Weisfeld moves in as first resident at luxury Bothwell Castle Care Home

A luxury care home has launched in South Lanarkshire with the arrival of its first resident, Glasgow retail tycoon Gerald Weisfeld.
Gerald and Vera Weisfeld with their family at Bothwell Castle Care Home. Picture: Martin ShieldsGerald and Vera Weisfeld with their family at Bothwell Castle Care Home. Picture: Martin Shields
Gerald and Vera Weisfeld with their family at Bothwell Castle Care Home. Picture: Martin Shields

Purpose-built Bothwell Castle Care Home represents an investment of more than £10 million and is set to create more than 100 full and part-time positions, providing nursing, residential, dementia and respite care.

The privately-owned home has now opened its doors, ­welcoming 78-year-old ­Weisfeld, the buyer behind the clothing chain What ­Every Woman Wants.

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Weisfeld, who in 1971 founded the retailer later known as What Everyone Wants, was assisted in the move to the home by his wife, Vera, and their family. The couple grew the business to a chain of 130 UK stores, which they sold to Brown & Jackson for £50m in 1990.

The care home describes itself as one of the most luxurious in Scotland, and champions a model that gives residents the opportunity to lead an active lifestyle and engage with the local community, in addition to offering the required health care.

Vera Weisfeld said: “Gerald was a forward thinker, always looking to the future and the design team behind Bothwell Castle are the same – visionary. I believe Bothwell Castle is the care home of the future.

“The designers have left space for recreation and families, which is hugely important as it is not just the residents who are living with the challenges of aging, families also suffer alongside them.

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“We’re placing our most precious possessions into the trust of care homes and it’s so important to get it right.”

The 75-room home, built by Glasgow-based Simply Construction, is designed in the style of a boutique hotel, with landscaped gardens and eight rooms boasting private terraces.

Bothwell offers a range of lifestyle support options, including a cocktail piano bar, cinema room, library, games rooms, hair and beauty salon, and holistic therapies, in addition to a fine-dining restaurant and access to a chauffeur-driven Mercedes. It also ­provides private dining areas for ­residents to celebrate ­special occasions.

The home includes dedicated facilities and support services to assist people living with dementia and other medical conditions, including palliative care, with short-term respite care also available.

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Bothwell said it will encourage community groups to use designated spaces free of charge in order to host events such as exercise classes or book groups.

Katherine Bain, home manager at Bothwell Castle Care, said: “With people living longer we have to look at how we support and change our lifestyles within our communities and provide people with choices to enable them to continue to enjoy a life they are used to that feels familiar, but with more supported care services on hand if needed.

“Our ethos is very much on re-ablement, encouraging ­residents to continue to be physically and emotionally active, looking very much at what they can do rather than focusing on any age related challenges they may have.

“We are very excited to ­welcome Gerald as our first resident, and his family, who will be joined over the coming days by other residents.”