Netherlands-inspired care village will be ‘first of its kind’ for Wigan

The new two-storey community hub for residents and their families to enjoy is the next part of the vision for Standish Care Village and will be the first of its kind in the borough.

This facility will sit centrally, between Lakeside and Worthington Lake care homes and the specialist EMI (Elderly Mentally Infirm) Langtree Care Home which is due to be complete next year.

Millennium Care, the provider that runs both Chorley Road sites, explained that this latest development would help to improve the community feeling of the area and reduce loneliness.

It is hoped this space could be used to provide space for local businesses and encourage the use of local products and services, hosting space for a cafeteria, grocery shop, hairdresser or a Care Village IT Hub.

A spokesman for Millenium Care said: “We’re thrilled to have the support of Wigan Council and the local authority after the approval of Community Hub in the heart of, what will become, the Standish Care Village following the completion of Langtree Care Home in 2024.

“The hub will bring exciting opportunities to our residents by linking the three homes on the current site to each other and the local community; while also providing opportunities such as intergenerational activities which have been proven to be hugely beneficial for all involved.”

This community hub is the latest phase of the new scheme for a care village that takes inspiration from the successfully operated model in the Netherlands known as Hogeweyk. The three homes on site will cater for respite, residential, nursing, dementia and EMI care once Langtree is complete.

The idea behind this is to allow residents to move between homes as their condition changes providing a continuity of care. Residents can remain in a familiar location with familiar people which reduces the risk of transfer trauma.

Having three homes working together will create a community while giving residents and their loved ones peace of mind that they have a home for life. The community hub will be the centrepiece of the new village that underpins the whole focus on connectivity and synergy within care.

“Millennium Care’s vision is to create the first care village of its kind, in Wigan,” a planning statement said. “The overarching vision for the care village is to demonstrate that in spite of age and conditions, people in care settings should be seen through the lens of their abilities, strengths, skills and contributions.

“The Village Green would enable residents to interact and engage with other members of the existing care village and visitors. The intention is to create an environment that supports positive well-being outcomes and longevity and for Langtree to be a pioneering benchmark for this.”

Millennium Care Group is a high profile operator of care homes in the Wigan area which is rarely out of the news, as staff win awards, it appeals for firms to help with a garden makeover and it helps local charities.