The business of caring

[prev] …some free-standing office partitions up for the walls, then sat in a wheelchair and moved about, and kept moving the walls out until I stopped bouncing into them. And that’s how we decided on the size of a bedroom.’ The developer was Castleoak, the architects PRC, with Kirkby and Diamond acting as chartered surveyors. ‘We just gelled as a team. It was the first time we’d used Castleoak and PRC, and it just worked – one of those projects that falls into place. One of the irritating things I do as far as developers are concerned is say: “Hold on a minute – maybe we can do it this way…” and change things around. But they were flexible enough to be able to adapt and change the design as it went up.’ Even with all this – plus the extensive archaeological dig and night vigils to check for a bat population – the centre opened bang on time, and slightly under budget.

Now, residents are coming from as far afield as Egypt and New Jersey to benefit from the facilities and expertise

Neil was handed the keys in June 2012, then, after a six week fit-out, the first residents came at the end of July. Now, residents are coming from as far afield as Egypt and New Jersey to benefit from the facilities and expertise. It’s one of the groundbreaking developments here that is truly putting Peterborough on the map. ‘The way we operate here is we have five units,’ explains Neil as he shows us round. ‘There are 20 to 30 beds on each unit. It’s enough people to create a small community, and viable for the number of staff you need on there, but not too big that it becomes de-personalised. The units are split into different areas as well, almost in clusters of ten at each end.’ The rooms themselves are light and airy – and spacious, thanks to Neil’s experiments – and all have en-suite bathrooms specially adapted for residents’ needs.

Rooms are decorated in different colours, but also personalised by their residents, who are encouraged to treat the rooms as their own. ‘Everything we try to do is about the person in the bed, the resident who lives there,’ says Neil. All bedroom doors are 1200mm wide, which means beds can be wheeled straight out of the door if need be. ‘What’s often done elsewhere is there’s a standard door with an extra leaf that can be opened – but it looks like a hospital door. By having the bigger door it doesn’t look so much like a hospital.’ Much is done to avoid that institutional feel. ‘We try to avoid corridors as much as possible. If you go into a lot of nursing homes – even new ones – there’ll often be a really nice living area, beautifully furnished, but the minute you come out of it there’s what looks like a hotel corridor with lots of doors off it. It always reminds me of The Shining…’ Not quite the association anyone wants.

“It’s just a question of what makes those people feel happiest, and most comfortable.”

Eagle Wood also offers an impressive, high-tech hydrotherapy pool, gym, therapy room, and a ‘skills kitchen’ – fully kitted out to allow residents to cook for themselves and relearn basic skills. Neil is keen to stress, however, that PJ Care’s way is not the only way. ‘There are others who do what we do, but we don’t do it the same way as they do. And we shouldn’t all do it the same way. We’ve had people come here who haven’t really settled, and who have gone elsewhere and then been happy. But also we’ve had it the other way around. It’s purely down to the individual. When someone has neurological damage, the controls that allow you to cope with things that you don’t like can be stripped away. It’s just a question of what makes those people feel happiest, and most comfortable.’

As we’re walking around, a resident wanders up and is greeted cheerily by Neil. He smiles and wanders off again. ‘In his old home, he would have attacked us,’ says Neil once he’s gone. It’s a graphic illustration of the effect of the right environment.

“The youngest person we’ve had with a form of dementia was 18. It’s tragic.”

Residents here come from every kind of background, and Neil says there is such a need nationally that the PJ Care’s centres – now employing 500 people in total – still barely scratch the surface. ‘We’ve had chief executives and university professors coming – people in their late 40s and early 50s who have built careers on their minds. It doesn’t discriminate. A lot of younger adults, too, and people with brain injuries. The youngest person we’ve had with a form of dementia was 18. It’s tragic.’

Already, plans are afoot for the next centre. ‘The designs we’ve got here, I’m already improving on, and our next home will be better designed than this one.’ Considering the need, is there any limit to the expansion? ‘We’ll stop when we can no longer achieve the quality,’ Neil says. ‘I am very passionate about what we do here, and every single part of it is important to me.’ PJ Care continues to offer training, allowing care assistants to become fully qualified nurses. Jan is still actively involved, but is stepping back, allowing the business to be run ‘in her image’ as Neil puts it.

“It’s actually the guys on the floor who are doing the work, and who make the difference. They’re the rock that we’re built on…”

Looking around the centre now, it’s easy to see why it has such a reputation. It’s exactly the kind of place you’d want caring for a loved one if they were in need. But, impressive though Eagle Wood is, Neil is keen to point out that it is about far more than just bricks and mortar. ‘My mother-in-law went into a care home, and it was atrocious. But it wasn’t the quality of the building, it was the quality of the care. We went up to visit her there, and actually went up the following day with an ambulance and brought her here instead. But that’s the important point. I’ve built a nice building, but it’s actually the guys on the floor who are doing the work, and who make the difference. They’re the rock that we’re built on.’

For more information, visit www.pjcare.co.uk