Last week was National Care Home week and I called in at Woolton Acre Retirement Living ahead of their Open Day on Saturday to meet residents and staff on a tour of their facilities in the grounds of Woolton Manor. The theme of this years Care Home Week is the World Cup and it was good to see the place kitted out for the football. I was pleased to hear residents had enjoyed England’s opening win on Wednesday night.
Woolton Acre has capacity for 48 residents, with 27 already living in, and is a large facility with a warm feel, all in tranquil green surrounds. As Activity Co-ordinator Hayley told me on my tour they have a range of different rooms, some with wet room bathrooms or hoists for residents with mobility problems, and have just been approved to provide residential dementia care. Their oldest resident has just turned 100 and lives in a bedroom next door to her 97 year old sister.
Liverpool Garston has around 15 care homes that provide 900-1000 registered beds, with between 40% and 50% of beds able to support dementia care. Dementia figures are rising, with around 3,500 Liverpool residents living with a formal diagnosis, though there are estimates that around a further 1,600 people have undiagnosed dementia. Forecasts warn that changing demographics could see dementia caseloads exceed 7,000 cases by 2040.