Fairburn Mews in Castleford, West Yorkshire, has become the first care home in England to be accredited by the Huntington’s Disease Association (HDA).

The Exemplar Health Care home, which provides specialist nursing care to adults with complex needs, has been recognised for its specialist care for service users with the disease.

Huntington’s Disease is a condition caused by a faulty gene that results in part of the brain becoming gradually damaged over time and symptoms usually appear when an individual is between 30 and 50 years of age.

The home has provided care for service users with the disease for 14 years but, until last month, there wasn’t a recognised accreditation scheme that provided standardised quality assurance for patients and families affected by the illness. Keen to address this, The Huntington’s Disease Association embarked on a ten-month collaboration with Fairburn Mews and a second care provider in Wales to build a scheme that all care homes can work towards.

Euan Craig, CEO of Exemplar Health Care, said: “We’re delighted that our Fairburn Mews care home is now certified to provide a nationally-recognised ‘gold standard’ of care for people with Huntington’s disease.

“Over 100 residents with the disease live in Exemplar homes. People with Huntington’s disease need lots of support – and we’re so proud the home is now the very first home in England accredited to provide this.”

Exemplar has always had a strong relationship with the Huntington’s Disease Association, a registered charity which works to improve care and support services for people with Huntington’s, educate families and professionals and champion people’s rights.

Fairburn Mews in Castleford, one of Exemplar’s specialist Huntington’s Disease care homes with 20 beds, went through a rigorous four-month assessment period in order to gain its new status.

The assessment required the care home team, families and services users to complete detailed questionnaires. Feedback from these – along with a two-day on-site inspection – was attributed to the home’s high standards.

Only a small number of homes a year will be able to attain the HDA Quality Assured accreditation and, every two years, accredited homes will be required to re-accredit in order to ensure standards are continuously maintained.

www.exemplarhc.com