CHAMPAIGN — It started with a hypothetical.
Kathy Rhoads, co-founder of the Circle of Friends Adult Day Center, was talking with ClarkLindsey one day and said, “When I’m ready to retire, you should buy me out.”
While she had been half-joking, the nonprofit was interested in the idea, and the conversation evolved from there.
ClarkLindsey recently announced that Lindsey Senior Solutions, a newly launched sister company, plans to buy Circle of Friends, located at 609 W. Washington St. in Champaign.
“We’re just really excited about continuing Kathy’s legacy,” said Laura Edwards, vice president of strategy and innovation at ClarkLindsey and executive director of Lindsey Senior Solutions. “She’s been doing this for such a long time and has built such a wonderful community asset that it would be a shame if it had to close. So we’re excited for the opportunity.”
The change in management will occur on Oct. 1, she said.
The sale itself, which was initially expected to be complete on the same date, has been delayed somewhat.
“We have reached some delays from the government credentialing agencies to get our funding sources situated for those that use government funding to attend,” Edwards said. “The official business sale transfer will be delayed until those government contracts can be secured.”
Apart from some possible renovations and repairs “down the road,” Lindsey Senior Solutions does not plan to make changes to the day center and will “keep things going the way that they are,” she said. This includes keeping the name Circle of Friends.
“They are keeping my state contracts for folks that can’t pay,” Rhoads said. “Because I know people think ‘ClarkLindsey, oh, that’s private pay, no one can afford to go there,’ but we are working on keeping the state payment and the VA (Veterans Affairs) contracts.”
Edwards likewise said Lindsey Senior Solutions plans to continue accepting all forms of government payment currently accepted by the center, including those provided by the Illinois Department on Aging, the Illinois Department of Human Services, veteran’s benefits and Medicaid.
“We do not anticipate any gaps in service for participants using government funding to attend during the transition,” she said.
When asked if the change in ownership will affect staff, she replied, “Our hope is that they will want to stay along with us. However, we already know that some are moving on to other endeavors such as starting grad school, so that just happened naturally. So we do have one or two positions open.”
Rhoads, who co-founded Circle of Friends with Carol Mauck in 1997, plans to retire, as she feels it’s time to “move on” and believes ClarkLindsey has more resources to support the center.
She plans to spend time with family but would also like to continue working “in the geriatric world,” hopefully in a capacity that allows her more flexibility.
“I’m retiring, but I’m not going away,” Rhoads said.
