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Celebrating National PACE Month

PACE participant waves at the camera

The National PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Association (NPA) has designated September as National PACE Month, an opportunity to celebrate the work of PACE nationwide. This year’s theme of “Living at Home: Your Goal, Our Priority” sums up the purpose of PACE – to help nursing-home eligible older adults remain living independently in their home and community for as long as possible.

UMRC & Porter Hills is a proud partner in five PACE sites across the state and makes up one of the state’s leading providers of PACE services, serving approximately 1,000 older adults across 15 Michigan counties including:

  • Huron Valley PACE in Ypsilanti
  • Thome PACE in Jackson
  • Senior CommUnity Care of Michigan in Lansing
  • LifeCircles PACE in Holland and Muskegon

PACE is a proven, cost-effective alternative to nursing home care, designed to specifically meet the social, medical, and supportive needs of low-income, nursing home eligible older adults ages 55 and over. The PACE 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, and door-to-door transportation.

In addition to providing this incredible care for PACE participants, Huron Valley PACE, Thome PACE, and LifeCircles PACE are working to create a more caring and equitable community for all, as part of our organization-wide commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Huron Valley PACE and Thome PACE will partner with a local diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultant to provide a four-phased approach to DEI training. “Throughout this process, our purpose is to benefit the older adults and families of color in the communities and regions we serve,” says Susan Decker, Executive Director of Thome PACE.

LifeCircles PACE is also expanding its DEI initiatives through a partnership with AgeWell Services, a nutrition and wellness program for community older adults in Muskegon. Together, LifeCircles PACE and AgeWell will empower team members from each organization to further their own understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This project provides an opportunity to focus on understanding and empathy of discrimination, challenges, and barriers faced by older adults through facilitated book groups and discussions.

PACE services allow participants to safely remain in their homes and communities as they age. Because of this, PACE is an active member of the communities they serve, and celebrates all aspects of diversity. Over the past year, our PACE organizations have stood together with Black Lives Matter movements and in solidarity with the Asian community, helping participants safely engage in local protests, and uplifting voices of black, indigenous, and people of color in our community.

We recognize that we could not celebrate National PACE Month as we know it without honoring the Asian community in San Francisco for its ingenuity in caring for elders. “In 1971, these community leaders formed the nonprofit On Lok (Cantonese for “peaceful, happy abode”) Senior Health Services to create a community-based system of care,” explains Sonja Felton, Executive Director of Huron Valley PACE.  “PACE is here today, helping nursing-home eligible older adults to live independently in their homes and communities, because of the innovation and perseverance of Asian Americans in bringing their vision to life.”

UMRC & Porter Hills, as well as our partner organizations are on a racial equity journey, with the goal to reinforce DEI into our culture to create lasting change, including a more diverse workforce and place where people of color can see themselves represented throughout the organization, from residents and participants, to team members and leadership.

Wendy Brightman, President of the UMRC & Porter Hills Foundation, recognizes our PACE organizations for undertaking this important work. “This will help us expand our vital work to tackle systemic racism, particularly as it affects the low-income older adults and families of color in the communities we serve. Additionally, this journey will strengthen our efforts to provide a more welcoming, equitable environment for both team members and older adults of color, in keeping with our mission: ‘Welcoming all, partnering together, enriching lives.’”

To learn more about UMRC & Porter Hills and our mission, visit our website at https://mybrio.org/faith-based-senior-care-michigan/.

Learn more about the incredible work our PACE programs accomplish, as well as service locations and eligibility, on our website at https://mybrio.org/medicare-pace-program-michigan/.