ClarkLindsey’s *Passions Project* exhibit highlights residents over 60 who continue pursuing meaningful interests. Photographer Heidi Wagner captured individuals painting, shaping clay, swimming, and learning new skills. Featured residents like Herschel Cline and Helen Thursh show how creativity, curiosity, and personal growth remain strong with age, reflecting full and evolving lives within the community.

Ron Wilcox, ClarkLindsey’s vice president of residential services, reflects on his career, volunteer work, and creative interests. He values relationships with residents, long-term community service, and a lifelong passion for photography and history. His path from journalism to senior living leadership highlights curiosity, service, and personal growth across work, family, and travel.

Dodee Buzzard, a 99‑year‑old UI graduate and ClarkLindsey resident, is showcasing her watercolor collection *The Story of My Life* at the Urbana Free Library. A late‑life painter, she now creates art several times a week and is featured in the Artist of the Corridor and Boneyard Arts Festival. She’ll attend Friday’s reception to celebrate her birthday and share her work.

ClarkLindsey invested $500,000 over three years to modernize its technology systems, partnering with Parasol Alliance to assess gaps, upgrade infrastructure, and improve staff readiness. The effort revealed underused tools and outdated systems, leading to new hardware and a modern phone system. The upgrades strengthened hospital collaboration and network participation, allowing ClarkLindsey to gain strategic IT support without hiring a CIO.

CMS’s upcoming RCS‑I model will shift skilled‑nursing payments from therapy minutes to patient complexity and quality. Providers are urged to redesign care and expand group therapy ahead of the change. ClarkLindsey is preparing by restructuring units, selecting a strategic therapy partner, aligning with hospital needs, and increasing its Medicare census to stay competitive.

ClarkLindsey partnered with University of Illinois researchers to study how older adults use smart‑home devices like the Amazon Echo. The project found that while residents enjoy features such as music and voice control, many struggle with setup or don’t know how to access helpful functions. Researchers say tech must be designed with seniors’ real needs and daily use in mind.

ClarkLindsey and the Urbana Park District have a long‑standing shared‑use agreement allowing ClarkLindsey staff to park in part of Meadowbrook Park’s Race Street lot on weekdays. ClarkLindsey funded the lot’s construction and helps maintain it. The partnership supports both organizations by reducing the need for additional paved areas while keeping evenings and weekends open for park visitors.

ClarkLindsey is adding 12 new Medicare‑certified private rooms at the Meadowbrook Health Center’s Renewal Therapy Center. The expansion, available April 1, increases capacity for short‑term skilled nursing and rehabilitation. The project is connected to ClarkLindsey’s new wellness center, which includes therapy, fitness, and aquatic spaces.

The demand for certified nursing assistants is rising as the older adult population grows, but long‑term care providers struggle to fill positions due to low wages, high turnover, and competition from other industries. ClarkLindsey leaders note the urgent need to attract more workers, while current CNAs describe the job as challenging but deeply meaningful.

Ulla C. Brems, a longtime Urbana resident originally from Denmark, passed away at 97. Known for her love of the outdoors and her lifelong habit of writing letters, she spent her later years at ClarkLindsey, where caregivers and hospice staff supported her during her final illness. She is survived by her three daughters and extended family, with a memorial service to be announced.

Residents at ClarkLindsey played a special version of bingo called “Hug Bingo,” where participants completed spaces by giving or receiving hugs—from neighbors, pets, or even trees. Created by a resident, the activity encouraged connection and stress relief. The event ended with a large group hug, highlighting the emotional benefits of supportive touch within the community.

A local chapter of the Philanthropic Educational Organization is helping women in Champaign‑Urbana pursue education and overcome financial barriers. Through scholarships, grants, and personal mentorship, members support women returning to school, managing crises, or advancing careers. Recipients say the assistance strengthens both their opportunities and the wider community.

Nick Holonyak, inventor of the first visible LED and longtime University of Illinois professor, continues to stay mentally active and connected while living at ClarkLindsey. Now 89, he still writes, reads, collaborates with colleagues, and welcomes former students. He recently received the Photographic Society of America’s Progress Medal, adding to a long list of major scientific honors.

A major solar eclipse paused daily life across Champaign‑Urbana as residents stepped outside to watch the event. At ClarkLindsey, residents gathered for a courtyard viewing party with themed snacks and protective glasses. Schools, workplaces, and community groups also adjusted schedules so people could experience the rare moment of 93% sun coverage.

Deb Reardanz, President and CEO of ClarkLindsey, received the Athena Award from the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce for her leadership, community service, and support of women leaders. With 20 years at ClarkLindsey, she is recognized for fostering resident autonomy, developing future leaders, and guiding major growth initiatives while emphasizing curiosity and meaningful relationships.

A regional feature highlights five chefs working in unexpected settings, including Kyle Thompson at ClarkLindsey in Urbana. Thompson brings hotel and cruise‑line experience to the community, offering creative, seasonal dishes that residents enjoy. The story also profiles chefs in a supermarket, a small‑town restaurant, a campus farm program, and Allerton Mansion.

ClarkLindsey will receive a national Excellence in the Workplace Award from LeadingAge on November 1 in Indianapolis, recognizing its strong culture of well‑being and its status as one of eight certified Centers for Successful Aging in the U.S. Leaders will accept the award at the annual meeting, followed by a community celebration on November 4 in Urbana.

ClarkLindsey unveiled a large “As I Age…” community chalkboard inviting residents and passersby to share personal reflections on aging. Funded by the Urbana Public Arts Program, the installation will move near Windsor Road for public participation. Residents contributed first, helping spark open conversations about how people hope their lives will evolve as they age.

ClarkLindsey unveiled the interactive “As I Age” Sculpture in Urbana, inviting people of all ages to share reflections on what aging means to them. The installation encourages open, intergenerational conversation and was funded through a grant from the Urbana Public Arts Program.

ClarkLindsey is unveiling the interactive “As I Age” Wall on June 10 in Urbana. The temporary public art piece invites people of all ages to share reflections about growing older. Hosted on the ClarkLindsey campus and funded by the Urbana Public Arts Program, the installation encourages open, community-wide conversation about the experience of aging.