The Millknowe Store was acquired by the Association in April 2019 which allowed the properties to be converted to meet housing need in the area.

Each flat has been carefully designed by architects, Inch Architecture, in consultation with Argyll and Bute Council and Argyll’s Health and Social Care Partnership colleagues to make the flats suitable for tenants with an early dementia diagnosis or for tenants with sensory issues. The ground floor flat is also fully wheelchair accessible.

The new homes which were completed by Campbeltown-based contractor, McKinven & Colville Ltd, have additional design features to support people living with early onset dementia such as floor finishes which visually contrast with wall finishes; additional low-level lighting; open kitchen storage; and good visual links between the main spaces. The fixtures are both easy to use and of traditional appearance to aid recognition.

The properties have also been upgraded to EESSH2 standard helping to tackle fuel poverty with additional levels of insulation, energy efficient windows and doors and are heated by air source heat pumps.

Cathy Grant, chair of ACHA’s board of management, said: “We are really pleased to complete these dementia-friendly homes that have the potential to positively impact the lives of the people living there. Feedback from tenants and their families on the dementia-friendly flats has been really positive and we would like to thank Argyll and Bute Council and the Scottish Government for all their help and support in developing these homes.”

The project was jointly funded by ACHA, Argyll & Bute Council’s Strategic Housing Fund (SHF) and the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme Grant (AHSP)