Lack of nuns forces Scottish care home to close

A shortage of nuns is forcing a care home in Edinburgh run by the Little Sisters of the Poor to close.

St Joseph’s House has cared for older people in the Scottish capital for 155 years, but due to the decline in women taking up religious orders it is now closing.

The Little Sisters of the Poor has said it will make the care of its residents “absolutely paramount” until the home shuts down in the autumn.

The group has been trying to find an alternative care provider to take over the home in Gilmore Place since September last year. The group has apparently had two offers but it said none of the proposals received from other care providers met the criteria laid down by the religious order in terms of the spiritual wellbeing and continuity of care for their residents.

Sister Marie Claire Brennan, Mother Superior at St Joseph’s, said: “The Little Sisters of the Poor have brought the love of Christ to the elderly of Edinburgh over the past 155 years and we vow to continue that love and care for our remaining 26 residents in the coming months as we find them alternate care either within our homes elsewhere in Scotland or with other care providers – that’s absolutely paramount.”

She added: “Since announcing our plans last year to withdraw from Edinburgh, due to the lack of vocations and the rising ages of our sisters, nearly half of all residents have already moved to other accommodation, either at our homes elsewhere in Scotland or with other suitable care providers.

“We’ve been working well and in close collaboration with families and Edinburgh City Council and will, of course, continue to do so to ensure the dignity of each resident is upheld throughout.”

Last week, Mary Wilson helped her 97-year-old aunt move from St Joseph’s in Edinburgh to the Little Sister’s nursing home in Robroyston in Glasgow.

“It is dreadfully sad that the Little Sisters won’t be able to continue to care for the elderly of Edinburgh,” said Ms Wilson, “but I can only commend them for making the transfer of my aunt to Robroyston as smooth and as dignified as it was, with Sister Ursula accompanying her from Edinburgh to Glasgow while the Little Sisters in Robroyston made sure they were all in attendance to greet her and help her settle in to their beautiful care home – my aunt could not have been better looked after.”

The Little Sisters was founded in 1839 by Saint Jeanne Jugan, a Breton woman who established the order to care for the elderly. The convent at Gilmore Place in Edinburgh is one of three homes the Sisters have in Scotland, the others being in Glasgow and Greenock. The other homes are unaffected.

The care home is registered for 51 residents.