BARBOURVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) - Patients living in the Long-Term Care Facility at the Knox County Hospital have to find a new place to live. The facility is scheduled to close later this year to save the hospital money.

90-year-old William Waligorski has lived in the Long-Term Care Facility in the Knox County Hospital for more than one year.

"I didn't think they would ever close this place," Waligorski said.

The Knox County Judge-Executive says the facility is losing more than one million dollars per year.

"We hate to lose it. It's provided a good service for the people of Knox County, but in order to make a financial decision, the Board had to do this with no other choice," said J.M. Hall, Knox County Judge-Executive.

"I'll have to go. I'll guess I'll have to go on my own I guess," said Waligorski.

Hall says a new nursing home being built in Barbourville can accommodate the people currently in the Long-Term Care Facility. Hall says the new nursing home will get the "certificate of need" for the sixteen beds in the Long-Term Care Facility.

None of the employees would talk on camera but some say they are worried about layoffs. The Judge-Executive says there will be other employment opportunities for them in the hospital or at the new nursing home.

Hall says closing the facility will make a big difference towards keeping the hospital afloat in difficult financial times.

"I think it will be a positive on our cash flow at the hospital," Hall said.

He says it will be several more months before the Long-Term Care Facility closes.

The new nursing home in Barbourville is expected to be open within the year.

Hall says once the Long-Term Care Facility closes, the hospital will use the building.