Plans to upgrade Dollar Park building used by dementia services in Falkirk

The Joint Dementia Initiative (JDI) in Dollar Park will get a new front entrance and a reception area if plans get the green light to modify the listed building.

The day centre and offices were originally an outhouse belonging to Arnotdale House, a grade B listed building, where the charity Cyrenians now run a cafe and charity boutique in the ground floor.

It is accessible to service users but the present front door is not obviously a public entrance and there is no reception for public enquiries. It currently leads to a corridor with rooms leading from it.

Plans submitted to the council show the aim is to create “an internal reception area that can be accessed immediately from the outside without the need to navigate corridors, which in itself can be seen as a positive improvement.”

The proposed new reception would be closer to existing disabled parking facilities and would complement the principal entrance for Arnotdale House.

The JDI is is part of Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, the local body responsible for the delivery of health and social care services. Supported by Falkirk Council’s social work team and NHS Forth Valley’s dementia services it was set up to meet the needs of people living with dementia in Falkirk. Its services help people who have dementia stay at home and live within their communities for as long as possible.