Dementia Action Week, a national event to improve the lives of people affected by dementia begins today. It comes as Cruden Building has completed the construction of 24 dementia-friendly homes on the site of the former St Stephen’s High School in Port Glasgow, the first homes of their kind in Inverclyde.

The dementia-friendly homes are part of a larger £35m development for River Clyde Homes, Inverclyde’s largest affordable housing provider. When complete, the significant new development will include a total of 170 flats and 54 houses.

Each of the 24 new homes includes innovative details to support people living with early onset dementia, such as colour contrasting floors and walls on each landing, and individually coloured flat entrance door for residents to more easily identify their home.

The homes’ interiors have been carefully designed to include kitchens with clear storage units, visually identifiable hot and cold taps and bathrooms with recognisable features such as toilet seats in a contrasting colour to the rest of the room.

All of the units at St Stephens are in close proximity to a sensory garden that provides quick access to an outdoor area to improve residents’ wellbeing.

Allan Callaghan, managing director of Cruden Building, said: “This unique new development is providing much-needed new homes and caters for the diverse requirements of the local community. We are especially pleased to complete these carefully considered, dementia-friendly homes that have the potential to positively impact the lives of the people living there. Our working relationship with River Clyde Homes continues to go from strength to strength and we look forward to completing the entire St Stephen’s development this summer.”

Sandra McLeod, Executive Director Customer Services, said: “River Clyde Homes is very proud to be the first provider of dementia-friendly designed accommodation in the social housing sector in Inverclyde. St Stephen’s is a diverse development providing a range of accommodation from starter flats, to family homes, retirement homes and dementia friendly flats. This, hopefully, will help build a real sense of community in the years to come. Feedback on the dementia friendly flats has been very positive from customers, and their families, and people are telling us that their new homes are making a real difference to their lives. Our newbuild partnership with Cruden Building over the last number of years has been excellent and delivered much needed new homes.”