New Kirklees dementia care centre to open

A new dementia care facility with specially designed "environments" for service users' different needs is launching later.

Knowl Park House in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, has been created according to "dementia design principles" that helps patients to keep their independence and continue living at home or with family.

The centre can cater for up to 40 people and includes activities such as baking, gardening, massage, crafts and table-top games, said Kirklees Council.

A spokesperson told the BBC: "It's well known that the longer you can stay in your own home, the better life you lead for longer."

Council leader Carole Pattison said the centre aimed to help service users develop new skills, relearn old ones or find "new ways of doing things".

She added that the setting would be informal and relaxed, saying no one would be "jogged along" with activities but would be offered new ways of being to cope in their own homes.

The centre is divided into four zones, with different options in each - ranging from peaceful reflection to table tennis to watching a film in the cinema room.

A spokesperson from the Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling, who partnered with the council on the project, said: "Designing for an ageing population, and people living with a diagnosis of a dementia, has never been more important.

"Incorporating simple, evidence-based, design recommendations can allow individuals living with a diagnosis of dementia to be more independent and can reduce some of the symptoms of a dementia."

Pattison said the centre would also offer a break for families and loved ones.

"They may have other responsibilities to other family members or a job or just maintaining their own health," she said.

"So the centre offers that respite - even if just for a few hours."

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