Nursing home to close this month

Brookhaven Nursing Home is closing by the end of the month, laying off 25 people and sending its 15 residents to other homes.

Acting Administrator J. Sabine Griego said the nursing home has found new employment for its employees at such places as Vida Encantada Nursing Home. A couple of employees are starting new jobs elsewhere by as early as Saturday, Griego said.

Employees and residents were informed of the pending closure Friday.

The longtime nursing home at 813 Fourth St. has 19 beds, but four of them are empty, Griego said. The residents are being transferred to Vida Encantada and a nursing home in Raton, and a couple of them are headed to California, Griego said.

Simapomo, a Santa Fe architectural firm, owns the nursing home.

Griego said the small nursing home had a hard time competing against larger companies.

“It’s very simple. We’re a small business, and the big corporations have the ability to do all kinds of things,” he said.

Griego said the building is owned by Ted Maestas, adding that the Maestas family had run the nursing home in earlier years.

Maestas didn’t return a call for comment. The nursing home building is up for sale.

“We’re so grateful to everyone for everything that we have been given, especially with the placing of residents in nursing homes and finding employment for present employees,” said Griego, a Luna Community College instructor who has worked as acting administrator for five months.