Residents served by Waverly’s Sunset Manor will have to find a new senior care facility.
Coffey Health System has announced the closure of Sunset Manor effective Jan. 15. The Coffey Health System Board of Trustees voted late last month to “discontinue long-term care” because of ongoing issues with staffing and upcoming changes to certain regulations.
Coffey Health System says the COVID-19 pandemic has created a staffing crisis that has caused 35 nursing homes to close or downsize since the pandemic started over two years ago, but Sunset Manor’s fate has been discussed for at least a decade due to what the hospital calls structural and financial reasons. Coffey Health System says Sunset Manor has used staffing agencies to fill open positions, but that option is no longer viable.
Sunset Manor was built in 1977 and kept its name after Coffey Health System bought it in 1997. It was honored several times at the state and national levels for its quality of care. Affected employees will be “welcomed” into other positions at Coffey Health System if they choose.