Four CT nursing homes ordered to close

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) - Over 300 residents must be relocated, and over 500 workers will soon be out of work following and order today from a Superior Court judge regarding the closing of certain Connecticut nursing homes.

Today, Judge Jerry Wagner granted a motion by a court appointed receiver, closing four Connecticut nursing homes.

The judge's order today means that hundreds of families have now had a very stressful situation made much worse.

575 nurses, nursing assistants, support staff and administrators got the word today, they will soon all be out of work at University in New Haven, Bishops Corner in West Hartford, The Home in Rocky Hill and Soundview in West Haven.

The state has been losing one million dollars a month on the four facilities, and a court appointed receiver says there are plenty of empty beds at other facilities to absorb the residents.

"There's approximately 336 residents in the four homes and we will be very involved in the care planning process to assure that they've been given all of their options," says Nancy Shaffer, Long Term Care Ombudsman.

The State's Long Term Care Ombudsman notes that there is now another option for some, something called Money follows the Person.

"Money Follows the Person is a federal program, and the Governor is very dedicated to assuring that residents of long term care facilities have the option to return home," says Shaffer.

But that's not an option for Carolyn Clark's husband: she's been trying to find a place for him.

For 65-year-old Carolyn Clark of Old Lyme it's making a very stressful situation even more stressful.

Her 68-year-old husband Ralph is one of those who will have to be moved. He's suffering from dementia, a condition that only gets worse.

"These people don't really adjust well to changes, new faces, these faces aren't going to mean anything to him. Sometimes he doesn't even recognize his own family," says Clark.

He's been at the Rocky Hill facility since last summer.

"His room mate considers him a brother and watches out for him all they time, they're almost like a family," says Clark.

News 8 has heard stories like this from family members of residents at all of the homes, and even though the court says there's plenty of beds, that's not what family members are finding.

"One place told me, here, that it's an eighteen month wait, another place he's twenty-five on the list, another place he's fourth for a man, so there's no place around here that you can walk right in and get a bed," says Clark.

Many staff members and family members came to court several times during the process, but Clark couldn't and says the state really didn't keep her in the loop.

"Anything I know about the situation, I've gotten from Channel 8," says Clark.

The state's Long Term Care Ombudsman has promised to help each and every resident with the relocation.

In his order, the judge noted that since the state is losing at least a million dollars a month on the homes that will close, the receiver should move ahead with the closings as quickly as possible.