Bishop Edmond Carmody and members of the Dominican Sisters of St. Thomas break ground for a new adult day care center May 23. The center, located in Calallen, is scheduled to open in June of 2010. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, the fastest growing segment of older adults is the population aged 85 and older. Historically, approximately 80% of the frail elderly remain in the community and are cared for by relatives, most commonly by adult daughters. Today, however, an increasing number of women aged 35�"54 are in the workforce and unable to care for aging parents or disabled adult children living at home.

A new adult day care center, to be run by the Dominican Sisters of St. Thomas, is scheduled to be open by June 1, 2010. Bishop Edmond Carmody, local clergy and other supporters joined in a May 23 groundbreaking ceremony and blessing for the center, which will serve the Calallen area.

The business will be called Dominican Sisters Adult Day Care Center taking its name from the religious order of Dominicans of St. Thomas Aquinas with headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico fulfilling the Catholic Religious Order mission of serving the needy, protecting human dignity and providing a vehicle for the truth and justice for the under served.

The Dominican Sisters of St. Thomas of Aquinas Adult Day Care will be located at 1227 Hearn Road, Corpus Christi. Texas 78410.

During the May 23 ceremony, Bishop Carmody thanked the sisters for their courage in undertaking the project and stressed its importance.

“It is great to take care of the elderly in our community,” he said. “The sisters will love them, give them dignity and we pray that the center will be very successful.”

All services will be executed in a traditional adult day care center business format. Personal care services will be provided in a setting that will accommodate 50 participants. The services will be provided for male and female participants with referral coming from religious organizations, social services, and State agencies. The Center generally operate five days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The facility will feature restful, peaceful decor, with recreational activity areas, participant personal care, and dining room, resting stations, English/Spanish entertainment areas, shaded covered outside activity area and outdoor outings. Primary administrative functions will be performed at the Center.

The Center will be: • Providing a safe and Christian day care environment for it participants. • Provide adult day care center services for lower and middle scale of services regardless of race, sex, color, or religious affiliation. • Assisting the participants to experience the highest possible quality of life and improve their level of functioning. • Provide physical, social interaction. • Provide and encourage daily activities to keep their mind and body active. • Provide well balanced meals and snacks. • Enhancing participant quality of life.

The Dominican Sisters offer a unique blend and extensive breath of experience relative to this venture. They have been involved in the health and child care ministry industry for more than over 40 years of experience. The Dominican Sisters of St. Thomas of Aquinas have been associated with such operations as child care orphanages and schools, adult at-home-care and a hospital health clinic

The sisters present a blend of child care, adult care, health clinic experience and training relative to human care. Their experience in marketing, recruitment, participants service, and developmental and physical disabilities experience makes the Dominican Sisters of St. Thomas of Aquinas highly qualified to successfully guide this venture. That experience will enable the center to maintain the high quality of service participants will expect.