A £1.5M INVESTMENT is poised to provide a new lease of life to care home residents who will be encouraged to carry out domestic tasks they enjoyed in days gone by.

A Dutch-inspired initiative to offer elderly people an opportunity to get involved with cooking, housework and gardening will be brought to the North-East in a purpose-built independent living facility.

Middleton Hall Retirement Village, in Middleton St George, near Darlington, announced the imminent opening of a pioneering care centre within the site to replicate household management for residents.

The Middleton Oaks centre was rubber-stamped by care home bosses after piloting a family living service which supports those living with dementia to lead active lifestyles as they would at home.

The scheme launched in the retirement village in 2011 after research from the Netherlands revealed small group living was beneficial, with residents taking up hobbies such as baking and growing their own vegetables.

Jeremy Walford, managing director of the retirement village, said: “We’ve had such positive results with our current family living service, including two residents whose level of care has been reduced due to their increased independence, that we now want to invest in it further.

“We’re always keen at Middleton Hall to see the person first and we do this by collaboration with the family and resident, getting to know all about their life, goals and aspirations.

“Having a family environment enables residents to live in a more relaxed, nurturing environment, not bound by routines or times.”

The retirement village, which already employs around 160 members of staff, is set to hire another 10 employees to help roll out the service further.

Two small homes housing eight bedrooms, a domed winter garden, a lounge, a kitchen dining area and a family room will form the Middleton Oaks centre which is due to be completed in April.

Residents are expected to be free to move in to the facility in May.

Doreen Dowson, who visits her mother at Middleton Hall, said: “My mother has been a resident of the small family living service for the past four years.

“The dedicated team of staff has patiently supported her as her dementia has progressed, she has never been distressed and is content.”