Hallworth House Nursing Home in Providence to close by the end of August

PROVIDENCE, RI (WLNE) – The Hallworth House, a 57-bed nursing home in Providence, announced Wednesday that they plan to close by the end of August.

The announcement comes after the nursing home said they filed a plan to cease operation with the Rhode Island Department of Health.

“The facility had lost more than $1.3 million in the last two years while maintaining high standards of care, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to continue,” said Dr. Patricia Nolan, chair of the Hallworth House board.

The 23 residents of the home, their families, and the staff were notified Tuesday of the home’s decision to close, according to a spokesperson.

“We will work with every family to find a suitable home for their loved ones,” said Stephanie Igoe, Hallworth House’s administrator. “We deeply appreciate the dedication and professionalism of our staff during this difficult period. They will receive a generous severance package, and our assistance in finding new positions elsewhere.”

The nursing home had 51 residents back in mid-April.

The spokesman for the nursing home said “rigorous infection-control protocols” were put in place when the home’s first resident tested positive for COVID-19

Twenty-eight were eventually diagnosed with the disease, 12 of whom have died. Despite a sufficient stockpile of personal protective equipment, some 20 staff members were infected, but all have since recovered, Igoe said.

The nursing home was founded in 198 after a bequest from Robert Q. Hallworth, according to the spokesman.