The Water Mill, a specialist dementia-care centre in Walsall, has just opened its own pub to help those living with dementia relax and socialise in a familiar and friendly environment.
Responding to suggestions from the people who use the Water Mill's services, a room in the Centre has been converted into a traditional looking pub, and was officially opened this week with a party attended by Walsall's Mayor, Angela Underhill.
Opening as The Watermill Arms, the pub looks just the part, with a traditional bar area, furniture and general pub paraphernalia, but anyone hoping for an alcoholic drink will have to put up with the cold tea served from the optics, as no alcohol will be on offer.
Since we opened in 2011 a few people had said to us it would be great to have a pub here. One man thinks of the centre as a pub and calls me the landlady.
Our staff have previously put on pub afternoons, with quizzes, dominoes, darts, sing-alongs, pork scratchings and some cheese and onion cobs.
We have now been able to take the idea further thanks to some local fundraising and we have set a room up permanently as The Watermill Arms. It is a wonderful way to help our residents and day centre users feel at ease and enjoy getting together.
Staff have worked really hard to set this up and I am very proud of them.
Day Care Manager at The Water Mill
The pub will be open both to residents and day care users of the centre, along with their visitors.
The Water Mill, run by specialist retirement housing and care provider, Housing and Care 21, provides not only residential care, but also has facilities for respite and day care available seven days a week. As well as the pub, other communal facilities at the centre include a reminiscence room and a hair salon.
