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QUITMAN, Texas (KLTV) - Nearly half a million Texans have Alzheimer’s and that number is expected to grow in the coming decades, according to state data.

That’s why one East Texas town is working to bring a new kind of care for people living with memory loss.

Quitman is developing a new facility that would give more independence to people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

This facility will be located about an hour away from Tyler, right next to UT Health, on 29 acres of property owned by the Wood County Central Hospital District.

“This is bigger than Quitman, this is bigger than Wood County,” said Quitman Mayor Randy Dunn.

Dunn’s fight against dementia is personal after his mother battled with the disease and died in 2012.

“There wasn’t really much where my father could go to get assistance, what can I expect next,” Dunn said.

Due to that experience, he decided to be part of the Wood County Health Care Foundation, a non-profit working to establish a new kind of care for East Texans living with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

“It’s a disability… you create an environment they function in,” said Dunn.

The group is working to build the Memory Health Life Center in Quitman, the 54-bed hospital will provide more independence for people living with dementia

“We want these folks to have green space, we want them to have light… we want them to see community,” said Dunn.

Patients will also have a range of activities they can participate including gardening, exercise, and spending time with animals.

“Giving purpose to people’s lives is a key element,” said Darrell Slabaugh the secretary of the non-profit.

The facility will also offer training to medical professionals and students alike.

“This is a totally different concept because it’s a training center,” said Slabaugh.

Early estimates show it would cost at least $60 million for this project to become a reality. The federal government has awarded Quitman $6 million, but they need the state to match the funds.

“That fund is restricted to building processes,” said Slabaugh.

The Wood County Health Care Foundation has raised $1 million dollars from the community, another reason why Mayor Dunn knows East Texans need a facility like this one.

“The way this disease is growing it will happen, we would love to be able to have this and teach and give you an idea of what will happen next,” said Dunn.

Right now, the Wood County Health Care Foundation will continue to find other ways to fund additional expenses for the facility. They are also waiting until next year to see if the Texas legislature will approve matching funds.

To learn more about the project or to help, click here.