ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dozens of St. Petersburg senior citizens were given a 45-day notice that they would have to move after a change in management at their complex.

All of the residents depend on Medicaid, but that assistance is no longer being accepted by the newly named Elance Place of Pasadena, meaning those seniors had to find a new place to live.

One resident told Spectrum Bay News 9 that dozens have already moved out since they received that notice. Seniors in this community say the limited notice is disruptive because of the lack of options in affordable senior living facilities.

The views at the south Pasadena facility are among the reasons many residents say they wanted to live out their golden years at the location.

In February, it was announced that the management fountains at Boca Ciega Bay would be assumed by Retirement Unlimited Incorporated and their property in south Pasadena would be renamed Elance at Pasadena.

Warren, an Army veteran who didn’t tell us his last name, just moved into the senior community within the last year. He said he’s one of the lucky ones and does not rely on Medicaid and pays his rent out of his own pocket.

“The VA pays for a caregiver to come in 20 hours a week,” he said.

But he knows others are not as fortunate. He said he’s witnessed how disruptive the notice has been for not only the residents, but their families.

“I’ve seen the relatives grumbling that they are having to move all the stuff out of the rooms,” he said. “The movers are not supposed to come until 7 p.m. at night, because there is no freight elevators. You got two elevators per building, staff and residents use it. If an ambulance comes, the elevator is shut down for an hour or so.”

Accessibility and independence are what attracted Warren, who relies on a wheelchair, to the facility.

“You have a Publix one corner, Winn Dixie, etc. a block and a half of where I live, so that is what is convenient.”

He empathizes with residents who are seemingly losing that within a month’s notice.

At least 20 communities along the East Coast are now owned by RMI and are going through similar changes.

Moving and changing apartments is something that many seniors say is difficult to do on a fixed income.

We reached out for a statement from the facility’s new management. On Wednesday, they said:

"The management company and the ownership of this community know that this has been a challenge for some of our residents and their families, which is why we have been absolutely committed to helping the affected residents and their families to assess their personal situation. Some residents have opted to convert to private pay and stay at Elancé at Pasadena; others have made the decision to relocate to facilities that accept Medicaid.

Elancé at Pasadena also made a firm commitment to assist these residents with relocation needs, including helping them identify appropriate care levels, assistance with the management of the move and the delivery of care records at the time of transition. In the meantime, the Medicaid residents will continue to receive applicable care and services as they work through this transition period."