SILVERBURN has pledged to become Scotland's first dementia friendly shopping centre as part of a city-wide strategy to improve services for patients.

Alzheimer Scotland will be working closely with the mall and city planners over the next three years.

Staff at Silverburn will be trained to support elderly shoppers and the centre will also look at environmental issues such as lighting, signage and the use of colour.

It is hoped that the changes will be replicated within other organisations across the city.

The strategy will also look at other ways to improve health and social care services for people with dementia.

With the number of people with dementia predicted to double in the next 25-years, the strategy intends to ensure this can be met with improved access to information, support, care and treatment.

Councillor Archie Graham, Chair of the Glasgow HSCP, said: “Dementia is a growing issue that we can ill-afford to ignore.

"By putting in place longer-term strategies now, we can begin to build the kind of wide-ranging response we need to address the issue of dementia in future.

“Health and social care services have a vital role to play in making sure families have access to the best treatment and support available.

" Silverburn’s aspiration for their staff and the centre environment to be dementia friendly is something I hope will be replicated across the city in the years ahead. Our hope is that all Glaswegians recognise they can do their bit to help our city become dementia friendly.”

Jim Pearson, Director of Policy & Research, Alzheimer Scotland, said: “I am delighted to welcome this new dementia strategy for Glasgow which has been developed by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (GCHSPC) in collaboration with ourselves and co-produced with people with dementia, their families, carers and a wide range of stakeholders."

David Pierotti, General Manager at Silverburn added: “Silverburn is committed to becoming a dementia friendly shopping centre to ensure that we’re equipped to welcome all of our shoppers.

“We are proud to be a part of the local community and we will look forward to enhancing our customer care services to keep Silverburn the region’s leading shopping, dining and leisure destination.”