Plymouth is to get its first ‘short term care centre’ in the city to help people to recover from illness and to stay well.
The Council has signed a decision giving the go-ahead to create the centre as part of a new partnership between Plymouth City Council and Age UK Plymouth.
The centre will be based in the William and Patricia Venton Centre which is owned by Age UK Plymouth. The building, near to the Mount Gould hospital, used to be a residential care home, and has 24 en-suite bedrooms on the upper two floors, space for lounges and offices and also Age UK Plymouth’s day centre for adults on the ground floor.
Councillor Kate Taylor, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said: “This builds on the amazing work that has taken place over the last year with our temporary care hotels. City organisations and their staff pulled out all the stops to create an alternative to long hospital stays.
“Age UK Plymouth worked closely with us during the Covid 19 pandemic to offer support to some of our most vulnerable citizens, and this feels like the next step for us to help people to recover when they have been ill.
“Like the care hotels, this will provide intensive support for those people who are well enough to leave hospital but not well enough to go straight home.”
Age UK Plymouth Chair Liz Edwards-Smith said: "We are very pleased to continue our work with partners to develop a short term care centre for our city. The centre will not only support people with their physical health needs but will also provide opportunities to connect and socialise with others and to engage in meaningful activities. We know that maintaining independence and increasing confidence in this way is vital to staying well in later life.”
The short term care centre will provide somewhere to stay for up to six weeks, with support from therapists and assistive technology and opportunities to engage in social activities in the rest of the building.
The aim is that when people leave the centre they are feeling much better, and ready to go home and live as independently as possible.
The centre will help with making sure people don’t stay in hospital any longer than they need to and will also be accessible to wheelchair users.
The care centre will also offer support to older people who would otherwise be at risk of being admitted to hospital. This will also support the wider Plymouth health and social care system to reduce pressures on Derriford Hospital, particularly during the winter months.
The Council is investing £823,410 capital funding into the refurbishment and will lease part of the building from Age UK Plymouth.
The refurbishment could start in the next few months and a provider sourced to recruit care staff. The centre could be up and running by the autumn.