BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

CANTON -- More than 30 residents living at United Helpers Assisted Living program in Canton will need to find new homes.

United Helpers announced Wednesday that the Assisted Living Program at 205 State Street in Canton would be closing.

Like many healthcare providers United Helpers has struggled to make ends meet due to low reimbursement rates and staffing difficulties. The closure is difficult news for the organization as well as the area which has limited offerings for those in need of assisted living.

A similar tough decision was made by United Helpers in 2021  when the organization closed the Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Ogdensburg for nearly identical reasons and little has been done at the state level to address the problems facing in the industry since.

United Helpers Assistant Director of Corporate Services Jordan M. Downing-Duke said the organization is working with families and residents on alternative placements, based on individual needs. Although she could not provide numbers she said it’s possible some residents could be moved to skilled nursing facilities in some instances.

Downing-Duke was not able to provide details as to where clients might be placed and was unaware of other assisted living providers of similar nature within the county.

She said the program would not be closed until the placements are finalized.

According to Downing-Duke, the program employs 20  people and efforts are being made to find them alternative jobs within the company.

The organization issued a press release stating that the decision was made after "careful consideration."

The release states that the closure of the Assisted Living Program will not affect the services provided by the 96 bed Skilled Nursing Facility.

"An announcement of the plan to cease operations as an Assisted Living Program has been made to the residents and resident representatives, and work will begin immediately to assist residents with making arrangements for safe transfer to care providers of their choosing.

"This decision was not made lightly and follows months of deliberation and careful consideration. Critical factors driving the closure include significantly inadequate reimbursement, increasing costs and staffing shortages," the press release said.

"United Helpers Assisted Living Program in Canton, is a New York State certified, Assisted Living Program that provides supportive 24 hour services to 34 Residents. The New York State Department of Health has reviewed and approved a comprehensive closure plan and United Helpers officials have begun the process of notifying all parties who receive services or conduct business with the program/facility.”

Residents or their representatives who have questions can contact Tim Parsons, VP of Operations at tjparsons@unitedhelpers.org or (315) 386-4541.