 |
| St. Joseph's Home of Springfield, a Catholic nursing care facility for men and women, announced that it would close Dec. 15. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register) |
Sarah Allen said family members were on the phone immediately after finding out Tuesday that St. Joseph's Home was closing after 118 years.
Allen's father, Jim Morris, has lived in the nursing care facility owned and operated by a Roman Catholic women's religious community since May 2017.
The home at 3306 S. Sixth Street Road is closing Dec. 15.
Allen admitted she was "surprised and shocked" by the announcement, but that didn't keep her and her five siblings from the task of trying to relocate their 85-year-old father.
"Shocked because he loves it there and we love it, too," Allen said. "He has done really, really well there and has found a community and a family and a place to be."
The announcement was made on the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception website. Family members, residents and staff were also informed Tuesday.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has been notified and has approved the plan of closure. The home's leadership confirmed it will surrender its license.
The Franciscan Sisters, also known as "the Sisters of Heading Avenue," have owned and operated the home since its founding in 1903.
The president of the West Peoria, Illinois-based congregation, Sister Kathleen Ann Mourisse, said in a news release one of the main reasons for the decision was the declining number of sisters to staff the home.
“This is not something we want to do," Mourisse said. "We do not have enough sisters to continue this beloved ministry. Many, if not most, religious communities in our country are also facing the same dilemma. In addition, the climate created by COVID-19 has contributed to both a reduction in the resident census and a severe staffing shortage, not only at St. Joseph’s but throughout the healthcare industry.”
Mourisse declined further comment to The State Journal-Register.
The home's administrator didn't immediately return a phone call to the newspaper.
There are just under 50 residents living at the home, which includes Holy Family, a memory care unit.
The home's plan of closure stated that it will make "every reasonable effort to accommodate each resident's goals, preferences and needs regarding receipt of services, location and setting." Home administrators are working with IDPH and a local ombudsman to ensure it complies with all regulations and required procedures governing the transition.
Allen, the only one of six siblings who lives in Springfield, said the home gave residents' families resources, including phone numbers and contacts for all of the nursing homes in the Springfield area.
Allen said she had an appointment to look at another nursing home for her father, a former state of Illinois worker, on Wednesday.
"We're hopeful," Allen admitted. "Our options are fairly limited, though, but we're trying to find a place to accommodate him."
Mike Armstrong, who has visited a number of friends at the home, including Morris, also professed surprise at the announcement, but stood by the sisters.
"Those sisters really had the well-being of all those patients in their hearts," Armstrong said. "They really worked hard to keep the patients not just alive, but really enjoying life. They are very special people."
Springfield Catholic Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, in a prepared statement, said he was grateful to the sisters who have worked "across many generations in this community."
"I know this decision has been a difficult but necessary one for the sisters, and I also know they and their staff are committed to working with families to find new homes for the residents of St. Joseph’s Home," Paprocki added.
Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said the news was "heartbreaking."
"It's a sad day in Springfield (with the closure)," Langfelder admitted. "It's a turning of the page, so to speak. It's a wake-up call for all of us to understand that those services are still needed and how do we move forward, making sure that people are taken care of.
"It's something you never thought would happen, but it has."
Allen said one of the things she appreciated was that her father could attend daily Mass at the home.
"That's one of the main things that makes me sad for him is the community he has developed and leaving that behind," Allen said. "It'll be interesting to see how things move from here."
Despite the timing of the announcement, Allen, a teacher at Blessed Sacrament School, said she bore no ill will toward the sisters.
"I
think they would keep it going as long as they could, if they could,"
Allen said. "I really believe they're trying to do everything they can."
No comments:
Post a Comment