A modern, purpose-built centre caring for up to 60 people with dementia has been opened officially at Cefn Coed Hospital, Swansea, by Health Minister Lesley Griffiths.

The new £18.5million unit, Ysbryd y Coed, has been built using the latest evidence to create an ideal environment for older people with dementia needing hospital care. It has three wards with private en-suite rooms, some of which can be set up for couples, family or friends to share.

Each single-sex ward has an enclosed courtyard garden, and the hospital also offers quiet rooms, therapeutic areas, seating areas for visitors, and facilities for members to stay overnight.

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Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said: "One in five people over the age of 80 has dementia, and by 2021, the number of people with dementia is projected to increase by 31 per cent in Wales.

"These figures are sobering and mean we need to act now to improve services for people with dementia and their families.

"When hospital admission is required, units such as Ysbryd y Coed provide the ideal environment for people with dementia and greatly enhance privacy and dignity for patients and their families.

Feedback from people already in the hospital is very positive: families tell us how little touches, like being able to personalise rooms, and having a family room and quiet room make the world of difference."

Win Griffiths, Chairman of Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, said: "I am delighted to welcome Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Health and Social Services, to officially open Ysbryd y Coed.

"The unit provides modern, state of the art accommodation for older people suffering with dementia. It has been purpose built, incorporating patients’ needs into the heart of the design."

(CD)