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More than 600 nursing home residents forced to move by end of the month

A local healthcare group told more than 600 people to find new nursing homes by the end of this month after they announced five of their facilities would be closing down about three months ago.

Boston 25 News reported last year on Dec. 1 that Kindred HealthCare announced that five of their facilities would be closing by March.

More than 600 residents living at the Dedham, Needham Heights, Canton, Boston and Needham locations needed to find a place to live in a short period of time.

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Now, the clock is ticking for one resident who hasn't found a place to go to.

Mark Sheinfeld, 64, has been a resident at the Kindred facility in Needham since Aug. 2004 after suffering a car accident that stripped his mobility. He says Kindred has become home to him.

"I have to look at places to properly move to for the rest of my life, I want to find some place that's comfortable and I just can't make the decision in that quick of a time," said Sheinfeld.

Sheinfeld is the last of the more than 600 people who live at the Kindred Massachusetts locations still in one of the homes.

"I didn't think back in December that it was going to be this quick and emotional, but now that all my neighbors are gone it's a traumatic experience," said Sheinfeld.

Sheinfeld says he's the last person living in his part of the facility, and believes it won't be long before he is served an eviction notice.

He says the 90-day deadline in the dead of winter wasn't enough time for someone who struggles to get around, even with Kindred's assistance to find a new apartment.

"I have special needs and I think I'm not being given a fair amount of time to sufficiently find a place to live," said Sheinfeld. "These other places are going to be expensive and I have got to do renovations on the apartment to make it accessible to me."

Shienfeld says not only was he not given enough time, but a new apartment will cost him thousands of dollars in renovations.

The State Department of Public Health attributed the closings to a lack of demand for beds. More than 6,000 beds remained unoccupied at the time.

In a December statement, a spokesperson for Kindred said the company would work with patients to find suitable new homes and pay for moving costs.

Reports say Kindred is in the process of being bought by healthcare giant, Humana.

A spokesperson for Kindred issued a statement regarding placing the residents in new housing:

As this resident's counsel has acknowledged, Kindred has offered more assistance than is required. This includes allowing representatives of other residences to be on site, and offering cost-free packing, moving and unpacking, as well as handicapped accessible transportation. We have been working cooperatively with counsel for this last remaining of the building's 59 occupants.

While Kindred has offered to pay for moving expenses, Sheinfeld says that won't cover the thousands of dollars for renovations he would need for his chair.

"I want to buy myself some time and I think I deserve financial assistance for my move," said Sheinfeld.

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