THE first phase of a project to grow the capacity of a Salisbury care home has been completed.

Colten Care is planning a major refurbishment of its 18-year-old Braemar Lodge home in the city’s Stratford Road.

The care home provider is looking to create a ‘new standard’ in quality elderly care, and as part of this, it has created an extension to Braemar Lodge.

38 residents moved into the extension’s new rooms earlier this month, which will enable Colten Care to carry out a nine-month full refurbishment of the rest of the care home.

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Once finished, the overall project will take the combined capacity of Colten Care’s provision in Salisbury to 95 bedrooms.

Resident Joan Hills said the move to the extension was a smooth transition.

“I had been concerned about how it might go, but now [that] I’ve moved across to the extension, I’m delighted with how things are working out,” she said.

“I’m having my room all set up to my liking, with pictures being hung and so on, and getting back into my routine.

“The staff have been fantastic in ensuring as smooth a transition as possible. And my family, who have supported and visited frequently throughout the move, have been brilliant.”

“Mum was very nervous about the move, but she is coping incredibly well”

Relatives have also praised the new accommodation.

Alison Larkham, daughter of 99-year-old Douglas Parish, said: “The whole process has been done with the minimum disruption and stress to him.

“Braemar Lodge staff have always had a smile on their faces when packing and moving contents from the old to the new.”

Likewise, Shaign Hancock, son of Frances Hancock, said: “Mum was very nervous about the move, but she is coping incredibly well. What a fantastic build and it’s so thoughtfully designed.”

Braemar Lodge resident Joan Hills plays dominoes in her bedroom in the Salisbury home’s new extension Picture: Colten Care

The extension is on the site of a former charity-run care home that had been lying vacant before it was demolished in 2020.

Groundworks began on the Colten Care project in November 2022 with construction and fit-out led by sister company Colten Developments and an array of contractors.

Around 30 subcontractor companies have been involved, employing more than 250 tradespeople.

The extension is split over three floors, including a garden floor, and extends to 2,700 sq m or 29,052 sq ft.

As well as ensuite bedrooms, there are training and staff rooms and a second-floor guest suite. The main entrance and reception area are accessed from road level.

‘Fully open by end of the year’

Mark Aitchison, chief executive of the Colten Group, which owns and operates 21 care homes in the south, all registered for nursing, said: “With the extension now open and Braemar Lodge residents having made the short trip next door, we have successfully completed the first phase of the project. This is great to see.

“Phase Two will now involve the complete refurbishment of Braemar Lodge.

“Following that, we expect the combined facility to be fully open by the end of the year.

“It will incorporate all our expertise and knowledge gained over the last 40 years in building and operating care homes.

“It will set a new standard in elderly people’s care.

“This is a major investment by us, one that will ultimately create new jobs in both Salisbury and the wider region.”

Resident Douglas Parish enjoys lunch in the dining room of the new extension at Salisbury care home Braemar Lodge Picture: Colten Care

Mark added that a key task during the build programme has been to minimise any disruption to Braemar Lodge.

He said: “I pay tribute to Home Manager Jackie Cash and her team for continuing to deliver the high care standards that Braemar Lodge is known for, and I thank the residents for their support and advocacy during this period.

“At the same time, we praise all involved at Colten Developments for progressing the build programme with care and consideration.”

A ‘housewarming’ party for the extension, to include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, takes place for residents, families, friends and team members later in February.

It will be held in the reception and balcony areas of the building and feature live music from Salisbury-based singer and guitarist Hamlet Peter.