This article provides an overview of Belmont Healthcare Group’s new £5.5m dementia care development in Gravesend, Kent, which marks a significant milestone in supportive design

 

Belmont Healthcare Group recently announced the completion of the first phase of an ambitious £5.5m development project aimed at providing dedicated dementia care at Wombwell Hall Care Home in Gravesend, Kent.

This scheme, christened ‘Copperfield’, honours the area’s rich connection to Charles Dickens and marks a significant milestone in dementia care in the region.

The Copperfield phase introduces 22 en-suite rooms and four suites, providing an additional level of luxury, with a TV seating area and private access to patio garden areas.

The emphasis was on creating a thriving environment for those living with dementia, with amenities including a bistro, beauty salon, private dining areas, and a 24-hour manned reception, designed not only for comfort and convenience, but also to promote a high quality of life.

Independent living in a safe environment

Central to the design ethos is the balance between independent living and a safe, secure environment.

Two general-use kitchens, quiet lounges, family rooms, and private patio areas provide residents with spaces to engage in everyday activities, socialise, and relax with their family and friends.

Developed in collaboration with specialist dementia care design studio, ADG Architects, the approach ensures that every aspect – from the choice of furniture to the selection of wallpaper – supports safety and wayfinding and reduces confusion.

Local historian and historical advisor to Swanscombe & Greenhithe Town Council, Christoph Bull, played a crucial role in integrating the rich history of Gravesham into the home.

And the Copperfield phase celebrates not only Charles Dickens, but also pays homage to other local historical figures and landmarks, such as the real-life princess, Pocahontas, who is buried at St. George’s Church, and the now-demolished grand stately mansion of Wombwell Hall itself.

Looking back

These historical references are thoughtfully woven into the design, creating a familiar and comforting atmosphere that encourages residents to reminisce and feel at home while still being connected to the local community.

Adam Hutchison, managing director of Belmont Healthcare, said: “Completing the first phase of our development is a significant achievement for Wombwell Hall Care Home.

“Our goal has always been to create an environment where people living with dementia can thrive, feel safe, and enjoy a high quality of life.

“By integrating the latest in care facilities with a deep respect for the rich history of Gravesham, we’ve created a truly-unique space that both residents, their families, and our care teams can cherish.”

Following the successful completion of the Copperfield phase, Belmont Healthcare is moving onto the second phase of development, named ‘Pickwick’.

Setting a standard

This building will offer comprehensive dementia nursing care, further enhancing the care home’s capacity to support the community.

Hutchison said: “Wombwell Hall Care Home’s groundbreaking development sets a new standard for dementia care facilities.

“By combining luxurious surroundings with the latest in care innovations, the home is poised to become a beacon of excellence in the region, ensuring that residents living with dementia receive the highest standard of care in an environment designed to support their independence and wellbeing.”

When all phases are fully completed, the home will offer 102 rooms including 60 en-suite bedrooms and larger suites.

Speaking to Healthcare Property, John Bell, architect and director of ADG Architects, explained: “This is a working care home and the original site featured four single-storey properties all identical to each other and each with 30 bedrooms with a central core.

“However, they had no en-suite bathrooms or wetrooms and they wanted to address this.

“Working with a live site, we looked to break down the project, developing the scheme zone by zone.”

A household model

The first decision was to reduce the number of rooms in each block, from 30 to 22, a bold decision for any operator, but essential to provide the en-suite facilities and to enable a household model to be created which would provide a more-supportive and less-institutional environment.

“This approach allowed us to create two ‘households’ within Copperfield – one with 10 rooms and one with 12 rooms, designed around a central hub area,” explains Bell.

“The intention for the central hub was for it to be multi-use, and when we do Pickwick we will be using the same approach, but maybe the hub area can be used for different activities. That way all four buildings will have a unique element and it will encourage movement between them and that feeling of a community.”

The design team visited the world-renowed Hogeweyk dementia care village in The Netherlands to get inspiration for the build.

And they are hoping to replicate some of the external spaces within that flagship development on the Wombwell scheme.

“Outdoor space is very important and currently there is a carpark at Wombwell,” said Bell.

“We are looking to landscape this in the final phase and hopefully maximise external space so that residents can move about in a safe environment.”

Creating destinations

He added: “Our whole approach has been about making spaces homely and recognisable and, by reducing number of beds, it means we haven’t got 30 residents all trying to live in the same space.

“Instead they have more choice, with communal and quiet lounges, seating areas, and spaces where people can make a cup of tea.

“The design is also all about destination, which is important for people living with dementia.”

Carolyn Mace, senior architectural designer at ADG Architects, was responsible for the interiors at Copperfield.

She said: “We took a sensitive approach, creating an environment that is friendly and homely, rather than clinical, with neutral colour palettes based around warm tones with pops of colour and tactile materials.

“These colours and textures are inspired by the natural environment and use imagery which is familiar to people and not too overpowering for those with dementia who may suffer from confusion or visual impairment.

“The idea is to encourage residents to come out of their bedrooms and have social interaction, which is important for people in care homes and extra important for people with dementia.

Personalisation

“The entrances spaces and central hub, in particular, feature lots of daylight and are very accessible, with limited furniture to reduce the risk of trips and falls.

“Bedrooms also have lots of natural light and scope for residents to personalise their environment – maybe put an armchair in from home, or picture frames on the chest of drawers.”

Wayfinding was also key, with all spaces clearly labelled and vision panels enabling residents to see what is going on inside the rooms.

“All of day spaces have different colour scheme, so residents can make the association and in corridors there are no dead ends and a lot of natural light and views out to the gardens, which helps with orientation,” Mace adds.

In addition, the project was designed to be energy efficient and sustainable.

Bell said: “The refurbishment enabled us to invest heavily in the energy efficiency of the building.

“It wasn’t too bad before, but there were energy efficiency technologies which were installed, but never well used, such as solar panels, which we have recommissioned and which should provide around 80-90% of electricity supply for the development.”

Copperfield was refurbished in just four months and work on Pickwick is expected to take 4-6 months.

A global masterplan

Bell said: “This project is an opportunnity to create a global masterplan for the Wombwell site.

“We are taking an existing home and repurposing it in a different way for residents with complex care needs.

“Dementia comes in different forms and people deal with it in different ways – some are very quiet, but very mobile, while others can be aggressive and quite insular.

“Having different units doing different things means they can support residents with a range of needs.

“The scheme is evolving as we continue, with lessons learned from Copperfield being put into the design of Pickwick.”

Claire Skinner, manager at Wombwell Hall Care Home, concludes: “We feel tremendously lucky to be bestowed with this bespoke facility and are excited to move forward with the next phase of our project, continuing our commitment to providing exceptional care and support to our community.”