The ground-breaking Lodge dementia care facility at Chorley has won a place in two different categories in the finals of a national care awards competition. The Lodge, which is part of Buckshaw Retirement Village, is competing to win both the ‘Best Exterior’ and ‘Best Interior’ dementia design categories in the 2010 National Dementia Care Awards. Lorraine Haining, Head of Dementia Services at The Lodge, is hoping that the centre’s state-of-the-art design will prove to be a national award winner. “The Lodge has already gained the UK’s first gold standard from Stirling University’s Dementia Services Development Centre and we are hoping that we can now follow that up with success in the National Dementia Care Awards,” she said. “The Lodge’s dementia-friendly design focuses on calm, familiar and welcoming surroundings to help reduce levels of anxiety, frustration and confusion,” she added. With four distinct areas each comprising 15 apartments, The Lodge features an innovative Market Square, a safe and secure garden/courtyard area, and wide corridors to provide a real sense of space. The Market Square is at the heart of The Lodge and has been created to stimulate the senses and give residents a sense of independence. There’s a teashop, village pub, potting shed, corner shop, bakery, hair and beauty salon, cinema and pet store. Other design features at The Lodge include the use of colour to support residents with orientation and to reinforce their own identity and independence, and the use of the latest assistive technology. The winners of the National Dementia Care Awards will be announced at an awards dinner on November 10 during the UK Dementia Congress in Bournemouth. Lorraine Haining is pictured here at The Lodge.