DENVER — Residents of a Catholic elderly care center in Denver will be forced to find new housing after the facility announced that it will be closing.
Little Sisters of the Poor – Mullen Home, located at 3629 W. 29th Avenue, announced Wednesday that it will be closing its doors.
While the center did not provide a close date, Doreen Rathburn, who's mother lives at the Mullen House, said the facility will close on Oct. 31.
Rathburn's mother, Marjorie Gibson, is 96 years old, has dementia, and has lived at the center for eight years.
Now, Rathburn said she is scrambling to find a place that can take care of Gibson.
"To be displaced in that amount of time — it’s difficult," she said. "I was devastated yesterday when I got the news. We should have had more time. This didn’t happen overnight they had time to figure it out... Now the archdiocese is going to take over the property and I don't know, it's just not good."
Due to her dementia, Gibson likely won't understand why she's moving, Rathburn said.
The facility has served Denver since 1918 with campus expansions occurring in the 70s and 80s.
A reason for the closure was not given. However, Mother Julie Horseman, provincial superior of the Little Sisters, said in a statement that, “Many factors have obliged us to move forward with this decision.”
It’s unclear how many are impacted by the announcement. Little Sisters of the Poor said it will help residents and staff “make this transition.”