Care Homes Receive Upgrade Funding

11.05.13pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th Jun 2007

Older people in some of the city's care homes are set to see an improvement in their quality of life following the award of Government grant.

The grant is to be used to upgrade the facilities of the selected care homes as part of a campaign which aims to place dignity and respect at the heart of caring for older people.

£190,000 has been made available this year to improve the physical environment in Milton Keynes care homes for older people.

The Council invited bids from care homes within Milton Keynes for a share of this funding. Those that demonstrated that the funding will be used to improve the physical environment in which care is provided were approved.

Liberal Democrat councillor Irene Henderson, cabinet member for social care, said: "This grant will not only help older people living in the Borough's care homes to do so with dignity but will also enable the service providers to be more responsive to their needs."

Some of the improvements that will directly benefit residents include:

• replacing worn-out carpeting or floor coverings to reduce the risk of falls

• upgrading dining rooms

• upgrading residents' bedrooms and bathrooms

• improving gardens or outside spaces used by residents, to encourage outdoor exercise

• alterations that will give the residents greater privacy.