Oakland - A central Maine family says they had trouble finding an acceptable facility to care for their loved one who is stricken with Alzheimer's Disease.

So they built their own.

Last week in Augusta, a new state-wide plan to tackle Alzheimer's Disease was unveiled. Wednesday in Oakland, a group including First Lady Ann LePage gathered for the opening of a new 10-bed facility designed to offer Alzheimer's patients more one-on-one treatment. The concept came from a family who was dealing first-hand with the horrors of the disease.

"As the disease does it progressed to the point where she really needed 24-hour care. We started looking around for facilities and we made a decision and put her in a facility that just wasn't a good fit for her. She wasn't really comfortable being one of many."

Since they couldn't find the right fit, they created it, and Bedside Manor was born.

"We wanted to keep it small. We want it to seem like home. We have a high staff to resident ratio. It's a 10-bed facility and it will never be any larger."

First Lady Ann LePage, who's been caring for her mother who suffers from Alzheimer's, cut the ribbon.

"It truly is a gift that you're giving the town of Oakland, they're lucky to have you. More than that, the state of Maine is lucky to have you."

"And our mother-in-law is here, she was our first customer. We leave here every day being very comfortable. You know it would be great if she could be home but that's not to be. This is really the next best thing."

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