Ceremonial groundbreaking held for senior facility

Published Thursday, May 8, 2008

By Denny Deady

With construction well underway in the background, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held Wednesday for the 124-bed Senior Care Health and Rehabilitation Center in Decatur.

The 43,000 square foot facility is located on Bennett Road off FM 51 S, just south of Wise Regional Health System. It is targeted for completion by the end of the year.

"This is a great day," said Don Miller, Senior Care Consultants president. "Decatur is exactly the type of community we want to be a part of. We plan to hire local people which will mean neighbors taking care of neighbors."

When Miller first announced the project more than a year ago, he said the facility expects to hire 140 full-time employees with an annual payroll of $3.6 million.

The groundbreaking was hosted by the Decatur Economic Development Corp. and the Decatur Chamber of Commerce. EDC board member Roy Eaton was master of ceremonies and noted the "beautiful" location of the facility.

"I think this is going to be a dandy," said Eaton.

Mayor Joe Lambert agreed with Eaton about the location.

"This is a wonderful spot to build," said Lambert, adding "We've been looking forward to this for two years now."

State Rep. Phil King highlighted the growth in the North Texas area and in Wise and Parker counties particularly.

"The growth is exciting but it still feels like Decatur," said King. "Decatur is one of the few communities that is always going to be a destination."

Eaton praised King for his help in trying to locate a permanent campus of Weatherford College in Wise County, between Decatur and Bridgeport, pointing to the partnership between Parker and Wise counties.

The Senior Care Health and Rehabilitation Center will be Medicare and Medicaid certified and will offer skilled nursing and in-house rehabilitation in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. The facility is the 16th for Senior Care Consultants, a provider of long-term care services in and around North Texas. The company was founded in 1978 by John and William Campbell with the acquisition of Rockwall Nursing Center. Today, the company operates 15 locations with 1,903 licensed beds, 61 independent living apartments and 255 assisted living units.