Car home grows

Major expansion plans are in the pipeline for an old people's home in Heathfield at a time when care homes across the country are being forced out of business by new Government regulations.

Major expansion plans are in the pipeline for an old people's home in Heathfield at a time when care homes across the country are being forced out of business by new Government regulations.

Very sheltered accommodation is currently provided at Holdenhurst, Mill Road, but plans are taking shape to invest up to 2 million in opening a nursing unit and registered care unit on the site.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Holdenhurst is run by the Abbeyfield Society, an international charity dedicated to providing care in homes for the elderly, and this support is the key to its success according to those working locally.

Eight people are living in the very sheltered accommodation which opened a year ago after a 500,000 renovation of the property taken over from another charity. They include a brother and his two sisters who were born, grew up and spent all their lives in Heathfield.

Holdenhurst will be able to meet the new standards required for residential care in its new unit because the accommodation for between 24 and 30 people will be purpose built.

The very sheltered accommodation provides 24-hour cover for its residents, a housekeeper cooks all the meals, all the shopping is done for residents and council tax is paid. In addition day care provision is offered at Holdenhurst by Age Concern and rehabilitation sessions designed to build confidence and help elderly people stay in their own homes are run in conjuction with the Eastbourne and County Health Trust.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The housekeeper is the only paid employee at Holdenhurst, all the other work is carried out by volunteers and up to 30 of them have contributed to the smooth running of the place, including an interior designer who advised on decoration and another woman who made all the new curtains needed.

Driving efforts to establish the accommodation have been Stuart and Pam Wamsley from Burwash Weald. Mrs Wamsley was deputy county chairman for the Abbeyfield Society for ten years and spent a long time looking for a suitable place in Heathfield.

Mr Wamsley, who is honorary secretary for Holdenhurst, said the aim was to allow local people to stay in their own familiar environment even when they couldn't stay in their own homes.

He said there was a desperate need in Heathfield where there was only one other residential care home. 'There are only 13 registered care beds in Heathfield, all the others have shut down. East Sussex has lost 40-50 registered care homes because of all the Government laws coming in.'

And Mr Wamsley said the need was going to increase: 'There are 400 people over the age of 85 in Heathfield and that is going to go up by 50 per cent in the next seven to ten years.'