Last week, the largest nursing home in St. Louis abruptly closed, according to the union representing workers. 170 residents were moved to new homes without notifying relatives and staff did not receive their last paycheck.

The Missouri Health and Senior Services Department was notified of Northview Village’s closure on Friday afternoon, according to a statement to The Associated Press. Lenny Jones, the state director of a union representing workers, confirmed the closure.

More than 170 residents were moved to new homes without notice to their relatives, according to Marjorie Moore, executive director for VOYCE, a group in St. Louis that advocates for long-term care residents and their relatives. Northview Village’s phone number appears to be inaccessible and attempts to contact Healthcare Accounting Services, the company that owns the nursing home, were unsuccessful.

“It really is like a family was torn apart,” said Ms. Moore, emphasizing the challenges faced by relatives trying to find residents who relied on Medicaid. The nursing home had received numerous citations and fines for not meeting federal standards in the past three years.

A staff member who visited the facility on Saturday described a chaotic scene. “It looked like the place had been ransacked. Papers were all over the place. Carts were just ransacked,” Ms. Moore said.

On Monday, relatives were still searching for their loved ones in their new care facilities, while concerns were raised about the welfare of residents who had to abruptly leave the nursing home.

Alvin Cooper expressed concern about his son, Alvin Cooper Jr., who had lived in Northview Village for several months while recovering from a gunshot wound to the head. His whereabouts were unknown, and Mr. Cooper was preparing to file a missing persons report.

The sudden closure was linked to the nursing home’s failure to pay its workers, according to the Service Employees International Union. Workers were not given any warning or preparation for the closure, causing financial and emotional distress.

The union, which had received complaints about Northview Village for years, highlighted poor care conditions and a focus on profits over care by nursing home owners.