Closure of Two San Diego-Area Nursing Homes Leaves County with 310 Fewer Long Term Care Beds
One San Diego County nursing home plans to close at the end of the month, and a second facility closed last week, leaving the county with 310 fewer beds for patients who require long term care, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The 41-bed La Jolla Care Center informed the state in late June of its plans to close July 31, and Alvarado Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center, which had 269 beds, "effectively" closed last week after giving the state notice in mid-May. Under state law, nursing homes must "give at least 30 days notice to properly move their residents to another facility." According to officials from both facilities, "years of losses" and costs related to "necessary upgrades" prompted the decision to close. "If we could've made it to where we broke even, or even had a little loss, we would've kept it open," Diane Fore, associate administrator for Alvarado Hospital Medical Center, said. Alvarado lost about $697,860 in FY 2000, and La Jolla lost $58,520 during the same period (Fong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/10).
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