New daycare centre for dementia patients

A new, state-of-the-art daycare facility was opened this week. The Haynes

Centre, based at the Neighbourhood Health Centre in Park Road, will provide

specialist support for people with dementia and their carers.

Councillor Dilek Dogus, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Wellbeing, called

it one of the most up-to-date centres of its kind in London.” Construction of

the centre was funded by a donation of £750,000 from the Lewis and Mary Haynes

Trust, a charity for the care of eldery people.

The centre, part of a new “polyclinic” on Park Road that replaced the former

Hornsey Central Hospital last year, was developed jointly by Haringey Council,

NHS Haringey and the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust. Facilities

at the centre include activity areas, a music room, treatment rooms and a

sensory garden.

“We have worked closely with other

organisations when planning and building the centre so a seamless service can

be offered for people with dementia,” continued Cllr Dogus.

Patients will be able to access a range of therapies including reminiscence

therapy and life story work, art therapy and music therapy, dance, singing and

exercise. The centre has been operational since October, and currently caters

for 15 people a day, but the site has the capacity to treat up to 30 patients a day in the

future.

The Haynes Centre was inspired by similar daycare provision at the Grange

Centre in Tottenham. Dementia is a condition that affects areas of cognition such

as memory, language, attention and problem solving. The condition can affect

people of all ages, but is particularly associated with older people.

"The Haynes Centre will bring together specialist treatment and

non-clinical support which people with dementia often need,” said Dr Therese

Shaw, clinical director for dementia services at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey

Mental Health NHS Trust. “We welcome the opening of this new centre and look

forward to the benefits it will bring for service users and staff alike."

NHS Haringey and the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust

will be joined on the site by staff from from the Admiral Nurse Service, the

Alzheimer's Society, Age Concern, who will be able to provide support and

advice for both patients and carers.

Julie Quinn, the deputy chief executive of NHS Haringey, welcomed the new

facilities, saying: “This is great news for the older and more vulnerable

members of our community and will really make a difference to their lives.”

For information about assessment and care for older people in Haringey, contact over65@haringey.gov.uk.