The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Marion Le Poidevin, officiated at the grand opening of Oakdale care home, joined by members of the community and local healthcare professionals.
Visitors were given a tour of the new residential, nursing and dementia care home based in Kingsmill Road, that accommodates for 84. The new home has many features, including a tranquil spa room for residents and a bistro. The new facilities allow residents to catch up with visiting friends and relatives over a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake. 
Rachel Dryden, Chief Executive Officer of Encore, commented: “This is the third home we have opened in Dorset, and with each build we have learned from the previous home and made slight tweaks over the years that will benefit our residents. For example, all floors in the home are carpeted in order to minimise noise which helps reduce anxiety for our residents with dementia.
“We are so proud of what we have achieved at Oakdale. We believe that we have made our vision a reality, of creating an environment that not only supports residents’ care, but also the well being of our team. It is our team that turns the building from bricks and mortar into a home and their kindness and compassion really shines through in everything that they do.”
Attendees also had chance to meet with members of the care team who introduced the new training room that is also available for members of the community to use. David Taylor, Home Manager of Oakdale, explained: “We are committed to serving our local community and look forward to getting to know our neighbours over the coming months. We hope the public will use this learning resource and in return give us the opportunity to get to know them. We will provide all visitors with a warm welcome and some homemade cakes.”
The building consists of spacious communal areas, large floor-to-ceiling windows and verandas to ensure the home is flooded with natural light, creating a warm and bright ambience. There are several lounges placed on each level of the home to enable residents and their families to spend time together.
Oakdale is the latest addition of an established family of care homes managed by Encore Care Homes, to open just minutes from Poole’s town centre. Encore now manages three care homes in Dorset including Great Oaks in Bournemouth and Fairmile Grange on the grounds of Christchurch Hospital.