A DEMENTIA friendly unit at a Herefordshire nursing home has been officially opened by the outgoing the Mayor of Hereford.

Coun Sue Boulter was invited to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of phase one of Stretton Nursing Home's brand new dementia unit, The Woodlands.

The first phase of the major renovation project has seen new flooring and specialist dementia friendly furniture installed, whilst the walls have been decked with beautifully hand-painted murals of Herefordshire's scenery and wildlife designed to catch the eye and pique interest.

"A great deal of thought and detail has gone into making this happen," a Stretton Nursing Home spokesperson said.

"With The Woodlands being dementia friendly, we thought it would be great for the residents to have detachable sensory features on the wall, which they can use at their leisure.

"The corridor to the bedrooms has also been renovated to resemble a row of thatched cottages.

"To celebrate this, coun Boulter very kindly came to our home for the afternoon and took the time to speak to each resident individually, showing her chain of office and discussing the meaning of each badge."

After officially opening the unit, coun Boulter met Stretton Nursing Home's oldest resident, who will be 109 in August, and celebrated the milestone moment alongside residents, families and staff with a tea party and live entertainment.