Park Centre grateful for $1.2M community contributions to memory care updates

Park Centre raised $1.2 million in community contributions in just three months in order to enhance the Newton senior living facility’s memory care wing. While the members of the campaign committee were confident the project would fill a need in the city, they were still taken aback by the generosity and the support.

Leisa Zylstra, director of sales and marketing at Park Centre, said meetings with donors often ended in a resounding and an immediate “yes.” The initial goal was $1 million, and the senior living community exceeded the goal by a quarter-million dollars thanks to local donors, making the project 100 percent community funded.

Bolstered by a lead gift from the Maytag Family Foundation, the redeveloped wing fulfills the needs of staff and, most importantly, residents. Zylstra said Park Centre is beyond grateful.

“The community of Newton was willing to show up and support our residents and family members through making a contribution,” Zylstra said.

Park Centre, a WesleyLife community, was originally built in 1992. The memory care wing was added on in the early 2000s to help residents with dementia.

In mid-September, the redevelopment of the memory care wing was completed and open to residents, families and staff. The footprint of the memory care household — often referred as Garden View — remains the same, but the quality of amenities, equipment and services have seen significant upgrades.

Park Centre leaders imagined an environment that includes art and interactive life stations to enhance recreational activities and hobbies on campus. They envisioned an outdoor garden that promotes interventional activities and exposure to nature, and they sought out soft seating for better social interactions.

Zylstra said a more homelike environment was desired for the update space at Park Centre. Less clinical, more homey. So they added a home kitchen with new dining furniture so residents can enjoy the comforting aromas of home-cooked meals and a space to dine with visiting family members.

“We wanted this to be a homelike environment for the residents and their family members,” Zylstra said. “This is where they’re spending the rest of their life, and we want it to be comfortable and warm and inviting … We really wanted this to feel more like home. And we did that by creating these new spaces.”

Fresh paint, new carpet, an emphasis on natural lighting instead of fluorescents, ceiling fans, new bedroom amenities, security cameras, updated spa/bathing environments. The campaign committee raised money for all of it. Staff is also using a small portion of its funds for education and training opportunities.

Mari Wilson, executive director of Park Centre, said people with dementia and confusion thrive in a consistent environment, and they were kept at the forefront of the enhancement project. Throughout the transition process, residents were kept safe and comfortable while adapting to their new day-to-day needs.

Lisa Ryan, communication lead for WesleyLife, said maintaining a more homelike environment for residents is extremely important. WesleyLife’s vision is to be the most dynamic and inclusive champion to revolutionize the experience of aging, and she said that extends to all levels of living at Park Centre.

“When you got into a WesleyLife community, you don’t see a nursing home,” Ryan said. “Here it was very important for the memory care household to kind of catch up with the rest of the community, to accelerate and enhance that standard of care to match the rest of the community.”

Ryan said the project was prompted by local and national trends. Jasper County is seeing an increase in residents older than 65 with dementia and related diseases. In 2024, the Alzheimer’s Association reported 11.2 percent of the country is living with Alzheimer’s disease.

“There’s a memory care crisis across the country,” she said. “In Jasper County … there’s a higher-than-normal population of people that could benefit.”

Despite the impetus from WesleyLife, Ryan said it was the work of the campaign committee and the generous local donors who made this project possible.

“It was a community effort,” Ryan said.

For many of the donors, their contribution and support toward the project was personal. Dr. Patrick Edwards, medical director of Park Centre, said many people are affected by dementia, whether directly or through a family member. It is common condition that can affect many family members.

“It’s gratifying to see people respond, ‘Yes, we need to act on this,’ and address how we’re going to treat these people are they get older,” Edwards said. “There are some not so happy views on how these people should be treated, but we don’t believe that. We believe they should be treated with dignity and respect.”