I was so pleased to have been invited to Deansfield Court in Norton to meet the staff after a constituent praised the “brilliant care” given to her mother whilst she was a resident.
There are so many unsung heroes in our care services, who don't get the thanks they deserve for all their hard work. So I was really delighted to hear from Pat Pitcher, from Wintringham who had nothing but praise for the staff who looked after her mother, Eva Croft, who moved into Deansfield Court in 2012, and died last December, less than three weeks before her 96th birthday.
Mrs Pitcher told me: “The care Mum was given was amazing. Due to my frequent visiting I saw first-hand just how well run and excellent the care was and if all the places for the elderly were based on Deansfield Court there would be fewer problems to deal with. Residents help each other, are encouraged to join in activities and are encouraged to do as much for themselves as is possible in order to keep their independence. The residents also arrange activities, such as playing dominoes, bingo and fund-raising events. The carers in our country often get a very bad press, but from what I have seen at Deansfield there is definitely another side to the story. The carers there are very dedicated and worth their weight in gold.”
Deansfield Court is owned by Yorkshire Housing with the care delivered by North Yorkshire County Council. There are 22 extra care housing schemes across North Yorkshire providing 1,111 homes and the County Council is working with housing associations and other partners on more developments. They offer innovative ways of supporting people in living independently for as long as possible, giving the security and privacy of a home of your own, a range of facilities on the premises and access to 24-hour care and support, if needed.