, staff will focus on socialising with residents, including sitting with them, talking to them, and helping them to trigger memories.
The original plan saw rooms sized at approximately 9.9 square metres, with barely enough floor space to fit a patient’s bed, wardrobe, commode, armchair and wash basin. The new plan will feature rooms sized at 10.7 to12 sq/metres, with all but 2 featuring en suite toilet facilities. The new plan also features a number of recreational rooms where residents will able to sit together and watch television. These rooms will also hold facilities for arts and crafts. The Home will also include well a hairdressing unit, a kitchen where residents can bake, with the help of staff, and a relaxation facility which has proved helpful to both residents and staff members in other care homes.
Minister Sacramento noted that the overall added cost to demolish the current work and build the new proposed scheme will be £1.2 million. She added that the project is set to see completion by the end of the year. Currently Gibraltar is home to approximately 250 suffers of Alzheimer’s and Dementia, with 15% of the population over 80 years old affected.
Mock up room, following floor plans of the former project:
Artist impression of a room, under the new scheme:
