New £7million care home opens its doors in Eaton Socon

A new state-of-the-art dementia and neurological care centre has opened its doors.

The Marbrook Centre, in Phoenix Park, Eaton Socon, will help those with conditions including multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury and dementia.

The £7million centre will support people from in and around Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

Clinical lead Sue Hahn said: “It is exciting that we have now bought our plans together to give care how we believe it should be for people with dementia and those who have been an accident so that they can be as comfortable as possible but still being who they are.”

As a part of the construction of the centre the team have worked with Sterling University on its research into living with dementia.

Head of care pathways Robert Myers said: “We have included a number of features in the centre to help those with dementia feel more comfortable about where they are and to recognise their room and surroundings.”

A number of the 81 bedrooms have been designed with varying coloured doors and memory boxes outside to allow residents to put items special to them inside, along with dementia friendly furniture and signs.

“The memory boxes will allow the residents to have recognisable items outside their rooms which is aimed to trigger residents to remember where there room is,” added Mr Myers.

Within the centre there is a cinema room, hairdressers and gym along with kitchens, dining rooms and balconies to bring a sense of normality within the care programme.

Mr Myers said: “It means that family members can come in with the resident then go to the hairdressers, the cinema and then go for a coffee and feel like they’ve had a day out without leaving the centre.”

Residents are set to move in this week after assessments and will be looked after by more than 120 members of staff employed by the centre.