UMRC & Porter Hills Celebrates National PACE Month in September
Senior living organization United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) & Porter Hills and its five Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®) are proud to celebrate National PACE Month in September. The National PACE 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 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. These locations include:
• Huron Valley PACE in Ypsilanti
• Thome PACE in Jackson
• Senior CommUnity Care of Michigan in Lansing
• LifeCircles PACE in Holland
• LifeCircles PACE in Muskegon
“I am proud of the work our PACE team members accomplish each day to help our participants live independently in their own homes,” said Huron Valley PACE Executive Director Sonja Felton who also serves on both the NPA and PACE Association of Michigan Board of Directors.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic when our PACE Day Centers were forced to close, this meant pivoting to more home-based care, providing telehealth technology for participants to visit with healthcare providers, delivering groceries and medications to participants, and offering respite care, to name a few.”
2021 also marks the 50th anniversary of On Lok, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that developed the PACE model of care. “This year, we celebrate National PACE Month as we work to recover from the historic COVID19 pandemic, which provides a unique perspective to celebrate the original development of the PACE model of care and envision a future where every American will have access to PACE,” said Shawn Bloom, President and CEO of NPA. Nationwide, there are 140 PACE organizations located in thirty states, serving more than 55,000 older adults.
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 adults ages 55 and over. PACE participants must live within the PACE service area and be certified as meeting the criteria for nursing facility level-of-care as defined by the state, but who are able to live safely and independently in their homes and communities with the help of PACE services.
The PACE interdisciplinary team of professionals provides participants with a “one-stop” shop model for all their healthcare needs. These include comprehensive medical, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy needs, nutrition and meals, health education, social and recreational activities, and door-to-door transportation.
For more information on UMRC & Porter Hills’ PACE organizations in your area, contact:
• Huron Valley PACE, 2940 Ellsworth, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 – 734.572.5777
• Thome PACE, 2282 Springport Road, Jackson, MI 49202 – 517.768.9791
• Senior CommUnity Care of Michigan, 1921 East Miller Road, Lansing, MI 48911– 517.319.0700
• LifeCircles PACE, Holland Campus, 12330 James Street, Ste. 10, Holland, MI 49423– 616.582.3100
• LifeCircles PACE, Muskegon Campus, 560 Seminole Road, Muskegon, MI 49444– 231.733.8686
UMRC & Porter Hills is one of the state’s leading providers of PACE services with five sites statewide, serving approximately 1,000 older adults annually across 15 Michigan counties. Learn more at https://mybrio.org/.