£2.5m brain injury centre to be built near Bridgnorth
A £2.5 million brain injury rehabilitation centre is to be built near Bridgnorth – creating up to 20 jobs – after being granted planning permission by Shropshire Council.
The owners of Bradeney House care home, in Worfield, will now build the new facility within its grounds.
The centre will provide specialist care for brain injury sufferers and is expected to create between 15 and 20 permanent jobs. It will be supported by neuropsychiatrists, neurological physiotherapists, occupational and speech and language therapists.
Les Jones, the owner of Bradeney House, said it will be a huge boost locally for what is a vastly under-provided area of healthcare in the UK.
He said: “The centre will enable us to provide vital, specialist support to people whose lives have been shattered by acute brain injury.
“Our objective is to help them relearn everyday skills and rebuild their lives.
“Currently, here in Shropshire and in the UK generally, there is a lack of specialist provision for brain injury rehabilitation and sufferers often find themselves placed in an elderly care home, which understandably, cannot provide the unique support needed.”
The new unit will include en-suite bedrooms, central rehabilitation areas, a high dependency suite and transitional living apartments where patients approaching discharge can be assessed for being able to cope at home.
The facilities will also include a hydrotherapy unit and physiotherapy suite.
The centre will be able to accommodate up to 12 brain injury sufferers. Typically these will be people who have had traumatic accidents or episodes that have led to damage to the brain, and following discharge from hospital, will spend between four and 12 months in rehabilitation.
The centre will also be the base for an outreach service to monitor those patients who have left and returned home.
In addition to the cognitive impairment associated with acquired brain injury, many people develop further personal and often complex needs as a result.
Part of the rehabilitation process includes developing the person’s own ability to manage these additional needs.
Mr Jones added: “Our goal is to create a brain injury centre that’s appropriately equipped and staffed by a specialist team to provide person-centred rehabilitation support for each individual designed around his or her specific needs.
“The centre is not designed to be a home for life; the idea is that it provides a stepping stone towards independence.
“We are absolutely delighted to have obtained planning permission and that Shropshire Council share our vision for this vital facility.”
