Dementia centre to open in Croydon

A unique centre for dementia sufferers will officially open next Tuesday. The flagship Heavers Resource Centre for older people is the only one of its kind in the country.

The one-stop dementia centre will offer early assessment, clinical treatment, counselling and support for carers. There will also be a range of daytime activities to support mentally frail older people living at home and long-stay care, with 56 day places and 60 residential and nursing beds.

The centre will offer a base for the new Memory Service, the Community Mental Health Team for older adults for Central Croydon and the local Alzheimer’s Society.

Councillor Margaret Mead, cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: “While many authorities have closed their residential homes for older people and outsourced services, Croydon has kept the belief the council has a key role to play in setting the standards for provision for its older, more vulnerable residents.”

The council was successful in attracting funding from central Government to meet the building costs of four new developments, working in partnership with Caring4Croydon.

The partnership will also provide the facilities management at the new sites.

Heavers Court is the second home to open. Fellows Court, an extra care housing development for vulnerable older people, opened in December. Two further homes – Addington Heights and Langley Oaks Resource Centre – will open in 2010.