Care centre marks 30th birthday – and looks to the future

The Newport Cottage Care Centre hosted the event today under the banner 'Yesterday – Today – Tomorrow'.

The centre was set up in the former hospital 30 years ago, and now provides three days of care and support for Newport's elderly residents every week, along with two days of specific dementia care.

Around 30 people attend the three day sessions, with the centre's services all designed to help enable older people to stay at home.

Dr Nick Tindall, chairman of the trust which runs the centre, said: "It is trying to make sure people can stay at home and with dementia sufferers we can give families, husbands and wives who are also elderly as well most of the time, the time to do other things that need doing when they have full-time caring responsibilities."

Dr Tindall, who was a member of the trust when the centre was originally set up, said the focus of the event was not just celebrating its achievements over 30 years, but also looking to the future.

He said: "Part of it is to look back over the 30 years and beyond 30 years to its time as a hospital, but also to look at what elderly care will look like over the next 30 years, what other services we maybe need to offer in the coming years."

He added: "I think what is always needed with these things is to change and grow and develop, and it has changed and grown and developed, I think it is in a very strong position at the moment but we need to continue growing and developing."

Dr Tindall, who was previously a GP at Newport's Wellington Road surgery, said feedback from the people who attend the centre show how important its role is.

He said: "I think it enables people to stay at home rather than being in care.

"The residents themselves often call it 'the club' so it gives them something to enhance their lives, and mentally and physically keep them in as good a health as they can."

People who attend the sessions pay a charge for admission but the service, which is staffed by professionals, is subsidised thanks to fundraising events which keep the rates down.

Dr Tindall paid tribute to all those who have supported the centre and raised funds for it, and specifically Hazel Robinson and Derek Tremayne.

He said: "They were the two people who had the vision at the start to really make this happen and we are very grateful to those two people in particular."