Dozens of elderly residents in an aged-care home on the Gold Coast are distressed and potentially homeless after the private facility shut down unexpectedly.

Key points: Earle Haven Retirement Village has abruptly stopped operating

Earle Haven Retirement Village has abruptly stopped operating About 70 residents are being taken to alternative aged care homes or hospital for a place to stay in the short term

About 70 residents are being taken to alternative aged care homes or hospital for a place to stay in the short term Residents' families are being contacted about the situation

Police were called to the Earle Haven Retirement Village at Nerang about 2:00pm on Thursday to investigate a reported disturbance and amid suggestions the operators had gone into administration.

A Queensland Health spokesperson said medical equipment had been stripped out of the Earle Haven Retirement Village, where 70 people live.

The ABC understands about 50 residents will be moved to other nursing homes and 20 will be taken to hospital.

Bernadette O'Connor from the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union described the situation as "unheard of".

"This is exceptional territory," she said.

"I've been speaking to people who have asked me 'what's going on?'

Samantha Rickards said her grandmother does not understand what is happening. ( ABC News )

"Relatives who are coming home with their family member in the car and seeing police and ambulance and so forth."

Samantha Rickards' grandmother is a resident at the facility.

"It's distressing for the residents because they are all older, they don't know what's going on, a lot of them have dementia, but the staff have been amazing," she said.

"They've been very understanding, very caring. When I walked in they were feeding my grandmother.

"My grandmother is getting moved tonight to another care facility. She doesn't understand what's going on, she's pretty distressed.

"It's sad because I get to see her in this situation but I'm angry that they have allowed this to happen."

Facility hit with federal sanctions

Earle Haven has been operated by People Care Pty Ltd.

The Federal Government's aged care compliance checker website lists four archived sanctions for this company for its operations at the Earle Haven site in Nerang, and one current notice of non-compliance.

In 2017, the Federal Health Department applied sanctions over management and regulatory compliance concerns.

In 2016, the Department imposed sanctions for failure to ensure residents received appropriate clinical care, failure to ensure care recipients' skin integrity was consistent with their general health, and failure to ensure adequate nutrition and hydration.

Authorities are scrambling to find beds for the 70 residents from Earle Haven Retirement Village. ( ABC News: Tom Forbes )

Queensland Health said it had provided short-term assistance and some accommodation at the Gold Coast Hospital but urged to Federal Government to step in and find alternative places for the resident

The Queensland Ambulance Service was on site and eight senior clinicians from the hospital arrived at the facility this afternoon to help residents — some of whom are bedridden or have dementia.

"This is distressing for residents and families of this private aged-care facility," a Queensland Health statement said.

"Our immediate concern is for the health and wellbeing of these residents."

Families were being contacted about the situation.

Authorities would also remain at the village to help "keep the peace".