Topeka, KS – August 18, 2017 – Midland Care broke ground today on a $6 million building renovation at 2631 E. Circle Drive South in Topeka to create the Compass Center for Senior Independence. The local, not-for-profit health care provider also launched a capital campaign to fund the project.
The Compass will provide a space for Topeka’s seniors to receive a wide range of services, helping seniors and their caregivers navigate care for various levels of need. The Compass will also provide a permanent home for essential services, including Midland Care Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and Meals on Wheels.
Midland Care PACE serves over 250 seniors each day with a range of medical and supportive services designed to keep them in their own homes as they age. Meals on Wheels delivers meals and provides a safety check for nearly 1,000 homebound seniors daily.
“The center addresses social, physical and spiritual needs, improving quality of life for our aging population to keep seniors at home and independent longer, as a vital part of our community,” said Karren Weichert, president and CEO of Midland Care.
John Dicus, chairman, president and CEO of Capitol Federal® and Kent Palmberg, M.D., a retired senior vice president and CMO from Stormont-Vail Health, co-chair the Touching More Lives Capital Campaign.
“We believe that connection is essential to sustaining a joyful and meaningful life,” said John Dicus, “which is why we’re building the Compass Center. This building will help connect seniors to the care they need and help them build relationships. It will be a wonderful asset to the Topeka community and I am proud to be a part of it.”
Multiple donors have already stepped forward to make the Compass a reality, including Capitol Federal®, Security Benefit, Capital City Bank, and the Sabatini Family Foundation. The campaign has already raised $2.4 million of the $6 million needed to complete the project. The campaign has also received a $500,000 Challenge Grant from The J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation, Inc., in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Challenge Grant funds will be donated after Midland Care has raised an additional $3.6 million.
The renovation will include:
- A day center for enhanced socialization.
- Expanded clinic space enabling PACE participants to be seen more efficiently by doctors and clinical staff.
- New state-of-the-art rehabilitative gym space where participants can receive specialized therapy and utilize the equipment they need to stay strong and healthy.
- Topeka’s first permanent home for Meals on Wheels allowing new options for meal planning for frail seniors.
- An efficient design to enhance the meal pick-up process for volunteers.