Seniors in need of specialized care were forced out of their Manatee County assisted living facility, causing families to abruptly move them out with only a few hours notice.
The Department of Children and Families confirmed Friday they have an open investigation into Rudy's Agape House, located in Bradenton at 5426 18th St. W.
The agency says this marks its fourth investigation into Rudy's Agape House since 2010.
For years, Rudy's Agape House provided helped care for some of the area's most dependent seniors, all 16 residents suffered from Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
"My mother's very confused, as I'm sure the other patients are very confused as well," said Harry Traylor.
Traylor says he got a call Wednesday night from the assisted living facility's owner and operator, Nancy Cushman.
He says Cushman told him they had 36 hours to get his mother and all her stuff out of the building.
"It is not a 24 hour process, this is a week's type process, normally to move someone," said Traylor. "So, it was shocking."
According to court records, Cushman was delinquent on paying rent.
The landlord's attorney tells ABC Action News, they warned Cushman about a possible eviction months ago and the facility's residents did not need to move out.
"Why didn't you just have the honesty to come to me and say 'hey, something is going on, I'm trying to work through it, but you need to look for an alternative,'" said Traylor.
Traylor is thankful they were able to find a new home for his mother. The Cottages at Bradenton is now caring for half of Rudy's Agape House's former residents.
But Traylor worries other families are still scrambling, not knowing where to go next.
"There's a lot of them over there that these poor people are working two, three jobs, I mean they are right at the edge to making ends meet," said Traylor.
Cushman declined an on camera interview Friday night, but told ABC Action News that she was given a 24 hour eviction notice and was heartbroken having to hastily move more than a dozen seniors out of the home they'd known for years.
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