Lorraine Haining, Head of Dementia Care at The Lodge within Buckshaw Retirement Village at Chorley, has reached the finals of a national competition to find the Dementia Care Manager of the Year.

Lorraine gained her place in the finals of the Caring Times awards after being nominated by her employers, Oakbridge Retirement Villages.

She will be interviewed by a panel of judges in London and the national winner will then be announced at a gala awards evening on November 28, hosted by Ruby Wax.

Lorraine’s role in establishing the care facilities and services at The Lodge has helped it to become recognised as one of the UK’s leading dementia care establishments.

Lorraine has led the selection, training and development of staff and the establishment of a community of residents, staff, relatives and friends.

She said: “I’m delighted to have reached the finals of the Caring Times awards and love working at The Lodge – it’s a fantastic place and a real state-of-the-art facility. We have produced a care home for people with dementia within a retirement village that is second to none, and I’m overwhelmed to see how well it works.”

“We have reduced stigma and broken down boundaries, paving the way for others to do the same,” she added.

Last year The Lodge became the first care establishment in Britain to gain a gold standard under a national scheme to promote dementia friendly design in buildings. The scheme is operated by the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre.