Amidst nursing home closures, relocating residents close to home is a challenge
A month after Narraguagus Bay Health Care in Milbridge announced its plan to close, nearly all of its 46 residents had been relocated. Only one remained. And early on a Monday morning in June, an ambulance crew arrived to transport her to another facility in Belfast, more than an hour away.
“We’re going to slide you from this bed to this bed, ok?” a crew member tells the resident.
After sliding her onto a stretcher, the crew wheels her out down a bare hallway that, not long ago, was decorated with artwork and photos. It’s the last of many goodbyes, and it hasn’t been easy, said housekeeping supervisor Cindy Roggenback.
“Those people were my family,” she said. “I’m losing my second home that meant a lot to me.”
Fellow housekeeper, Robert Prescott, said he’ll also miss the place.
“This is probably one of the better jobs I’ve had for feeling good about yourself,” he said. “A lot of people go home from work and hate their job. You make people happy here some days.”
Read the full story from Maine Public Radio here.
