The Haven Health Center in Cape Elizabeth has decided to close its 60-bed skilled nursing home and withdraw from participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs by the beginning of next month.

The home had faced stiff penalties in recent months after the state Department of Health and Human Services received a complaint that a resident’s fall was not reported to the following shift at the home, the family or physician for two days, at which time the resident was hospitalized. Because of that incident, the residents at the home were labeled as being in “immediate jeopardy,” the most severe classification a nursing home can have.

An initial deadline to submit a corrective action plan and move back into complaince with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) standards was set for June 18. A financial penalty of $3,050 for every day that the home was not in compliance with those satandards was also put in place.

The “immediate jeopardy” classification and the monetary penalty were removed as of June 15, after two unannounced visits by state surveryors determined the nursing home had made significant progress back toward complaince.

But, the home still faced enforcement action, said state DHHS spokesperson Michael Norton. The home was given a new deadline of Sept. 22 to fix persisiting problems or face the loss of all Medicare and Medicaid funding. CMS was also requiring the home to hire a new interim manager from outside the company to fix the problems.

The Haven Health Center also has a 60-bed assisted living home, which will not be affected by the decision to close the nursing home.

Haven’s 60-bed skilled nursing home had 46 patients as of June 28, according to a letter to the state from Executive Vice President of Haven Health Care Anthony Scierka. Haven also sent the state the required relocation plan to ensure the orderly transfer of the 46 patients to other homes.

“It was their decision over what to do . . . but, I think it was understood that there was a lot of work to do there,” said Norton.

Anthony Scierka, spokesman for Haven Health Care, said the facility has had a long history of complaince issues, which he said has cost the nursing home company $1.5 million.

“We’ve made a significant investment in the improvement of this facility, but, we simply have run out of options,” Scierka said. “We’ve exhausted all resources and are left with no alternatives but to discontinue the nursing home operation.”

Under Maine law, the home is required to notify residents and their families at least 30 days in advance of the proposed date of closure. That would mean residents and their families would have been notified on or before July 1.

In a sample letter to residents, which was submitted to DHHS, Haven Health Center said it would be responsible for arranging for the transfer of residents to another home and would make every effort to contact long-term care homes within a 25-mile radius and inform them of their impending closure and need for beds.

Norton said that there are 10,000 beds in the same category of skilled nursing homes throughout the state.

“We believe there are open beds in the southern Maine area,” Norton said.

Norton said the home had faced some fairly serious penalties if they did not come back into compliance with CMS standards before Sept. 22.

“It’s very important that the quality of care be consistent,” Norton said. “They had to make that call: Do we strive to meet all those standards or do we step out to have that care provided elsewhere?”