Leeds Jewish care home set to close due to ‘severe financial pressure’

The Donisthorpe Hall Jewish care home in Leeds is to close as a result of severe financial pressures, it has been announced.

A statement issued by Trustees to relatives and friends of the home confirmed the shock news on Tuesday.

One family member of a resident at the home expressed surprise to Jewish News that the announcement about closure of the home, which specialises in looking after residents suffering from dementia, was made on a Yom Tov.

Devastated staff at the home also held a meeting on the same day to digest the shock news.

The home, on Shadwell Lane, had provided residential nursing and dementia care for up to 189 residents.

It had a long-standing association with the local Jewish community.

The statement confirmed:”Donisthorpe Hall is under severe financial pressure presently and we, the Trustees, are faced with a very tough, and for us unprecedented challenge which will result in the closure of the home.”

It was confirmed that meetings will take place this week to discuss a way to “best safeguard the interests” of families and residents at the home.

The Trustees added they had done “everything possible to keep Donisthorpe going” and said they were “committed to providing as much support as possible to residents during what will be a difficult time ahead.”

One source who contacted Jewish News described the announcement as “devastating news for the Leeds community.”

Jewish News spoke to a staff member who confirmed the news of the closure.