New Care Home Ready To Open

Final preparations are underway to get Derbyshire County Council’s latest state-of-the-art care home ready for its first permanent residents.

Staff have ensured the new Ada Belfield Care Centre in Belper is fully operational and deep cleaned following its temporary use as a Nightingale Care Home to support Derbyshire people recuperating from the coronavirus.

Its first permanent residents, due to move in this week, will be people living in the current Ada Belfield care home who have waited patiently to move into their new home.

Derbyshire County Council leader Councillor Barry Lewis said: “Nobody could have predicted what would happen this year when the pandemic struck and we have had to make some very difficult choices and change a number of services.

“By creating a COVID-only unit, we were able to support older people to recuperate from the illness while protecting other vulnerable Derbyshire residents.

“I’d like to thank every one of the residents and their families for their patience and understanding and wish them all the very best in their new home.”

The 40-bed care centre is part of Derbyshire County Council’s larger development that includes a new library for the town. It was purpose-built to replace the ageing Ada Belfield care home on Field Lane, but was temporarily opened in June to be used exclusively to accept people discharged from hospital who needed to rest, recuperate and isolate after suffering from Covid-19 but weren’t yet ready to go home.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Care Councillor Jean Wharmby added: “By opening Ada Belfield as a Nightingale-style unit we were able to help people to leave hospital and care for them to become well enough to go home, or the place they call home, separate from other vulnerable people.

“We remain committed to having a specific COVID unit in Derbyshire in anticipation of spikes over the winter and an alternative facility is now ready.

The new Ada Belfield Care Centre and Library

“I’d like to thank the current residents of the old Ada Belfield home and their families for bearing with us at this challenging time.”

It was a huge team effort to get the new Ada Belfield Care Centre and Library ready during the pandemic, from contractors Robertson Construction Group and architects Glancy Nicholls – who have designed it to the highest dementia-friendly standards – to all the council staff supporting the project throughout.

Set out over two floors, the brand new 40-bed unit is built on the former Thornton’s factory site on Derwent Street. Ten beds are set aside as community support beds, funded in partnership with the NHS. These beds are specifically used to help older people regain the skills they need following a hospital stay to live independently in their own homes.

The support they provide can also help prevent some hospital admissions as well as reduce delays in getting people home from hospital.

The council is creating its new, temporary Nightingale unit at The Bungalow in South Derbyshire, which was previously used as a life-skills and short-breaks centre. The services provided from The Bungalow will temporarily be delivered from other units across the county so that the 10-bed unit can be exclusively used to accept people who need to recuperate after having Covid-19 before they return home or the place they call home.