Care home builds entire 1950s style high street to take people with dementia back in time

Care home builds entire 1950s style high street to take people with dementia back in time
There’s everything from a fruit and veg shop to a toy shop (Picture: Caters News)

From the outside, Five Rise nursing home in Bingley, West Yorkshire, looks like an ordinary care home.

But the building boasts an impressive fully-functioning 1950s style street featuring ‘Coronation Street’ style shops

The street has been to help the 65 residents living with dementia. The idea is to reduce anxiety in people with dementia by provoking memories and offering ‘home comforts’ that helps to calm the residents.

The residents can take a trip down to the barbers to freshen up, pop into the old-style sweet shop to bring back the memories of some of their favourite sweet treats or even watch a film in the on-site cinema.

Owners Damien and Danny Holt, along with their father Brendan Holt, first came up with the idea when they were helping out with their father’s care home in the 1980s.

The 1950s style dementia street at Five Rise nursing home
The 1950s style dementia street at Five Rise nursing home (Picture: Caters)
Getting a hair cut
Getting a hair cut (Picture: Caters)

Damien said: ‘This is a family run business with myself, my brother and our father who originally had a care home in Leeds in the 1980s and that’s where the idea stemmed from.

‘We were passionate about creating something different and something that would make us stand out.

‘We wanted to create something that would reduce anxiety and calm the residents with dementia as it’s difficult enough for them without being thrown into a completely different environment. It helps to ease them in and makes them feel at home.

Outside the toy shop
Outside the toy shop (Picture: Caters)
The Post Office on the street
The Post Office on the street (Picture: Caters)

‘They all love it.’

Twins Damien and Danny own another care home and are planning on building another with the same 1950s theme in mind.

The idea first stemmed from their father, Brendan Holt, who owned a care home in Leeds that was for residents living with dementia.

Having an understanding of dementia from a young age, the twins wanted to carry on the family business and expand by incorporating the modern day with the tradition that these residents were so used to.

The garage
The garage, where they have some vintage cars (Picture: Caters)
Inside the toy shop
Inside the toy shop (Picture: Caters)

Once the planning permission was accepted, it was all hands on deck as they transformed the care home into a 1950-lovers dream. The street was the main attraction but the care home also incorporates bright colours and big windows to encourage mental stimulation amongst the residents.

Since opening in 2018, the care home has amassed 65 residents who visit the street regularly with their families.

At the bus stop
At the bus stop (Picture: Caters)

To add to the feel, there are also vintage cars on display.

Damien added: ‘We really move with the times- it doesn’t just stay the same. We have coronation parties, during summer we put on a big summer market that half of Bingley turn up to, we have farmers who bring horses and donkeys and it really makes the residents happy.’

The project took up to three years to complete and cost the Holt family £10 million.

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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/27/care-home-builds-entire-1950s-style-high-street-take-people-dementia-back-time-12131669/
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