MONTICELLO – Sullivan County and the State Health Department announced today that the county’s nursing home – the Care Center at Sunset Lake in Liberty, will close by the end of the year.
County Legislature Chairwoman Nadia Rajsz said the closure of the adult care center is not something the county wanted to do, “but our challenging finances and the lack of ability to transfer operations to our consulting firm has left us no choice but to initiate the closure process.”
She said the majority of her colleagues agree “the taxpayers cannot afford to continue the costly operation of the care center while facing enormous revenue losses and quickly increasing costs throughout county government.”
The State Health Department has approved the closure plan that will enale the transition process for residents and staff. There are currently 93 long-term residents and 86 employees.
Rajsz said the county, state and other area nursing homes will work to find new accommodations for long-term care center residents and said they will ensure that no resident will be left without a skilled-care option.
Where possible, county employees will be offered the opportunity to transfer to other county jobs, and where that is not possible, the Center for Workforce Development will assist them in finding another job.
Rajsz said they “regret the challenges this may create, but we are committed to ensuring everyone has alternate skilled-care options from which to choose. Our staff will make this process as safe, smooth and clear as possible.”
When the center is closed, county legislators and officials will determine what the most appropriate use of the building will be going forward.
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