MP officially opens new 60 bed care facility
Saffron Walden MP Sir Alan Haselhurst was the guest of honour at the official opening of the area’s newest care facility.
Performing the ceremonial plaque unveiling, Sir Alan said the 60 bed Moat House ‘exemplifies the sophisticated needs of those in later life’.
Sir Alan returned to the site on the edge of Great Easton, near Great Dunmow, a year after unveiling the foundation stone and was full of praise for the home which features state of the art facilities.
He said: “It’s a great pleasure to be here to see the completion of this project which has really ratcheted up the quality of facilities available here at the Moat House.”
The Moat House replaces the old care home based in a converted rectory on the same site. While the new building is substantially bigger, the intimate feel has been recreated by its division into four suites – Oak, Willow, Maple and Aspen, delivering nursing, dementia nursing, residential and dementia care. The residents have all transferred from the old building and are being joined by new neighbours every week.
Sir Alan has been a regular visitor to the Moat House over the years, enjoying regular coffee mornings with residents and staff.
He said: “While the old building was charming, the new Moat House takes the facilities which are available for residents and staff one enormous step up.
The Moat House represents a multi million pound investment in the area by national operator Retirement Villages Ltd. Further development work will see the building of 26 extra care apartments at the site and additional communal facilities.
Retirement Villages Ltd’s Chief Executive Jon Gooding said: “We were delighted to welcome Sir Alan back to the Moat House and to see his positive reaction to the wonderful new building. You don’t need a shiny new building to deliver excellent care – that comes from the dedication and commitment of the staff. But if you have that wonderful caring ethos and then you add a shiny new building there is no limit to what you can achieve.”
For Village Manager Deborah Stevenson and her staff, the official opening was the chance to show off their new home.
Deborah said: “We are all settling in very well and it was lovely to be able to open our doors and show off such a wonderful new facility.”
Retirement Villages Ltd has been developing and managing bespoke lifestyle and care villages for the over 55s for 30 years. The pioneers of the UK model, the company now has approaching 2,000 residents living in 13 locations spread across 10 counties in the south of the country. For more information. visit retirementvillages.co.uk.
