New Riverside Care Home officially opened

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, has officially opened the latest 120-bedded care home to be completed as part of the council's £100m Tomorrow's Residential and Day Care Programme.

Councillor Aitken performed the honours at the opening ceremony for the Riverside Care Home in Dalmarnock on a day of celebration for staff and residents alike.

Riverside was previously used to accommodate competitors during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the building has been substantially refitted to make it suitable for use as a care home. It is the third major care home to be completed as part of the council's programme to modernise its care homes and day care centres.

Councillor Aitken said: "This is a fantastic new care home and it's another great example of the legacy that the Commonwealth Games has given to Glasgow.

"Riverside is a top class environment in which our vulnerable, older people can receive the kind of support they need to lead fulfilling lives.  The level of thought and detail that has gone into designing the home is quite incredible and will ensure the home meets current and future care standards for many, many years to come.

"Everyone connected with the work that's led to the opening of the Riverside Care Home can be justly proud of the efforts.  The absolute quality and dedication of the staff here really shines through and there is no doubt residents are in good hands.

"It was a tremendous honour to be with staff and residents at the official opening and I wish everyone at the home the very best for the future."

Situated by the River Clyde in the former Athlete's Village, Riverside is a direct replacement for council-run homes in Glasgow's east end - Fulton Lodge, Peter McEachran House and Loancroft residential units.

Providing 120 en-suite, dementia friendly bedrooms, the home offers a high-quality living environment, centred on the individual needs of residents and designed to ensure that the older people feel comfortable, relaxed and safe and enjoy a sense of community.

The home has eight units which are named after the emblems of Commonwealth countries. Each unit has 15 en-suite bedrooms which are bright and spacious and equipped with an individual flat screen TV, fridge, telephone, personal safe, specialist bed and a staff call system. Each unit also has a dining room, sitting room and activity room.

Riverside also has a number of communal areas including a cinema room, hairdressing salon, treatment rooms, a reception area, enclosed dementia friendly landscaped gardens and a balcony area.

The opening of Riverside follows the completion of similar projects at Hawthorn House in Possilpark and Orchard Grove in Toryglen. The Tomorrow's Residential and Day Care Programme also has plans to open further homes at Leithland in Pollok and also Blawarthill in Garscadden/Scotstounhill.

As part of the programme, day centre has been opened at Glenwood in Castlemilk, alongside the Hawthorn House and Orchard Grove homes as well as at Wallacewell in Robroyston. Two further day care centres are also planned.

*Picture shows (l-r) - Caroline Miller, whose father James is a resident at Riverside, Councillor Aitken and Andy Barclay, a Riverside resident. Both Caroline and Andy spoke at the opening ceremony.