Chatham Waters is an exciting regeneration development which focuses on the features of the historic naval boatyard including the waterside setting offering a promenade with bars and restaurants. It is located in the heart of the town and is the vision of Peel Developments, responsible for the Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool; Salford Quays, Manchester and Trafford Waters. Strategically positioned in large urban areas, all of the projects build upon their heritage and create new communities benefitting from a truly mixed development. Retail, hospitality, education, health and residential are integrated around river water frontages and formal green public spaces.

This community responds to our own vision of the future of care homes which offer facilities to not just residents but everyone. Activities in the Home such as cinema, cooking demonstrations, hairdressing, musical events and school children’s visits all encourage people to become involved, such activities stimulate resident’s interest and help prolong life. This approach will build local links and recommendation must be the most successful marketing tool available. The care home is visible from the A289, which has 30,000 traffic movements per day and increasing, without suffering from direct noise and air quality concerns.

There is a mixture of freehold, affordable and shared ownership and the diversity of size of accommodation is very attractive. Residential development has been planned to engineer a mixed community of ages, occupations and socio-economic standing. Consequently accommodation is a mixture of freehold, shared ownership and affordable, provided in 1 to 4 bedroom properties. As families become established in this new community they may consider re-locating elderly relatives to the area so they can provide closer support. Staffing remains the major issue for new care homes and whilst qualified staff are statistically plentiful the new community will also offer many potential employees taking the opportunity to work close to home. The Home may well attract people, particularly those seeking flexible hours, to choose to live in Chatham Waters. This is an area that is offering a new lifestyle whilst remaining very much part of the urban fabric, well connected to the rest of Medway and Kent.

Opportunities beyond traditional elderly care provision exist. There is a crisis in step up and step down care accommodation in the NHS. Issues of bed blocking have long been recognised and there is now an impetus to rehabilitate patients ready to be discharged into more appropriate settings. The Medway Maritime Hospital is just 1.4 miles away from Chatham Waters. However the new Home is uniquely positioned to provide bespoke accommodation and services which can not be replicated in existing homes.

Competition is comparatively old, in small premises lacking in many of the facilities offered by a modern Home. A separate document provides a detailed analysis of other homes and highlights their shortcomings. The most recent competitive home was built ten years ago since when client expectations have significantly moved on.

Chatham Waters offers an unique setting in an historic waterside location which a multitude of amenities. The outward looking Home will offer inclusion to the new citizens and will become a part of the town’s infrastructure in a modern, spacious and tranquil setting yet most importantly integrated into the existing urban environment.

Images from Shinfield - Berkley Care Group