Northampton day care service appeals for new venue due to demand

Fern Overton appealed for someone to "point us in the right direction" in her bid to find a new venue

A day care service for older adults has appealed to the public to help find it a second home following what managers said was "soaring demand".

Affinity Day Care in Northampton, which was set up in December 2020, supports 110 people each week.

Director Fern Overton said she wanted the new location to be wheelchair accessible and have a kitchen.

People travel to its home in Duston from as far away as Silverstone - roughly a 20-mile (32km) drive.

"It's good but also really sad - it goes to show there's not enough out there for people in this age bracket," said Ms Overton.

"We've been looking for a venue and can't find anything that will work for the needs of our clients.

"I'm hoping that someone out there can point us in the right direction."

Georgina Hughes, 85, and Eileen Selby, 98, both frequent the day care service

The service, which is open between 10:30 and 15:30 each weekday, said it was staffed with qualified health and social care professionals.

Ms Overton said the centre arranged walks, pub trips, games of pool and darts, and outings to the park.

"We're not a typical older person's day centre," she added.

"We're for people that want to live their best later lives. We don't wheel you in, sit around the telly and play bingo."

Qualified health and social care professionals are part of the staffing team

Affinity - based at St Luke's Community Centre - opened following closures of other day care services in Northamptonshire.

The over-65 population in the county is estimated to grow by 51% by 2030 - a rate higher than the regional and national average.

Georgina Hughes, 85, who said she had been coming for about seven months, emphasised the importance of being with other people after suffering memory loss.

Eileen Selby, 98, originally from east London, joked that her daughter told her "you need to get out mother".