Hospital Expansion Causes Closure Of Its Nursing Home Wing, Forcing Dispersal Of 23 Vulnerable Senior Citizens To Other Facilities

In Saratoga Springs, New York, The Saratogian reports:

• Saratoga Hospital plans to close its nursing home by the end summer to create more space for inpatient care.
  
  In 2007, the hospital’s nursing home capacity was cut in half from 72 to 36 beds.
  
  Twenty-three current residents will be affected by the closing.
  
  “As difficult as this decision was to make, we believe it is the right decision,” said Angelo Calbone, hospital president and chief executive officer. “We have been working with our local long-term care facilities to identify how we can best help our residents find new homes. Our discussions with these facilities have been encouraging. We believe we can find the right place for each and every resident. We are committed to help in any way we can during this transition.”
  
  The hospital began notifying families of nursing home residents about closure plans on Tuesday.
  
  Barbara Flass of Malta said her 93-year-old mother, a dementia patient and cancer survivor, has gotten exceptional care during her four years at the nursing home. However, Flass said she’s concerned about the impact of moving her mother to a new setting at her advanced age.
  
  “She’ll be waking up in a strange bed, surrounded by strange people,” Flass said. “The people who work there are devastated as well the families of residents. It’s like a family home, not a nursing home.”
  
  The nursing home employs 44 people. Calbone said workers will be offered other positions within the hospital, or it will help people find employment at other healthcare facilities. If needed, other employers will be invited to hold a job fair for hospital workers, he said.
  
  “We don’t see this as displacing our workers,” he said.

For more, see Saratoga Hospital to close nursing home.