Last updated 13:36, Monday, 09 June 2008

NOTHING can wipe the smile off Barbara Redshaw’s face.

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It almost sounds too good to be true, but the dwindling waiting lists are the assurance this investment is absolutely vital for the community.

“We’re working very, very closely with adult social care and it appears we are going to clear the waiting lists,” said Ms Redshaw. “We’re even bringing back some people in other homes who’ve been waiting to come back.”

Not only will older people return to Barrow from nursing homes as far away as Lancaster, but young adults requiring complex care will be back with their families.

Ms Redshaw said: “The people moving into Abbey Meadow will be intermediate care, specialist rehabilitation clients, young people (under 65), heavily complex general nursing care clients, for example severe car accident victims and people with acquired brain injury. The final unit will specialise in Huntington’s Disease. The nearest place is Newcastle.

“The HD nurse says there’s people in the north west desperately looking for an excellent placement where it’s heavily specialist.”

By providing specialist facilities the new building will change capacity at Risedale’s other nursing homes, freeing up general nursing beds. And being a new-build, the facility is very high spec.

Risedale is effectively building homes for 40 people, so the firm has endeavoured to make the rooms as comfortable as possible.

The clients have two-and-a-half times the space they legally require. All rooms are en suite and the planners have been considerate of staff needs too.

There is a separate entrance for administrative and domestic staff so that they don’t have to walk through somebody else’s home to enter the building. There is even a salon and physiotherapy room where staff get complementary treatment.

Risedale has also been mindful of the impact the new building will have on residents living nearby. A banking of trees and wild flowers has been created in front of Abbey Meadow, which will eventually screen the nursing home from view.

And should Furness require it, Risedale has land at the back of Abbey Meadow to increase capacity in the future. Hopefully the distressing situation of sending people out of the county for care will be a thing of the past.