A REHABILITATION centre for older people is to be built in Darlington.

The £1.2m centre is part of a drive to invest in services as Darlington tries to meet the challenges of an ageing population.

The rehabilitation centre will be built in Hundens Lane by Darlington Primary Care Trust.

Work begins on Monday and the site will become the centre of operations for care for the elderly in Darlington. Construction is expected to take six months.

Darlington already has one per cent more elderly people than the national average and is expecting to see a ten per cent rise by the year 2011.

Almost 20,000 pensioners live in the town along with another 22,000 aged 45 to retirement age.

With improving lifestyles and medical care, the number of people aged over 75 and 85 is expected to rise sharply.

ACM Health Solutions and AMEC Construction will carry out the work.

Project leader Sean McEneany said: "The modern health service has to respond to patients' wishes while meeting the need of an ageing population through improved health and quality of life, which is what makes the Hundens Lane development so important.

"Research has shown that people want to lead independent lives and live at home for as long as possible and this new centre will help them to do just that."

The trust has formed an older people's partnership board, made up of experts from the town.

The new building will offer intermediate care services provided by therapy staff, health care assistants and community nurses.

This service helps keep older people's hospital stays to a minimum by providing care in their homes.

Other health professionals will also be based at the centre providing a range of services, including stroke rehabilitation, a falls service and a community equipment shop, which is being developed in partnership with Darlington social services department.

Musculo-skeletal services will also be developed.