Mayor of Bury gives refurbished Holt House care home official seal of approval

For her first day in office the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Jane Black chose to officially open the brand new ‘dementia friendly’ living area at Holt House Salvation Army care home on Thursday (17 May). 

Councillor Black cut the ribbon on the refurbished lounge and dining room at a special celebration afternoon tea, requested by residents.
As well as taking tea with staff and residents, Cllr. Black also heard from Nikki Thompson, manager of Holt House about the newly refurbished, fully accessible living space that replaces the previously separate lounge and dining room.

Nikki Thompson, Holt House manager said: “We’ve had a lot of advice from specialists about how to make this area work better for our residents and be a more welcoming place particularly for people living with dementia.

“The décor is a lot calmer for a start. Before we had lots of patterns; there were two patterns on the walls separated by a dado rail, we had patterned carpet and mismatched armchairs. Now the walls are creamy coloured and the furnishings are neutral shades and it’s a much less stressful environment to deal with if you have any sensory impairments. All the chairs are the same size and colour now too, they’re much easier to get in and out of and for people to move around the space.

“We’ve opened up the lounge and the dining area so people aren’t all crammed around one big dining table in a small room to eat. Now they can break out into little groups of 12, which is more sociable but less overwhelming and families have more space when they come and visit too.”

The Mayor Bury, Councillor Jane Black said: “It’s been a really lovely afternoon. I’ve met lots of residents and their families and they have all been so positive about the new improvements. I'm honoured to have been invited to open it.”

Guests at the opening ceremony were entertained with live flute music from Claire Tristram and Catherine Preston, whose mother Pamela Dugdale lives at Holt House.