SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - On Friday, the public was invited to tour the new Aven Cottage facility for seniors with dementia, which will open at the end of March.

Debbi Ross, first vice-president, and Louise Vertes, president of Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors, give a guided tour of the new dementia facility last week. - Adrian Lysenko/NNSL photo

The $15.45 million facility will house 24 residents when completed and already has 11 rooms reserved. People with dementia experience disorientation, memory loss and difficulty performing familiar tasks, as well as changes in mood and personality.

Debbi Ross, first vice-president of Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors, said that prior to the creation of the facility, Yellowknife families of someone with dementia would have to either admit them to Stanton Territorial Hospital, take care of them at home or send them to a facility down south.

She said with its large windows and wide open spaces, the Aven Cottage facility will hopefully provide a comfortable atmosphere for residents.

"There is nothing institutional about the facility," she said.

The facility comprises two cottages. Each has a large dining space and a living room area facing a large shared backyard. Each resident's room is equipped with a bed, two closets, and a bathroom with a shower.

The beds are specially equipped so if a resident gets up in the middle of the night, lights will automatically turn on in the bathroom.

Controlling noise was also a factor in the design, to ensure a calm atmosphere for residents, said Louise Vertes, who is president of the Yellowknife Association for Concerned Citizens for Seniors.

"There are no buzzers," she said.

Outside each room is a memory box where residents are encouraged place personal objects that would cue memories.

The facility also includes a gift shop, salon, family dining room, courtyard, and a multipurpose room with a spiritual alcove.

In both cottages there will be at least two caregivers on site at all times -- three during busy periods in the morning and evenings.

"The facility provides resident-focused care," said Ross.

She said as baby boomers near retirement, it's expected the number of people with dementia will rise.

"It's a huge burden for someone to take care of someone with dementia if you don't have a person with the expertise to help."