Flowers House

Standing in the historic grounds of Bletchley Park, Flowers House is nearing completion. This unique care scheme, which has been named after Tommy Flowers, the World War II computer engineer responsible for building code breaking machines, will soon be home to people living with dementia.

Each of the 34 apartments has been allocated and the demand has been huge, proving the need for an assisted living scheme.

Workmen are carrying out the finishing touches to the £3.2million project, with carpets being laid and the final coats of paint being applied. Every aspect of Flowers House has been designed for people living with dementia. Each floor has been painted a different colour to make it easier for residents to find their way round.

As well as this, outside every apartment’s front door is a memory shelf on which residents can put memorable personal items to orientate themselves.

It won’t be long before the residents move in and start to receive round the clock support, but before then Grand Union Housing Group (GUHG) is planning a celebratory event to mark the occasion.

The scheme came to fruition after GUHG, and its subsidiary Aragon Housing Association, stepped in at the eleventh hour to save the plans which were at risk of collapsing after a previous association pulled out of the partnership with Milton Keynes Council. 

Aileen Evans, Aragon’s Managing Director, said: “We are really excited about Flowers House finally opening and getting the residents moved in. This scheme will be able to change the lives of not only people suffering from dementia, but also their families.

“We are really proud to be working with Milton Keynes Council. This partnership is unique because together we are offering a much better and more unique way of supporting people with dementia, which is proving much more cost effective and beneficial to the customers than previously.

“This gives us a chance to show that we can make a vital contribution to the care of people living with this condition in the area. We hope this might lead the way to other similar schemes that are needed in this area.”

The need for the scheme was identified by Milton Keynes Council’s Adult Social Care team, due to the increasing number of older MK residents living with dementia. It is intended to provide housing for residents, who have moderate needs, to allow them to live their lives as independently as possible, in a safe supported environment.

The scheme has been made possible with £2.4m of grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency.