AFTER nearly a year of work, the refurbished Coombe End Court in Marlborough was unveiled by Mayor Noel Barratt Morton.

The project, which cost £240,000, started in November of last year with aims of giving the care home a new lease on life and improving the physical and social environment for people living with dementia. The mayor attended the opening on Thursday (September 22) to meet the team and cut the ribbon to the new Kaspers Café addition to the site.

Mayor of Marlborough, Noel Barrett-Morton, said: "With Susan, I was invited to open the refurbished Dementia Care Household at Coombe End Court where we were greeted by the Manager, Mrs Andrews. This has been a major refurbishment project costing around £240,000 and the results are impressive. A shop, cinema and Bistro have been included as well as 'Kaspers Cafe' named after the resident cat! The Care Home, which has 60 en-suite rooms, is part of the Orders of St John Care Trust which has other homes across the country.

"None of us can claim to 'look forward' to the mental and physical trials that old age can bring, but it is reassuring to know that we have a care home here in Marlborough which offers specialist care for almost every challenge. Through greater understanding, kindness and patience, we can all be positive about the future."

The care home, which is ran by The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT), now features a cinema, a corner shop, a relaxed seating area and a hair salon. The ground floor’s 20-bed household has also undergone a major refurbishment, making the surroundings more homely for the dementia patients that live there.

Chris Poole, Wiltshire assistant operations director for OSJCT, said: “The refurbishment at Coombe End Court has been a significant project, and one that we are very proud of. It is very important to us that all our residents enjoy the high standards of care within a comfortable and modern living environment.

As well as the refurbishment, staff will also undergo further training in caring for people with dementia as a way of ensuring all of the recent practices are implemented.

“With over 850,000 people living with dementia throughout the UK, it is a growing issue being faced by many people. The refurbishment has helped make Coombe End Court one of the most reliable, state-of-the-art dementia care homes in the region,” added Mr Poole.

“We are delighted to be able to welcome the Mayor and members of the local community to see the specialist features we are to offer.”