At a launch event on Tuesday, a luxury care home in the Connaught Care Collection announced it will be offering short-term accommodation and extensive rehabilitation services to older people recovering from illness, injury, joint operations, or medical events like stroke.
The Chase in Huntingdon is partnering with Therapies on Thames, a specialist provider of inpatient rehabilitation and post-op recovery services, to deliver the scheme. Under an all-inclusive fee, participants will temporarily stay at the home and receive weekly physiotherapy sessions, nutritional planning, tailored health and wellbeing advice, and round-the-clock care from the home’s dedicated team of carers.
Stephen Orwin, Life Enrichment and Wellbeing Coordinator at Connaught Care, hopes this will be a lifeline to elderly people that are struggling after surgery:
“When elderly people are discharged from hospital after an extended stay, they can be at a loss on how to transition back to ordinary life; particularly when rehabilitation is needed. The stress of finding the right help at the right time can be overwhelming. That’s why we are delighted to be working with Therapies on Thames to offer recovering people the support, guidance, and resources they need all in one place. We want The Chase to not just be somewhere people stay, but also a place to come and get better together”.
Participants will receive seven therapy sessions each week alongside regular assessments to track their progress and adjust their care plans. Additionally, once patients are discharged, they will have regular check-ins to ensure their recovery stays on track.
Research shows that inpatient rehabilitation programmes tailored to older patients can improve basic functioning, limit reliance on long-term care, and reduce mortality outcomes overall. Older patients also tend to recover significantly faster in structured, community-based inpatient facilities than in traditional primary care settings.
Tanya Campbell, Practice Manager at Therapies on Thames, comments on the partnership:
“We are so pleased to be working with The Chase to extend our inpatient rehabilitation services to a brand new setting. Our team is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based therapies to ensure that each individual receives the support they need. At Therapies on Thames, we believe quality of life is everything — and we look forward to working with people to achieve the best possible outcomes in their recovery journey”.
The Chase hopes that including participants in its regular schedule of social events and activities will help make their recovery smoother and more enjoyable. For the duration of their stay, each patient will also have access to the home’s full range of luxury amenities, including a fully-equipped spa, hair salon, chiropody centre, cinema, fine-dining bistro, and on-site gym with personal trainers on-hand.
Nicola Orwin, General Manager at The Chase, believes this community-based approach reflects Connaught’s broader social care philosophy:
“At The Chase, we put the concept of ‘complete care’ at the heart of everything we do. This means providing residents not just with the basic necessities of care, but also with a whole support network that can help them flourish. Inviting local people to come and get the help they need in our community, whilst enjoying a level of luxury and high quality of life that they are unlikely to get in hospital, is a natural extension of this philosophy”.
The ‘Rehab Bed’ project was launched on Tuesday 17th September at a public event at The Chase. Mayor of Huntingdon Karl Brockett, and Conservative MP for Huntingdon Ben Obese-Jecty attended to cut a ribbon in the home’s physical therapy room. Stakeholders from local hospitals also joined the fun.
Image depicts The Chase launch