The Lord Mayor of Bradford visited the newly opened Dementia Assessment Unit at Lynfield Mount Hospital today.

Staff from Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust welcomed Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Joanne Dodds, to the £2.5m unit which was opened in August.

Councillor Dodds was given a tour of the 22 en-suite single bedded unit and spent time with patients and relatives during one of the unit’s therapy sessions.

The unit was independently reviewed by leading international dementia design experts from University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre. Dementia friendly features include colours and fabric which do not reflect or cause glare, flooring which absorbs noise and clear visual contrast between floors and walls. Each patient has a personalised memory board by their bedroom door, and en-suite bathroom doors can fold back and fix into the wall allowing sight of the toilet from the bed.

Familiar beauty spots and local landmarks from across the district, selected by staff, patients and relatives feature in the unit’s décor in the form of 10 reminiscence wall murals. These include the Alhambra Theatre, Lister Park and Saltaire Mill.

Councillor Dodds said: “It has been a pleasure to visit the Dementia Assessment Unit today and spend time with staff, patients and relatives. The unit is bright, modern and spacious with a homely feel, it doesn’t feel like a hospital.

“It was wonderful to see so many iconic Bradford locations impressively displayed throughout the unit providing a sense of familiarity for local people.”

Michael Smith, Chair said: “We were very pleased to welcome Lord Mayor of Bradford to the unit today. Our unit has been designed in line with best practice, the specialist features mean we are able to enhance the quality of dementia care that we provide to patients.”

ENDS