A dementia specialist is inviting local people to its villages to showcase its pioneering approach to living in care environments that challenges public perception of care homes.

This week (27 June – 1 July), Belong in Crewe, Macclesfield and Newcastle-under-Lyme will welcome visitors for an insight into the ‘village living’ model where customers can choose to live in independent apartments or as part of small ‘household’ cohorts with 24-hour support and nursing care available. All centre around a vibrant hub of onsite amenities designed to promote positive wellbeing and an active later life for older people, including those who are living with dementia.

All will offer the opportunity to tour the variety of facilities available to customers and those living locally, including a Bistro, hair salon, therapy room, specialist gym and entertainment venue. Guests will also have the chance to meet and greet the management team who can also advise on the services available, such as activities provision and day care, known as ‘Experience Days’, Belong at Home domiciliary care, as well as recruitment and training opportunities for those who are interested.

Belong Crewe’s ‘Welcome Tuesday’ is an all-day drop-in event taking place on 28 June. 

At Belong Macclesfield, the event will be hosted on Wednesday 29 June, between 2pm – 3:30pm, and will feature a unique pop-up art gallery featuring customers’ creative endeavours from the past six months.

Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme's event takes place all week will special events throughout, including a craft fayre featuring handmade items crafted by the residents (Wednesday 29 June, 10am – 2pm), and a choir performance from pupils from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School (Thursday 30 June, 2pm). Free health checks from the village nurse and a dementia care advice stall will also be available throughout Thursday.

The events have been inspired by Care Home Open Week, a national event affording communities the chance to connect with their local care providers. This year’s observance is the first in-person event in three years, owing to the pandemic. To add to the event’s proceedings, guests can take advantage of a buy one, get one free offer for all coffee and cake purchases in the onsite Bistros.

Stacey McCann, Belong chief operating officer, said: “We’re very excited for our open week. Our villages’ centres are always open to the general public and we’re pleased to be part of this special event that celebrates care environments for being a great place to live and work. There’s no need for guests to book, they can come along and I'm sure they will be pleasantly surprised when they see everything we have to offer.”