Michael Gove opens Caring Homes’ dementia café

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, has opened a dementia café at Caring Homes’ Kingsclear Care Home in Camberley, Surrey.

The local MP cut the ribbon to officially open the luxury care home’s Foxglove Café.

Mr Gove said: “Thank you to everyone for inviting me along, thank you to everyone who works here for the amazing care. I have been told that government cuts are a bad thing but on this occasion I am very, very happy to be making a cut and being here with you all to officially open Foxglove Café at Kingsclear.”

Foxglove Café has been launched in conjunction with The Alzheimer’s Society to support those living with dementia and their families to provide support, guidance and an understanding of the emotions that they may be going through. The café aims to support all residents, their families and the whole of the Surrey Heath and Sandhurst communities.

Home Manager Caroline Walker said: “Mr Gove enjoyed a tour of our home, meeting residents in their rooms and at breakfast. He was especially interested in the memory boxes which we have outside the bedrooms and also in the badger watch cameras which we have set up to keep an eye on the badger family who have made a home in the grounds.”

Kingsclear Care Home is one of the latest additions to the Caring Homes family, which now comprises of 64 homes nationally and is celebrating 25 years in the care home industry this year after starting out with just one care home in 1994.