Vida Healthcare is preparing to open its third care home in Harrogate this autumn after construction delays partly caused by coronavirus.
The company has described Vida Court, which will cater for 100 residents living with dementia and employ 200 staff, as ‘the care home of the future’.
The home, near RHS Harlow Carr, will include a cinema, convenience store, hair salon, florist and coffee shop to provide residents with a little normality.
It was originally due to be completed in spring but the date has been pushed back to November 1.
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Interior design company Nanu Soda was hired to design the building, which includes sensory TV windows, walls and artwork that provide residents with opportunities to interact with different environments.
A computer generated image of one of the dining areas at Vida Court.
Learning from coronavirus, Vida has designed each bedroom with a large glass window.
Each bedroom has a large glass window and every house within the home has a garden room to help ventilation
James Rycroft, managing director at Vida Healthcare, said:
Some Harrogate district care workers could quit over compulsory vaccines“We hope that Vida Court, which integrates the most cutting edge facilities and technology, will end the perception of care homes as a last resort.”
Compulsory covid vaccines for care home staff could cause some care workers in the Harrogate district to quit their jobs, a local carer has warned.
But another described it as a positive move that would protect care home residents who were unable to be vaccinated for health reasons.
It was reported today that all care home staff in England will be given 16 weeks to be vaccinated or potentially lose their jobs.
A third of North Yorkshire’s 235 care homes are in the Harrogate district so many staff could be affected.
Alison Morgan, a carer from The Manor House Knaresborough, said she was pro-vaccination but opposed making it compulsory. She said:
“I disagree with it being compulsory because it could result in a loss of jobs.
“I do see both sides but it’s a choice at the end of the day. Some people pre-empted it and changed their minds and got the jab, others have already left the job.”
Ms Morgan said there were mixed feelings among the home’s 65 staff, and that she knew a few workers at other care homes that were likely to leave if vaccines became mandatory. She added:
“It’s almost like the government is making up for the mistakes they made at the beginning and saying ‘we’ll look after you now’. But making it compulsory messes with people’s human rights.”
Alison Morgan from The Manor House, Knaresborough
But Sue Cawthray chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, which operates care homes as part of its mission to help older people, described it as a positive move.She said:
“We’ve been lucky at Harrogate Neighbours that all staff have been vaccinated. From a recruitment perspective, all new staff will need to have the vaccine, which is positive.
“We have a few residents who can’t be vaccinated for health reasons so we have to protect them and this is another way of doing that.”
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The government is expected to announce the move in the coming days following a Department of Health and Social Care consultation.
‘Persuasion better than coercion’
Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group, which represents care providers in York and North Yorkshire, said on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning he was pro-vaccination but had doubts about making it mandatory for care home staff. He said:
Harrogate care home resident: ‘We are still being treated poorly’“I do believe people should take up the vaccine but it should be by persuasion rather than coercion.
“There is already a recruitment crisis in social care, we’re already short of staff. I’m worried people looking to come in the sector might not come in now and the staff working here now may choose to leave.
“We just need a bit more help and time.”
A Harrogate care home resident has spoken of his relief at today’s relaxation in restrictions but said more needs to be done to address inequalities facing disabled people.
Government guidelines now permit care home residents to see a family member or friend outdoors without having to isolate for 14 days.
But they are still unable to meet in groups of up to six, as non-care home residents can.
Nick Moxon, 32, who has cerebral palsy and is a resident at Disability Action Yorkshire‘s care home on Claro Road, spoke out when previous guidance said residents must isolate for 14 days if they went outdoors for non-emergency purposes.
He said today he was pleased about today’s change but said more needed to be done.
Mr Moxon described himself as an “independent adult with mental capacity” and questioned why he was subject to restrictions that do not apply to others.
He said:
“We are still being treated poorly. If people feel comfortable meeting six people outdoors they should be able to, it’s freedom of choice.
“The government think we are stupid but we aren’t. I want to see change on a national level. It’s about time we were treated the same.”
Care home residents have faced 14 months of isolation and the new guidance states they must be with a care worker or a nominated visitor if they leave their homes.
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Residents still can’t meet in groups, and can only go indoors for the use of toilets, or to cast a vote in the upcoming local elections.
Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Ripon, and Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council have all criticised the guidance.
Harrogate care home to be demolished for new 90-bed facilityA care home on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road will be demolished and replaced with a larger facility.
Harrogate Borough Council has approved plans for Tate House to be flattened and a 90-bed care home built in its place.
Plans for the new facility were submitted to the council last November.
The three-storey building will include resident’s lounges, dining rooms and activity spaces, as well as a car park with 27 spaces.
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- Bishop of Ripon has ‘grave concerns’ over care home isolation
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North Yorkshire health boss challenges care home isolation guidance
Sight-loss charity the Royal National Institute of Blind People sold the existing building for £1,650,000 in June last year.
It is now run as a joint venture by private care home providers Angela Swift Developments, which is based in Harrogate, and Burlington Care, which operates 31 care comes in Lincolnshire and northern England.
The current Tate House care home on Wetherby Road.
Tate House, opposite Harrogate Town’s football stadium, was built in 1930 and has had several extensions.
The planning application claims the proposed development will bring up to 70 new jobs to the local community, including nurses, support workers, management and admin staff.
‘We feel like prisoners’: Harrogate care home resident on isolation ruleA Harrogate man who lives in a care home has spoken out against rules telling residents not to go outside and to self isolate for two weeks if they do.
Nick Moxon, 32, has cerebral palsy and is a resident at Disability Action Yorkshire‘s care home on Claro Road. He was shocked, like others in the home, to learn of the new guidance.
Residents like Mr Moxon have the backing of Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Ripon, and Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council. All three have spoken out against the guidance.
While the debate continues, care home residents like Mr Moxon see others enjoying the more relaxed lockdown rules and are left feeling bewildered.
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- Bishop of Ripon has ‘grave concerns’ over care home isolation
- North Yorkshire health boss challenges care home isolation guidance
Mr Moxon, like all residents at his care home, has had both doses of the coronavirus vaccine. He told the Stray Ferret:
“When I first found out what the rules were I shared it with my family and friends, they cannot understand it either.
“If you fly to the UK you just have to isolate for 10 days. If you live in supported living these rules don’t apply. It is crazy. We just want to be treated like everyone else.
“But we are being treated like lesser beings. We are trapped in here like prisoners. Better than most, we understand the risks of coronavirus.
“Before the pandemic we were all extremely sociable. We understood over the last year but now we have had the vaccine and lockdown is easing, we just want to get our lives back.”
The more restrictive guidance for care homes was issued shortly after restrictions eased on the hospitality sector last week and non-essential shops were allowed to reopen.
Ms Snape, who has written to Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones about the issue, previously said:
Bishop of Ripon has ‘grave concerns’ over care home isolation“For the people that live at 34 Claro Road this is devastating. They are young people who just want to have the same freedoms as everyone else.
“They are seeing pictures of groups enjoying a beer outside the pub and they are being told they can’t even go for a walk around the block.”
The Bishop of Ripon has written to five MPs asking for the removal of a requirement for care home residents to isolate for 14 days if they leave their homes.
The Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley’s intervention comes after Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, also expressed concerns about the issue.
The more restrictive guidance for care homes was issued shortly after restrictions eased on the hospitality sector last week and non-essential shops were allowed to reopen.
The five MPs who received the letter included local Conservatives Andrew Jones, Nigel Adams and Julian Smith. It says:
“I am very concerned indeed about the impact on the physical and mental well-being, and indeed the human rights of individuals of diverse ages and vulnerabilities.
“I note that John’s Campaign for example focuses on principles and attitudes rather than procedures and protocols.
“With that in mind, I ask what sort of society we wish to be as we emerge from the pandemic crisis?
“Given that it is further likely we will be living with covid for a long time, it is of grave concern that our most vulnerable citizens will be treated in such a restrictive way.
“That has, in my opinion, a corrosive impact on our society and has implications that far outlast our own lives.”
Read more:
- North Yorkshire health boss challenges care home isolation guidance
- Firefighters called after Harrogate BBQ sets alight petrol can
Last week a care home run by Disability Action Yorkshire on Claro Road, Harrogate, said it would defy the guidance because it was a “clear breach” of human rights.
Jackie Snape, chief executive of the charity, has written to Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, warning he will receive furious e-mails as a result of the guidance.
She said:
“For the people that live at 34 Claro Road this is devastating. They are young people who just want to have the same freedoms as everyone else.
“They are seeing pictures of groups enjoying a beer outside the pub and they are being told they can’t even go for a walk around the block.”
Does this story affect you or your loved ones? Write to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk to tell us about your experience.
Harrogate district care home residents remember Prince Philip ‘fondly’ todayA number of care home residents sat and watched the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral this afternoon.
Care homes in Knaresborough and Harrogate sat to share their memories and remember Prince Philip.
The care homes said a number of their residents has spent this week thinking of Prince Philip and the royal family as they mourn.
At The Gatehouse, on Manor Road in Harrogate, the residents sat to watch the funeral on TV and the staff had put on an afternoon tea for them to enjoy.
Home manager, Adam Carling, said:
“Remembering Prince Philip here at The Gatehouse today. He was an amazing man and our residents remember him fondly. A sad day for all.”
Residents came together this afternoon to watch the funeral.
The staff decorated the room and organised an afternoon tea.
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- Image Gallery of Prince Philip on visits to the Harrogate district over the years.
