HISTORY
Cooper-Burkhart House
Care Connexxus, Inc., a pioneer in the field of Adult Day Services in California, has served the communities of Riverside and San Bernardino since 1978. Originally known as Cooper-Burkhart House, Care Connexxus, Inc. began as a volunteer effort of members of Trinity Lutheran Church, who saw the need for a program to assist frail elderly and other mentally or physically impaired adults to remain in the community.
Our agency opened in November 1978 becoming the first Adult Day Care Program in the Inland Empire. On July 1, 1980, Care Connexxus, Inc. (then known as Cooper-Burkhart House) was incorporated as an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3), charitable organization.
These were difficult times for the organization. The concept of Adult Day Services was little understood and slow to be accepted. Few funding sources were available. In spite of these challenges, the program grew.
Riverside Center
In January 1981, the agency offered the first Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver’s Support Group in the two-county area of San Bernardino and Riverside. In January 1987, the agency was awarded on-going support from the State Department on Aging to support the Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center allowing the Center to expand services for persons who are moderate to severely impaired with dementia. Later, in May of 1995, the first Adult Day Health Care Program was added to the growing array of services at the Riverside location, a medically licensed program that added nursing treatment and restorative therapies to the care program.
Sun City / Menifee Valley Center
A second site was established in 1990, when the agency was invited by the County to develop an Adult Day Care Program at the new Kay Ceniceros Community Center in Sun City. In 1997, the Sun City / Menifee Valley site was expanded to a licensed capacity of 40 to accommodate its designation as a satellite Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center.
In 2000, to accommodate the continuing growth in service, the agency moved its administrative and program services to its present Adams Street location, which is licensed to serve 125 participants. Shortly after, the name of the agency was changed to Care Connexxus, Inc. The new name was selected to convey the connectivity between the participant, the caregiver and our services.
Today, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Cooper-Burkhart House and its founders, there is growing recognition of the need and the value of Adult Day Services. Although our name has changed, our mission and commitment to quality services remains unchanged. Under the direction of Jeanne Klingenberger, Executive Director, our agency continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the community, continually seeking ways to improve and expand our services.
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