Work set to start on city's latest care home

Work on the City of Edinburgh Council’s latest state of the art care home will begin next month after planning permission was granted.

Contractors will start on the new care home at Drumbrae in October after agreement was reached at the Council's Planning Committee yesterday (14 September).

The new 60 bed home is being built on the site of the former Drumbrae Primary School and will be the fifth new care home the Council has commissioned as part of its strategy for providing a high quality care environment for older people.

It will replace two of the Council's older care homes - Clermiston House and The Tower Care Home.

Councillor Paul Edie, Health Leader for Edinburgh, said: "We are committed to offering high quality residential care for older people in the city. Just this week, we opened our latest care home at Inch View. This facility gives residents the opportunity to stay in accommodation which is more suitable to their needs and gives them a better standard of living.

"I am really pleased that work can now begin on the next modern care home commissioned by this Council. This will also bring an economic boost to the local community by bringing in new employment opportunities which will lead to more jobs in the long term."

The new home will be sub-divided into four wings of 15 bedrooms, each with their own sitting and dining areas.  Bedrooms will all have en-suite shower rooms and assisted bathrooms.

The four wings are arranged around a central courtyard and accessible garden, allowing the more vulnerable residents freedom within a secure environment

All the Council's new care homes have been designed to a high specification and include activity rooms, hairdressing rooms and support facilities.

The new care home is part of Edinburgh's Live Well in Later Life strategy, which aims to provide a wide range of quality care and support to meet older people's needs in their own and in carefully designed homes. The new care home will be beneficial in providing a caring and supportive service for older people so they can enjoy a better quality of life.