ASPIRE LIVING TO PIONEER SPECIALIST RESIDENTIAL UNIT SET TO BE A FIRST FOR THE UK
ASPIRE LIVING TO PIONEER SPECIALIST RESIDENTIAL UNIT SET TO BE A FIRST FOR THE UK
The Herefordshire charity Aspire Living, based in Broad Street, Hereford announces that it intends to fund the development of a specialist residential home for older people with learning disabilities. Aspire is not aware of any other specialist facility in the UK and is keen to develop a centre of excellence which other residential care homes can learn from.
Aspire Living currently manages two bungalows in Markyes Close, Ross on Wye which currently home to eight people with a learning disability. Over the next 12-18 months the plan is to re-develop the bungalows to create one new specialist unit. The existing residents will remain.
Judith Weir, Chief Executive of Aspire Living says “As people with learning disabilities are living longer they can very often end up being placed in generic older peoples residential care homes which are not always able to meet their needs as the staff may not have had training in the specific requirements of learning disabilities, including means of communication. The developments at Markyes Close will hopefully go some way to addressing this need in the community”.
At the newly developed residential home, the emphasis will be on ‘person-centred services’, including maintenance of independence, leisure activities, the involvement of family and friends and end of life care. The total investment is set to be in the region of £75,000, with two thirds of the budget being used to develop the home and the rest to develop staff expertise. Aspire Living aims to raise the necessary money through fund-raising.
Work is set to start on the development in April 2012.
