Council unveils 11 dementia extra care homes in Mansfield

The Poppy Field housing scheme is made up of 64 new homes for older people, including 48 extra care homes available to residents assessed by Nottinghamshire County Council of which 10 are bungalows specifically designed to support people with dementia.

The £8.86m development, which is located on the former Brownlow Road site, is being led by Mansfield District Council with £4m funding from the County Council for the extra care homes.

As well as on-site communal facilities, extra care housing is designed to meet the possible future needs of ageing residents with level access showers, wheelchair friendly layouts and extensive use of natural light.

All of the new Poppy Fields homes have been designed to be accessible for people with dementia and pull alarms are included in each room in the event of an emergency along with a range of specific alarms and sensors depending on each resident’s needs. These could include alarms to detect trips or falls or wandering out of their homes unassisted at night.

The 10 bungalows specifically for people with dementia are located around a tranquil communal courtyard to encourage social interaction have additional design features that help to reduce confusion and create a calming atmosphere.

For example, transparent doors have been installed on kitchen units to help residents find everyday items and the rooms are laid out to ensure the bathroom is easy to reach from both the bedroom and living room.

The Poppy Fields scheme is part of the County Council’s Strategy to improve choice for older adults and an increased range of alternatives to residential care across Nottinghamshire.

Snce 2015, the County Council has supported the creation of four new extra care schemes, including Poppy Fields. The Council currently has 11 extra care schemes and has £25m of funding allocated to create new extra care schemes across Nottinghamshire.

Council Muriel Weisz, Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Adult Social Care and Health Committee, said: “All of our extra care schemes are flexible and are able support people with dementia, but this is the first scheme to include housing designed specifically for people living with the condition.

“The architects have included a range of features that follow the latest national research on making everyday tasks easier for people with dementia, as well as using cool neutral colours inside and outside help to create a calming atmosphere for residents.”

Councillor Barry Answer, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Mansfield District Council, said: “We are really proud of building and designing the scheme at Poppy Fields in conjunction with Nottinghamshire County Council. This is an outstanding development which will make a real and positive difference to the quality of life for people with dementia and other older people who will be living there.

“We had a visit from the Homes and Communities Agency recently and they were very impressed by this development and very enthusiastic about what we are trying to do here in Mansfield.”