Safety concerns will close down Burlington nursing home

About 60 residents of a Burlington nursing home will have to find new places to live with the news that the facility is closing down.

An announcement made on its website says the Mount Nemo Christian Nursing Home is closing for safety regulations.

Specifically, the home located at 2480 No. 2 Sideroad at Guelph Line, has to shut down because it does not have a fire sprinkler system, a safety requirement for all nursing homes that must be applied starting next year.

Operators of the home indicate installing a sprinkler system is not feasible due to its location.

“While our rural location has been a draw for many residents and families, it also means we do not have access to municipal services,” an online statement reads. “This means that a sprinkler system would not be feasible in our location due to water supply issues; and we rely on a well, and water filtration and septic systems, which would all require substantial upgrades in order to sustain a renovation or redevelopment of our current Home to bring us up to current standards

The closing date for Mount Nemo Christian Nursing Home is Sept. 13.

Originally it was planned to move the residents to Shalom Manor in Hamilton but that facility, currently under construction, is not expected to be ready until 2026.

In the meantime, the operators of the facility say they are working with a placement service to relocate the current residents into other nursing homes based on their choices.

Originally known as Mount Nemo Lodge Nursing Home with 30 beds, the site was purchased in 1985 by the Canadian Reformed Society for a Home for the Aged Inc. and renamed Mount Nemo Christian Nursing Home. It was expanded to 60 beds in 1991 with a special care unit of 14 beds for people living with dementia.

In 2021 the facility received $645,332 from the federal and provincial governments for upgrades and improvements.