Families of residents at Leeds care home Donisthorpe Hall have expressed shock at the sudden announcement that it is to close.

Trustees’ chair Neil Franklin said the home had experienced “very significant” financial difficulties, which had been exacerbated by the pandemic. Registered for 190 beds, it had struggled to fill vacancies and was down to around 40 residents, half of them Jewish.

“We’ve not been able, try as we may, to improve on that number.”

The process of relocating residents had begun, with the support of other care providers.

Residents’ loved ones have also voiced anger at the timing of the announcement, having been informed of the decision over Succot.

The son of a 94-year-old Donisthorpe resident said he was “not happy at all” at how the situation had been handled.

He claimed families “had no idea” that the home was in difficulties. “As far as we were concerned, or been told, the place was running fine, there were no problems. 

 “There’s not anything been made public to say that we needed money. I’m sure if it would have been brought out, maybe the community could have raised some money.”

He added that his mother had been a resident for more than five years and had enjoyed “fantastic care”.

Others took to social media, with one Facebook user asking: “How can this be allowed to happen after all that the residents, staff and relatives have endured during the last 18 months?”

Mr Franklin said that up until the last minute, trustees had been “cautiously optimistic, despite our difficulties, that we’d find a way through this”.

They had been working with other organisations and benefactors to avoid closure but “it became apparent that it wasn’t going to happen at the end of last week”.

Speaking in his capacity as chair of the National Association of Jewish Homes, Mark Cunningham, CEO of The Fed in Manchester, pointed out that Donisthorpe is the third communal care home to close in the past 12 months, following Hannah Levy House in Bournemouth and Jewish Choice in North London.

“It does highlight what a difficult situation all care homes are facing and there has been little comfort offered in the short term from government. The most important thing is the welfare of residents.”