Assisted living home is closing
Published 10:45 am Monday, March 3, 2008
Edmonds Retirement Inn will close April 30, leaving 54 residents and 20 employees looking for new homes and employment.
Extendicare Health Facilities of Milwaukee, Wis., will not renew its lease on the 40-year-old assisted-living facility at 21500 72nd Ave. W. in Edmonds, confirmed Laurie Bebo, president of Assisted Living Concepts, a subsidiary of Extendicare.
The building is owned by Kavatech, according to Josh Williams, administrator for Edmonds Retirement Inn. A company spokesman could not be reached prior to The Enterprise deadline to answer questions about intended use of the facility.Not affected by the lease non-renewal is Extendicare’s Aldercrest Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center located next door.
News of the closure was broken to residents and their families in a meeting March 30, according to Williams. Families were concerned and understandably upset to learn residents have 30 days to vacate the facility, he added.
Williams said Extendicare, a placement firm hired by Extendicare and officials with the Home and Community Services division of the state Department of Social and Health Services will work with area facilities to place residents in new homes.
Julie Lord, regional administrator for Residential Care Services within DSHS, said Extendicare soon will submit to the state its plan for placing residents in new homes. The plan, which must follow Washington state code, must be reviewed and okayed by the state before residents can be moved.
“Everyone’s interest is that the residents have a smooth transition into their new homes,” said Lord.
About one-half of the residents are Medicaid recipients, which makes it more challenging to find homes for them as options are fewer, Williams said.
He said a job fair for employees soon will be held at Edmonds Retirement Inn. Other facilities “have been fabulous” about trying to find jobs for the soon-to-be-displaced staff, he added.
