First Assisted Living Facility Opens in Carberry

While Carberry has been home to Lyons Estate, apartment-style living for 55+ adults, for about 15 years now, its just-opened sister facility LyonsCare is the first of its kind for the community. Located just across the parking lot from the original building, it can host 20 individuals in 16 rooms including meals, accessible bathing facilities, and wifi as well as daily activities and outdoor space.

Agassiz MLA Jodie Byram joined business consultant Samantha Friesen at the grand opening to celebrate the new facility and highlight what it means for the community. The facility is privately funded by community members, not an outside corporation, and fills a huge need in the area. The nearest assisted living facilities were formerly in Brandon, a half hour away and with a 12 to 15 month waiting list.

Brad Wells was part of the original ownership group of Lyons Estate 15 years ago and is one of the investors in the new facility. He says that LyonsCare is a natural extension of that project, and was also something they always wanted to do down the line with the goal of keeping people in the community and out of care homes as long as possible.

“We wanted a place that our people that– they worked here, they lived here. We didn’t want them to leave our community because they didn’t have a place to live,” says Wells. Because the facility is currently staffed only during the day, each resident is also connected to Lifeline, a medical alert service, as soon as they move in. The accessible shower facility is also a huge benefit for residents, as currently in the community if a resident needs that service they need to be taken by handi transit to the hospital.

"We're just really hoping to provide 20 people with a great home,” says Friesen, “so whether that happens in January or February or March or later in the year, doesn't matter to us as long as the right people are coming for the right reasons, and that is to be safe and healthy and prosperous."