Governor Meyer Signs Legislation Renaming Delaware Hospital in Honor of Eleanor Cain

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Media Contact:
Jonah Anderson
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SMYRNA, Del. - Joined by state leaders, residents, staff, and members of the Cain family, Governor Matt Meyer today signed legislation renaming the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill to the Eleanor Cain Center.

The newly named facility provides high-quality, compassionate care to older adults and adults with disabilities who need it most. Founded in 1931, the Eleanor Cain Center has a long history of supporting Delawareans in need of long-term care. Over the decades, the facility has grown into a fully licensed skilled nursing home with a strong reputation for service to those who have no other options for care.

"Ninety years ago, Delaware promised its most vulnerable citizens a place to be cared for, and today, we're renaming that promise after the woman who spent nearly three decades making sure we kept it," said Governor Matt Meyer. "Eleanor Cain didn't just run a state agency for 28 years; she built the idea that growing older or living with a disability in Delaware would never mean losing your dignity, and this building will carry her name so that idea outlives all of us. This is more than a building - it's a promise to every Delawarean, and 100 construction workers a day for the next year and a half building it out is a real economic lift for Smyrna."

Operated by the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities within the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), the state-run skilled nursing and intermediate care facility in Smyrna, Delaware, serves older adults and adults with physical disabilities who require skilled nursing care. The facility sits on a 62-acre campus and has 205 beds. Residents have access to an on-site dental clinic, physical and occupational therapy, full-service meals, housekeeping and maintenance, social services to help them adjust and thrive, and security and safety staff on campus.

That mission traces directly back to one woman's 28-year tenure leading the division that built it.

Eleanor Cain served as Director of Delaware's Division of Services for Aging and Physical Disabilities from 1973 to 2001, appointed to the role by four different governors over her tenure. A native Delawarean and graduate of Dover High School and Centenary College in New Jersey, she developed numerous programs during her leadership that helped older adults and people with disabilities live independently with dignity, earning recognition as a pioneer in the field of aging. Her national standing included serving as president of the National Association of State Units on Aging and being appointed by President Reagan to represent all 50 states at the 1982 World Assembly on Aging in Vienna. She was later inducted into the Delaware Women's Hall of Fame in 1994.

"It is fitting our new long-term health facility will carry Eleanor Cain's name - someone who devoted three decades of her career to improving the lives of aging Delawareans and adults with physical disabilities," said DHSS Secretary Christen Linke Young. "Naming this facility after her is a meaningful tribute to her extraordinary record and ensures her legacy will remain connected to this mission for years to come."

The legislative push to have the facility renamed was spearheaded by Senator Trey Paradee and Representative Bill Bush.

"This legislation is especially close to my heart. Eleanor Cain was my aunt, but this recognition is about far more than our family connection," said Sen. Trey Paradee, prime sponsor of Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 281. "She dedicated decades of her life to advocating for older Delawareans and worked tirelessly to strengthen those services for our most vulnerable. I am incredibly grateful that my colleagues and I had the opportunity to honor her legacy and ensure that Delawareans know the impact she made on our state."

"One of the underlying threads that my colleagues and I have been focused on this year is ensuring dignity in healthcare. There is no reason why someone should have to reduce themselves in order to access care," said Representative Bill Bush. "Though this bill may seem small to some, it truly is the culmination of decades of education and advocacy work that has allowed us to reach this point where we can truly ensure that those who cannot always speak for themselves are still considered in the conversations that affect them."

Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed in early 2028, ensuring that the dignity, care, and independence Eleanor Cain championed for nearly three decades will continue to define this facility for generations to come.

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