16 September 2021
Hillside House has new Residents at Last
Submitted by J Brock (FINN)
After more than a year of living in Liberty Lodge, residents were welcomed to their new interim accommodation, Hillside House, on 15 September 2021. Following extensive refurbishment and some incredible decoration, this will be the last major move for residents until Tussac House is complete.
Director of Health and Social Services, David O’Neill, said: “As a hospital we had to respond quickly to the Covid-19 pandemic, and one of our primary concerns was the safety of our residents in the hospital and the need to find them suitable alternative accommodation. We were lucky and very grateful that the Falklands Veterans Foundation offered Liberty Lodge for this purpose. However, this also meant that we had to ensure that healthcare staff were available to care for individuals in their new home. KEMH staff have always been resilient and hard working, but the way that nurses and carers stepped up to create a warm, caring and calm environment for our residents during a very stressful time is just incredible, and I thank each and every one of them for going above and beyond. I want to also thank the family and friends of our residents, as without their ongoing support throughout this process, we would not have been able to be where we are today.”
Portfolio Lead for Health and Social Services, MLA Ian Hansen, added: “Words cannot express how deeply grateful I am for the nurses and carers at Hillside House. I am very proud of how quickly they mobilised and moved to Liberty Lodge, all the while still providing a homely atmosphere and high quality care. I’m sure that residents’ family and friends will be looking forward to visiting them in their new home to see how well they continue to be cared for.”
The groundwork for Tussac House was completed in October 2020 and building work is due to begin next month. It is anticipated that the construction will be complete by April 2023.
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ENDS
