The Brocklehurst Gemstone Care Centre, a three-storey residential care facility, recently opened in Kamloops, B.C.

The new facility houses 125 publicly-funded beds and five private-pay beds. Buron Healthcare has been contracted for the publicly-funded. It will also facilitate the assessment and referral process for admissions.

"Seniors in our community deserve top-notch care," said Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone. "Bright, modern facilities such as Gemstone help us continue to provide such care when independent living is no longer an option."

Brocklehurst will offer programs for physically frail seniors and seniors in the mild-to-moderate stages of dementia. Design features of the facility include the creation of a small, 10-bed neighborhood to allow care providers to better respond to residents with specific needs. The facility has a private outdoor courtyard.

The building's design reflects the surrounding natural environment through the use of wood and stone. The inner neighbourhoods, as well as the centre's name, take inspiration from the area's mining industry through the use of natural tones found in copper, quartz, amber and jade.