Joan marks £480,000 refurbishment at Strontian

A ceremony was held at Dail Mhor House, Strontian, on Tuesday 20 June to mark a £480,000 refurbishment of the resource centre which serves Ardnamurchan, Morvern and the Small Isles.

The resident who has stayed longest at the home, Mrs Joan Bagguley, was given the honour of cutting the ribbon to officially reopen the centre watched by Councillor Olwyn Macdonald, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Lochaber Area Committee, and Councillor Michael Foxley, Council Vice-Convener, who is the local member for Ardnamurchan and Morvern.

Dail Mhor closed in June 2005 to undergo a refurbishment to ensure that it meets all National Care Standards as well as improved disability and fire safety standards.  The five residents returned to Dail Mhor in March.
 
During the refurbishment, residents moved to Invernevis House in Fort William, where many of the Dail Mhor staff also went so that care of the residents could be provided by as many familiar faces as possible. The day centre was relocated to the hostel at the nearby Ardnamurchan High School.
 
The accommodation for residents has been upgraded to include en-suite showers and improved bathing facilities which will allow a greater degree of personal care to be provided for residents and for day centre attenders.

The centre is also home to day care, home care, dementia support services and lunch club services for the area.

The home opened in April 1974 and was renovated in 1997 to offer day care services.

Councillor Macdonald paid tribute to the high quality of care provided at Dail Mhor and underlined the Council’s commitment to the home with the latest investment.

She said: “We are very proud of the flexible service provision Dail Mhor offers in this rural community.”

Councillor Foxley said: “Dail Mhor is very highly regarded in the community. It has served our elderly well for more than three decades and this is large measure due to the superb care provided by our staff.”