New home brims with award-winning expertise

[A NEW LUXURY CARE HOME from operators MACC Care is Blythe Rose in Solihull, which promises everything that specialist memory and high-quality, individualised residential, nursing and respite care should be.

Blythe Rose is an 80-bed care home, designed and built to provide the very best dementia support across the region.

The facility comprises six lodges which accommodate no more than 15 residents, where the wellbeing, safety and happiness of every resident is nurtured through compassion, community and enrichment. Respectful, individualised attention and kinship is delivered by a team of highly-qualified people who truly care and take immense pride in delivering ‘exceptional’ care.

Thoughtfully-designed communal areas include a ‘High Street’ with its own shop, hairdresser, cinema and terrace café – even a 1960s-style suite where families can spend time together with a loved one amid familiar surroundings of days gone by.

Similarly, for residents who require nursing and residential care – respite or longer term, as a comfortable home for life – the lodge communities offer close-knit and supportive communities, with a relaxed, family feel.

State-of-the-art Integrated technology is used unobtrusively throughout the home, so that everyone regardless of their specialist memory care, nursing or residential needs can be kept safe and well, while enjoying life.

With 122 acres as its backdrop and featuring landscaped gardens, residents and visitors can enjoy the ever-calming and restorative effects of green space and nature.

Prior to the home’s opening in July, Sharen Guise, director of operations at MACC Care, told reporters: “We are delighted with the progress at Blythe Rose and can’t wait to officially welcome residents through its doors. We are confident this new home will offer an outstanding environment for both staff and residents and a place where we can provide safe and compassionate care.

“Specialist dementia care will be a key feature of this new project, with an overall ambition of becoming a recognised centre for excellence for dementia care. This is certainly achievable with our amazing team at MACC Care.”

In terms of its design, Blythe Rose has an impressive pedigree. The design was guided by the award-winning charity Hammond Care and the renowned Dementia Services Development Centre in Stirling, to create the best possible environment for those requiring professional memory care.

Hammond Care Dementia Support is a dementia consultancy service which supports carers and staff teams who are supporting a person living with dementia.

The architect was AP Architecture Ltd, a Pinders Design Award winning practice with many years of experience across a number of sectors within the industry. Main contractor DC Construction (Midlands) Ltd has a long history of building homes for MACC Care.

The interior design was carried out by Care Home Interiors Co, themselves Pinders award-winners.

The biggest accolade, however, rests with Blythe Rose’s commissioning manager Cheryl Harbourne. Cheryl, who qualified as a nurse in 1987, has over 16 years of care home management experience. Awarded no less than an MBE for her services to veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheryl was also a finalist in the Good Morning Britain 1 Million Minutes Dame Barbara Windsor Award for her contribution to combating loneliness for elderly people with dementia.

When asked about her new role, Cheryl said: “It is the one thing I have never done before in my career and I felt ready for a new challenge. I am very excited about the opening of Blythe Rose.

“The home is going to be unique and the team I have put together is going to be fantastic. We all share the same vision for providing very high standards of care and a life full of meaning for the residents we are going to care for. We can’t wait to meet them all.”

Sharen Guise commented: “We are delighted to have Cheryl as commissioning manager at Blythe Rose. She is a real inspiration to the industry and her recent MBE is truly deserved. We look forward to seeing what she can achieve there and with a talented team around her, we have no doubt her first home commissioning will be a real success.

“We believe we are creating an environment that aims to provide local people with the benchmark for how care should be delivered. Above all, we want to create a warm, compassionate, safe and friendly environment for everyone living with us and for those that are important to the residents. Once the finishing touches are made, we are very excited to welcome people into this exciting new community.” q