We create the path by walking: Maryknoll Sisters health care--long-term care

Religious groups like the Maryknoll Sisters have been examining their demographics for years and seeking ways to deal with the aging of their communities while facing diminishing numbers of new members. In 1999, the Sisters projected that in the year 2010, they would number 447, and 359 of them would be over the age of 65 years; 228 would be over the age of 75! Each Sister and the Maryknoll community as a whole deal with aging using the strengths of their lifestyle, spirituality, and support systems. They have learned that they must discern their future with a notion inspired by St. Augustine, "solvitur ambulando,"--it is solved by walking. This article considers one religious community's approach to long-term care at the beginning of the 21st century using personal stories and highlighting some of the options the Maryknoll Sisters have developed.