Luke Caines, a seriously disabled man who remains a ward of the hospital, still has an option to move out to the Summerhaven assisted living facility.

Don Ricardo Wynn, administrator of the facility, spoke with The Royal Gazette alongside chairman John Powell after Mr Caines’s sister, Carla Franklin, voiced regret that her brother, now 55, had nowhere else to go with resources sufficient to care for him.

A fundraising effort in 2014 raised substantial funds to support the move, although Mr Powell said the figure of $20,000 reported at the time was incorrect.

“There was about $9,500 — that was the target we were looking at to house Luke, which seemed appropriate with the other equipment he may have needed.

“I thought it would help Luke to live here. When he came through the door here, his face lit up.

“He remembers all the residents here who attended Friendship Vale, which was the school where Luke was also sent.

“We looked at him as a person and whether he would make a good fit, and it was our decision that he would. For some reason, it fizzled out.”

Monies raised went towards continuing renovations at the home, where 14 rooms for disabled residents have been added to the main building.

Mr Powell said that while the quarters earmarked for Mr Caines were now occupied by another resident, the possibility remained for a newly renovated room to open up. Mr Wynn confirmed that the Summerhaven management were open to discussing the move with family, adding: “From what I have heard, Luke seems receptive to me.”

Renovations at Summerhaven are continuing, and both said it was difficult to say when the new room would be open for business.

“When we have a room finished, we could try Luke for a week here and see how that worked out,” Mr Powell added.