A £1 million dementia care wing has been opened at the Donisthorpe home in Leeds, its second unit catering for a rising number of dementia sufferers. Features of the 15-bed facility include floor sensors which automatically turn on lights.

Donisthorpe's original dementia unit, the 21-bed Woodlands, opened in 2009. The new facility, formerly a nursing wing, has been named in honour of former chairman, Geoffrey Caplan, who has worked on the project with chief executive Carol Whitehead over the past 18 months. It will be the last major investment at the home for the time being after it experienced a second round of council funding cuts.

Dementia residents will now account for 20 per cent of the home's 183 places.

Ms Whitehead said demand for dementia care had increased in line with national trends. "This facility will provide specialist care in a sympathetic environment. It is intended not only to assist residents but also families at what can be a very difficult and demanding time."