'Pioneering' Climping care home, designed to feel like residents' homes, holds topping out ceremony

Mair Williams, chief operations officer for Healthcare Management Trust, the charity which runs specialist care homes across the UK, laid a stone to complete the building’s structural frame and mark the end of major construction for the care home.

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Mair said: “We are very excited to reach this milestone in the building development of HMT Littlehampton which is specifically designed to enable and support the wellbeing of people with dementia, and facilitates the household model of care.

"The building has strong sustainability credentials including a living, green roof, solar panels and air source heat pumps as its primary source of heating.

“Not only will this £10 million home create valuable jobs in the community, it will also provide residents with a ground-breaking, high-quality care option for people suffering from dementia.”

According to Mair, HMT Littlehampton care home is pioneering both its design and the type of care it offers. The care home is designed to feel less like a care home and more like a home-from-home for residents. Designed over two storeys, the home has four separate wings with 16 bedrooms in each wing. The wings are split equally into two distinct households of eight bed ‘homes’, each with their own domestic kitchen, dining and day lounge spaces. The residents will live in small family ‘homes’ with others at a similar stage of dementia; important for reducing stress and helping in the socialisation for residents.

Residents will enjoy sweeping views across the quiet countryside, with Climping Beach less than a mile away. HMT’s unique, research-led approach offers residents a ‘family’ approach to the physical and mental well-being of each resident. Members of each household, where possible, are involved in purposeful day-to-day domestic activities which provide social interactions, value and routine to their day. The preferences, quirks, history and personality traits of each individual are understood and valued by staff. As a result, staff forge genuine and long-lasting relationships with both the resident and their relatives.

Each unit features generous ensuite bedrooms, communal areas such as lounges, dining rooms, reading rooms, a garden lounge and terraces overlooking the landscaped and secure purpose-designed grounds for people with dementia and their visitors, together with ample car parking. Additional well-being facilities include a hair salon, café, shop and tea room.

Tony Barrett, Chief Executive at HMT said: “It’s an exciting day as HMT Littlehampton reaches a milestone in its construction. This is a ground-breaking care home as residents will feel like they are at home. HMT Littlehampton will look like a family style household as well as feel like one with the personal care they will receive. As construction continues, we are looking forward to the recruitment stage - offering fulfilling jobs to people in the community”.

Annie Lewis, Care Home Manager said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the Manager of the care home which will be an integral part of the local community and will provide employment such as the role of ‘Homemaker,’ who will support our residents to receive high-quality person-centred care in a ‘home-from-home’ environment. Residents living with dementia in the local community will be welcome to visit the cafe and hairdressing salon.”

Construction by Highwood is due to be completed in spring 2023, with a major recruitment drive for nurses, carers, homemakers, activity leaders; all of whom will form a strong “family” within the small households to meet the individual needs of the residents as part of this new concept of caregiving. For more information visit hmtlittlehampton-uk.org