Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust is inviting the public to view their state-of-the-art Dementia Assessment Unit at Lynfield Mount Hospital.

The £2million unit has been designed in line with national best practice and reviewed by independent experts. Annie Pollock, Architect and Director of Landscape Design at the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre will officially open the unit alongside staff and carers on Tuesday 18 August.

Staff and carers approved design plans for the 22 en-suite single bedroom facility. The unit is light, bright and spacious, allowing people to ‘wander’ safely without becoming disoriented.  Familiar beauty spots in the Bradford district feature in the décor, with 10 wall to floor murals of iconic locations such as the Cow and Calf, Skipton Castle, and the Alhambra Theatre.

Dr Gregor Russell, Consultant Psychiatrist and Lead Consultant for dementia at the Trust said: “As the illness of a person with dementia progresses, their ability to make sense of their environment often decreases.  It has been very important when designing this space to look at practical ways to help people be independent for as long as possible.  Environment is a crucial factor of care to consider, as it can either enable or disable a person. If a person can make more sense of their surroundings it will help to make them feel more comfortable, and so reduce their anxiety and distress.”

Enhanced features create a homely environment. Each patient’s bedroom door looks like the front door to a house, traditional ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ tap design has been used in bathrooms and every patient has a personalised framed memory board, which family and friends can update.

The unit has two landscaped outdoor spaces, a visitors’ room, quiet lounge with comfortable furnishings and therapeutic space for meaningful one to one engagement and small group sessions such as reminiscence therapy.

The Trust will move its current dementia assessment ward, Ward 24, based within Airedale General Hospital to the purpose built facility in Bradford later this month. The multi-disciplinary team will continue to care for the residents of Craven, Airedale and Bradford, acutely unwell with dementia, in this calming, dementia friendly environment.

The open day takes place Tuesday 18 August, 10.00am – 1.00pm, Daisy Hill House, Lynfield Mount Hospital, Heights Lane, Bradford, BD9 6DP. To book a place please contact:  Elizabeth.Mitchell@bdct.nhs.uk or call 01535 292248 (between 9am-5pm).

ENDS