Buron Healthcare president Mary McDougall talks about the new Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre at an opening ceremony Monday morning.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
September 09, 2013 - 2:21 PM
KAMLOOPS – A new three-story facility with 130 beds is the latest piece of the puzzle to a seniors community being built in Brocklehurst where one of the last orchards in the city once stood.
Construction of the facility, which offers care to residents ranging in needs from being physically frail to dementia in a home-like environment, began last May and residents began calling Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre home this June.
Mayor Peter Milobar says we often get caught up in just what is happening at the hospital and is glad to see more residential care beds, especially in the North Shore area.
“The continuum of care can't just be solved by Royal Inland Hospital. We need facilities like this, and we need facilities like this in other areas of the city.” Milobar says.
Coun. Nelly Dever first ran for council with the idea that a senior village was needed on the North Shore and she is very happy to see the Brocklehurst project not only come to fruition but near completion.
Dever says the next step to completing the community is the completion of the Tranquille corridor to provide safety to the many residents in the area. She points out there are many people who rely on scooters to get around-more than 50 at Gemstone alone-and trying to cross Tranquille Road to get to shopping can be a hazard.
The care facility is adjacent to River Bend Seniors Community and The Mayfair, which offer rentals and ownership options for seniors with a focus on accessibility in the home and to nearby amenities like shopping and transit.
Every resident gets their own room, which can be locked from the inside for privacy and safety. One area also features care beds for dementia patients and offers a higher staff to resident ratio as well as other safety features.
Residents took part in the official opening of Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre, as did Mayor Peter Milobar, Health Minister Terry Lake and several other dignitaries.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
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News from © iNFOnews, 2013