Rising costs close nursing home

The residents will be moved to other accommodation

Rising costs and a lack of funding are being blamed for the decision to close a County Down nursing home.

The closure of St Columbanus's home near Helen's Bay comes just weeks after a warning that many private nursing and residential homes could go out of business.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the home's management committee on Monday.

Support arrangements are being put in place to ensure the residents can be transferred to other accommodation

Father John McManus

It said under-occupancy, a lack of proper funding and soaring staff costs had forced it to shut down.

Owned by the Catholic church, it is home to 36 people of all denominations.

The decision to close it down and to move them to other homes has shocked them.

Harry McMullan said he thought the decision taken was the wrong one.

Harry McMullan: "I do not think it is right what they are doing"

"I do not think it is right what they are doing," he said.

"Some of the people have been here a long, long time and they do not want to be split up."

Father John McManus, of the Catholic diocese of Down and Connor, said the residents would be transferred to another home with as little upheaval as possible.

"Discussions have been, and continue to be, under way with the local trust," he said.

"This is with a view to putting in place appropriate counselling and support arrangements to ensure the home's residents can be transferred by the trust to other accommodation as sensitively as possible."