Samaritan Health officials told residents of Wiley Creek Community Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 12, that the company plans to close the senior living facility and will convert it to a drug and alcohol rehab center.
Samaritan spokesman Ian Rollins confirmed the closure to The New Era Tuesday afternoon, but said more details would be forthcoming Wednesday morning.
Kathy Horn of Sweet Home, whose mother lives at the facility, said she got a call from her mother about a meeting and decided to attend.
She said Lebanon Samaritan Community Hospital CEO Marty Cahill led the meeting she was at, and announced the closure.
Cahill told the residents and staff members at the meeting that the facility will be converted to a 15-bed drug and alcohol rehab center, she said. The time line for that switch is three months, she said.
Bob Dalton of Sweet Home, whose mother-in-law Mona Waibel is a resident at the retirement facility, which opened in January 1998, said the announcement blind-sided residents and their extended families. He said no one knew about two meetings held Tuesday, in which staff and residents learned about the change.
“They didn’t tell us these were happening,” he said. “Mona called me and we said, ‘What are you talking about?’ They didn’t invite us.”
Dalton was one of several people who contacted The New Era on Tuesday afternoon after the announcement, all expressing concerns over the future of their elderly relatives at the facility.
Horn said two more meetings are planned, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, and at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16. Cahill will head these meetings.
The New Era will post additional information as it becomes available.