Brio Living Services Announces New Leader at Thome PACE
Robyn Abbey-Hardesty, LMSW Named New Thome PACE Executive Director
Brio Living Services has announced that Robyn Abbey-Hardesty, LMSW, has accepted the role of Executive Director for Thome Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE®, located in Jackson, Michigan. Abbey-Hardesty, who served as the Thome PACE Day Center Manager since 2017, replaces Susan Decker, who retired in December 2023 after eight years as its Executive Director. Decker also served as secretary and board member of the PACE Association of Michigan, where she has been instrumental in advancing statewide advocacy for PACE.
A program of Brio Living Services and WellWise Services Area Agency on Aging, Thome PACE serves the psycho-social, medical, and supportive needs of low-income, nursing home-eligible adults, aged 55 and up, helping them remain living independently and safely in their own homes, with the help of PACE services. Thome PACE currently serves more than 220 older adults at its Day Center in Jackson. Its service area includes Jackson, Hillsdale, and Lenawee counties.
Abbey-Hardesty was selected after an extensive search, according to Luke Reynolds, Chief of Home and Community-Based Services for Brio Living Services. “Robyn has directed the interdisciplinary team operations at Thome PACE since 2017,” said Reynolds. “Her experience leading the PACE team of 80+ and her passion for serving vulnerable older adults with compassion and excellence are the ideal building blocks for this expanded role. I am elated to work with her as she continues to grow Thome PACE while continuously improving quality and outcomes. Thome PACE has grown to become a staple of the Jackson community and is recognized as the gold standard of care for older adults wishing to remain living in their own homes.”
Abbey-Hardesty has worked closely with Decker over the years at Thome PACE, which made for a smooth transition for Abbey-Hardesty to step into her new role as Executive Director. Nick Johns was recently hired as the new Center Director for Thome PACE.
Most of Abbey-Hardesty’s career has been devoted to older adults, whom she loves getting to know. “Their stories, their personalities, and their humor are my favorite parts of working with older adults,” said Abbey-Hardesty. “At PACE, we share so much of their lives with them. We can build a good rapport with them and learn what’s important to them.”
She also appreciates the philosophy of PACE. “Our top priority is to wrap PACE services around our participants in order to keep them living independently in their homes,” said Abbey-Hardesty. “Our team supports one another and is always working toward the goals of our participants and our organization and always striving to do better. I give them the kudos.”
Abbey-Hardesty serves on the Thome PACE and Brio Living Services Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committees as well as the National PACE Association DEI committee.
Brio Living Services is one of Michigan’s leading providers of PACE services with five sites statewide, serving more than 1,300 older adults annually across 15 Michigan counties.
PACE’s interdisciplinary team of professionals provides participants with a “one-stop” shop model for all their healthcare needs, including comprehensive medical, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy needs, nutrition and meals, health education, social and recreational activities, behavioral health, home care, and door-to-door transportation. Most participants are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and pay no additional fees for PACE services.
To learn more about Thome PACE, visit ThomePACE.org or call 517.768.9791.