A state-of-the-art £2.5m residential care home for Pershore is on schedule for completion in the early part of spring.

The 60-room Heathlands Care Home, in Station Road, opens its doors in April and is the first purpose-built residential home in the country designed specifically to meet the requirements of the Care Standards Act 2001.

The Care Home will feature en-suite rooms, a dementia unit run by an in-house team, a number of special bathrooms with modern equipment to help with assisted and therapeutic bathing and a day care unit.

The new home replaces the previous building, which was built more than 25 years ago.

Margaret Foley used to live in the home that the new building replaces and has been staying at a care home in St John's, Worcester, for the past 10 months.

"The new home looks very impressive," said Margaret. "I am really looking forward to moving back to Pershore."

Simon Brader, marketing manager for Heart of England Housing & Care, said once open the home would provide up to 60 full time and part time jobs, including care assistants, cooks, cleaners and domestic staff.

He said the 25 residents from the old home would move in first and then they would start looking for other residents in May.