GOATHILL CARE HOME AND HOUSING WITH EXTRA CARE

The Goathill development brings together a residential Care Home and Housing with Extra Care Facility in Stornoway

The Goathill project was a hugely ambitious development that brought together a 52-bed residential Care Home and 50-unit Housing with an Extra Care Facility. It was delivered by the Comhairle in partnership with the Western Isles Integration Joint Board and Hebridean Housing Partnership.

The state-of-the-art facility was built to address a projected shortfall in suitable residential and extra care accommodation. It was the first project of its kind in the Western Isles.

The facility provides accommodation to meet the care needs and levels of dependency of the elderly population in the area.

From the outset, the project received advice and design consultancy from the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC). Their involvement helped inform the facilities’ staffing and operating models and define best-practice finishes within areas.

Works comprised the construction of a 52-bed Care Home with four wings to facilitate small secure group living, all served off a central core block with common staff and residents’ facilities. Shared wing facilities include communal day rooms, day dining rooms, quiet rooms, and assisted bathing facilities. Each wing also includes free access to naturally lit internal common spaces and provides dayroom or corridor access to external secure courtyards for residents’ recreational use. Furthermore, two larger central secure courtyards are provided within the main body facility of the Care Home to again provide residents with external space for recreational and social use.

The 50-unit Housing with Extra Care facility has 2 secure internal courtyards for residents’ recreational use and another secure external area off the common GF day dining room.

The Care Home, Taigh Shìphoirt (Seaforth House), is a single-storey building with four wings accommodating 13 residents. The four wings are named after local beaches: Garry, Bosta, Coll and Dalmore. Each wing is designed as a circulation wandering loop and are uniquely DSDC coloured to avoid confusion for the residents. Each has its own safe garden and community area built in.

The Housing with Extra Care building, Bremner Court, is a two—or three-story building that includes a respite wing. Each housing unit is comprised of a kitchen/dining area/ living area, bedroom with en-suite facilities, and 24-hour staffing to support the residents.

In addition, the campus also comprises a daycare facility that will be occupied by Solas (Alzheimer Scotland). The Care Home includes a staff training suite and a new location for the Faire ‘call centre’ service.