CONFUSED elderly residents of a care home were given less than 24 hours to find new places to live after the home went out of business.

The families of old folk living at St Emmanuel Residential Home for the Elderly Confused, Blackburn, were told yesterday evening that they had until just 3pm today to move their relatives out of the home. A member of staff, who did not want to be named, today confirmed that the home had closed down.

St Emmanuel was home to 13 elderly residents. But early today, several old people were taken away from the home by social workers from Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The privately-run Wilson Street home, believed to have been in financial difficulty for some time, is owned by two doctors - Rawtenstall-based Dr Bachh, and Dr Bursa, who is believed to practice in Wigan.

David Kerambrum, assistant director of social services for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "Blackburn with Darwen Council was notified on Friday by liquidators that St Emmanuel's was about to go into liquidation. Effectively, this means that the privately-run home can no longer operate. Staff from the social services' registration and inspection unit visited to ensure that there was enough food and the residents' needs were being catered for over the weekend.

"We visited again on Monday and brought in agency staff to cover for Tuesday to ensure effective assessments could be carried out. Social Services are doing all that they can and are working to find new accommodation for the 13 elderly people who currently live at St Emmanuel's.

"The liquidator's had said that the home cannot remain open. This is not a council-run facility, it is a private home run by two doctors and the council's obligation is to accommodate residents and offer them support where necessary."

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