Father and son entrepreneurs open £5m purpose built dementia care home, creating 70 jobs

Chris and James Rycroft from Knaresborough will be welcoming people with Dementia into their pioneering new care home in Harrogate this week after the Care Quality Commission officially certified it for opening.

Vida Hall has been created by the father and son pair who envisage that the home will set new standards for care homes due to the unique care environment they have created. They link their entrepreneurial background to the success of the facility which will provide both residential and day care.

Mr Rycroft explained: “Vida Hall has been three years in the planning and every single aspect has been thoroughly researched and developed to bring together the best in current thinking in the field of dementia care by collaborating with specialist spacial, environmental and medical experts.”

As well as Vida Hall, the entrepreneurial pair has developed innovations such as the first radio controlled baby monitor and has been the world's largest supplier of baby safety gates, describing that their drive to create something exceptional is at the heart of their work.

Mr Rycroft explained: “We are committed to improving long term wellbeing and freedom of choice and, in particular, we are very proud to be working with leading experts to demonstrate that there are better alternatives to the use of antipsychotic medication, which research shows is still being oversubscribed for dementia care.

"As the general public recognise, the key is good training and we have invested heavily in this area, including receiving a Workforce Development Innovation Fund from Skills for Care to develop bespoke training with the leading professor in the field of cognitive stimulation therapy, a pioneering new treatment for people with mild to moderate dementia."

Along side the specialist training, Vida has recruited both a residential and operations manager so that as residential manager, healthcare professional Bernadette Mossman can focus primarily on the excellence of care being delivered.

She says: "Having the assistance of an operations manager is an unusual approach but allows me to focus on achieving our aim of creating an outstanding home for people with dementia knowing that the operational side is in good hands.

"Our team is absolutely passionate about delivering the best possible care and making a difference to people's lives and it is incredibly exciting to be able to influence and shape the delivery of dementia care in this way.”

Ms Mossman has experience in delivering person centred care putting the individual at the centre of care and support after being one of the first people in the country to receive training on the Department of Health’s new National Dementia Strategy.

The 70 bed home is divided into four specialist homes so residents can receive the appropriate level of care they require, as well as welcoming day clients who will also have access to all the facilities.