Councillors took the decision to redevelop Milton Court last summer. Since then, architectural plans have been drawn up for an expanded 37-bed site that would offer a range of innovative services, including respite care, rehabilitation and crisis prevention.
For the people that use Milton Court, the most noticeable difference will be a new focus on independence and choice. Whether an individual moves in temporarily (for example after a stay in hospital), or simply attends for a few hours of day care each week, the services he or she receives will be geared towards maintaining an independent life style and wherever possible, living in one’s own home.
For example, after Milton Court re-opens in autumn 2009, the day care service will be far more flexible, in order to fit in better with the fabric of people’s lives. Extended opening hours, seven days a week, will allow you to fit this activity around family and social commitments, or around your carer’s plans, including his or her working week.
Councillor Bill Bentley, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, said,
“This is really good news. Specialist care services for older people is exactly what a county like East Sussex needs – and I look forward to the grand opening!”
The team of social care professionals working on the redevelopment of Milton Court are very keen to gather ideas and comments from people that have used its services. As part of this process, current service users and their carers are invited to an opening evening at Milton Court on 30 April at 6.30pm. It will be a great chance to look at the proposed floor plans, learn about service models, and put questions to Cheryl Bone, the Project Manager for the redevelopment.
A twelve-month redevelopment programme of Milton Court is due to start autumn 2008. Service users will not be without care during the redevelopment of Milton Court. Plans are being drawn up to temporarily accommodate the services elsewhere. The day care service will continue locally, whilst respite services will be provided within East Sussex County Council Older People’s establishments
Notes to editors
The new building will allow us to offer improved levels of service, to a greater number of people.
The services to be provided include intermediate, respite, transitional, specialist support and day care services for older people with mental health needs. It will also have the capacity to house ‘out reach’ services from other organisations, such as Health.
Intermediate care is the term for a set of rehabilitative services which either avert the need for acute hospital admissions by offering support at an earlier stage, or alternatively support people in their recovery after a spell in hospital.
Respite care takes in people with long-term conditions to allow their carers to have a necessary short break.
Transitional care is to provide an extended period of assessment / rehabilitation to establish service users’ long term care needs.
Specialist support for people with a ‘functional’ mental health problem such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety.
Although Milton Court will support people with a range of mental health needs, it is expected that many service users will actually be sufferers of dementia.
Based on available prevalence data, the number of people with dementia will increase from approximately 10,000 (2006) to 17,000 (2028). Thus by 2028, 10% of people aged 65+ in East Sussex could have some form of dementia. This includes estimated increases in the number of people with Alzheimer’s from 5,700 (2006) to 9,400 (2028) and vascular dementia from 2,100 (2006) to 3,400 (2028).
Services at Milton Court will be led by Adult Social Care, a department of East Sussex County Council. They will be supported by the Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, who will provide specialist therapeutic support on a needs-led basis.
East Sussex has the highest percentage of people over 85 in England and Wales and the second-highest percentage of people who receive a pension. By 2027, 40% of the local population will be over 60.
Reference:
1926
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