- Bettys and Harlow Carr closed today for Prince Philip’s funeral.
At the Manor House care home in Knaresborough the residents also wanted to come together to watch the funeral.
A notice was put up during the week telling residents it would be shown on the TVs in the lounge.
Carer, Alison Morgan, said:
“Lots of our residents have admired the Royals through their lives and today is a very sad day for them, and how we hope the Queen and her family feel the warmth and love and wishes from the public and that in some small way it helps.”
Some residents at Knaresborough Manor watched the service privately in their rooms.
Others sat together in the lounge to watch the service.
The Cuttings, run by Harrogate Neighbours, in Harrogate also encouraged residents to sit together this afternoon to watch the funeral broadcast on TV.
Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, said:
“Staff and tenants came together to pay their respects to Prince Philip who had been part of their lives for many years. Everyone has a fond memory of a man who has given so much to this country and the commonwealth. Our thoughts are with the Her Majesty The Queen.”
Residents at The Cuttings sat in the lounge this afternoon to watch the broadcast.
Many of the Harrogate residents wanted to pay their respects today.
A Harrogate care home resident, who turns 105-years-old this week, has celebrated by opening visiting pods.
Molly Robinson lives at The Gatehouse Residential Care Home and was guest of honour at today’s unveiling.
The care home has previously only been able to allow video calls and window visits, so it has seen plenty of demand for the pods.
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Care home manager Adam Carling told the Stray Ferret:
“This allows us to have those visits in person again. The impact on wellbeing is what we need.
“It’s lovely and warm, comfortable and accessible. It is easy to have those meaningful conversations in here.”
When asked what Molly’s secret was to a long life, she said: “I’m not telling him.”
A health leader in North Yorkshire has dashed hopes that face-to-face care home visits could resume soon.
Despite all Harrogate district care home residents now being offered a covid vaccine, North Yorkshire County Council still advises visits only take place behind screens and windows or in visiting pods.
Many family members and friends have not been able to have face-to-face visits for almost a year, including Harrogate resident Judy Bass, who said it has been “horrible” not being able to visit her 99-year old father.
Position remains the same
North Yorkshire County Council‘s corporate director of health and adult services, Richard Webb said the position remained the same on care home visits, despite the success of the vaccination programme.
Speaking at a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum this morning, Mr Webb said there is still a risk of vaccinated people spreading the virus.
“Our position remains the same. We need to make sure we don’t have a false sense of security. The vaccine is incredibly good news, however the virus can still be caught and transmitted by people with the vaccine.
“The vaccine stops people dying and stops people needing very acute hospital treatment.”
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Ms Bass told the Stray Ferret this afternoon that she expected face-to-face visits to be possible after care home staff and residents had been vaccinated.
She now thinks she might not be able to visit her dad before his 100th birthday in August.
She added:
“It’s the false hope, they just keep moving the goalposts.”
Impact on transmission
Covid case numbers in the Harrogate district have fallen since January but the impact of the vaccine on the transmission of the virus is yet to be fully understood.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Monday that early data suggests the vaccines are having a “really encouraging” impact on transmission, but the full data will not be published until next month.
It was revealed at this morning’s press briefing that 422,000 people in North Yorkshire, York, East Riding and the Humber have had their first vaccine. 17,000 have had their second dose.
All Harrogate district care homes to get vaccine this weekAll care home residents and staff in North Yorkshire will be given the coronavirus vaccine before the end of this week, health bosses said today.
Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said officials expected to meet the target of January 24 set out in the organisation’s vaccination programme.
It comes as the government set a target of February 15 to offer vaccines to all those in high priority groups.
Ms Bloor told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of emergency agencies:
“I am pleased to say that thanks to the tremendous effort from all of our colleagues delivering the vaccination programme, we are on course to deliver vaccination to all care home residents and staff by the end of this week.”
She added that the goal would be met “where it is clinically safe to do so” and provided there is “no disruption this week to the scheduled supplies that we have got and that we are expecting”.
Ms Bloor said officials were also making “good progress” towards vaccinating all healthcare workers by the end of the month as well as the February target set by the government for all priority groups.
Nationally, 4.1 million people have received the vaccine so far.
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Of that figure, 633,837 people in the North East and Yorkshire have had the first dose and 71,332 the second dose.
No data for the amount of people who have been vaccinated specifically in the Harrogate district is currently available.
At the moment, vaccinations are being offered to those in the highest priority groups. Those over 70 are expected to receive invites to have their vaccine this week.
Vaccinations in the Harrogate district are being administered at the Great Yorkshire Showground. However, a mass vaccination hub opened on Monday in York, which offers jabs to those within a 45 minute distance.
Health officials have urged people in the Harrogate district and across North Yorkshire to be patient as they roll out the vaccine.