A well-loved care home is being forced to close and move its residents to a new residence as spiralling costs mean the charity that runs it can no longer afford to keep it going.

Gardenia House, in Pilgrims Court, off Farnol Road, in Dartford, has provided a home for 25 residents for the past 25 years, but Ambient Support which runs it said it has been making a loss of £10,000 a month for a long time now and can no longer afford to keep it going.

Davina Sellick, director of business development and communications at Ambient Support, said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that following a comprehensive review, Ambient Support has made the difficult decision to close Gardenia House.

“The closure does not relate to any concerns surrounding standards or quality of care delivered by our exceptional and committed staff team at the home but is reflective of the many issues impacting the social care system today.

“The continued underfunding, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, declining occupancy rates and ongoing rising costs mean that the service has become unsustainable and sadly, the home is no longer financially viable for our charity to continue to run.

“We understand that this is a difficult and anxious time for those impacted by the closure and we are committed to doing all that we can to support those we care for, their families and our wonderful staff.”

Ms Sellick explained that a dedicated team had been put in place to help individual famillies find alternative care to ensure the transition to their new homes can be “as smooth as possible”.

Temple Hill and Dartford Borough Councillor Kelly Grehan is upset the premises are shutting.

She said: “I am a regular visitor to the facility and so can vouch for the quality treatment received by residents from the staff and that the home is deserving of its Good rating from the Care Quality Commission.

“Gardenia House, and its residents and staff are valued parts of our community and so it is devastating to hear that Ambient no longer considers the home viable and that it is going to close.

“I am very fearful about the impact on the current residents, who are settled and well cared for, of being placed elsewhere.

“I am also worried about the impact on residents’ families. The trust placed in care homes by relatives cannot be underestimated and I cannot begin to imagine the impact this news has had on Gardenia families.”