Community Health and Wellness

Ascension Living PACE Michigan celebrates National PACE Month with ribbon cutting in Flint by Lisa Land

Featured photo:

Holding the ribbon from left to right are:  Lea Anne Ivory, Dir. Marketing & Communications, Morgan Dudley, MD., PACE Medical Director, Craig Berry, Executive Director, Lorraine Lawson, Site Director and Andy Younger, Executive Director.  Behind are some of the wonderful employees.

Written by Lisa Land

SEPT. 1, 2021 – [Flint, Michigan] – September is National PACE Month, celebrating the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®). The innovative model of care allows seniors with long-term care needs to remain living in their community for as long as possible, as independently as possible. More than 95% of PACE participants live outside of a nursing home.

A ribbon cutting was held early in the morning on September 8 to celebrate.  Many staff members were present and guests as well. Breakfast was catered by Steady Eddy’s Cafe as a live jazz band played in the gazebo.

PACE in Flint is celebrating important thresholds for the future at Ascension Living PACE Michigan.

  • A new name with leadership change from Genesys to Ascension Living
  • Sixth birthday in August 2021. The first opening was in August 2015 with 20 staff to three participants serving ONLY Genesee County
  • They have expanded and now have 181 participants with over 90 staff serving all of Genesee & Lapeer Counties, and some zip codes in Shiawassee, Livingston & Tuscola counties
  • Pace reopened their Day Center in June. Closed during the COVID lockdown, they opened slowly and carefully in two shifts to bring those who need care back between our walls safely.

“This year National PACE Month is a reminder of the hard work and resilience of the staff at Ascension Living PACE Michigan as they work under very difficult circumstances to serve seniors in our community,” said Craig Berry, executive director.

The value of the PACE model of care has been reinforced by the experience of PACE participants nationally during the pandemic. The incidence of PACE participants contracting or dying from COVID-19 was one-third the rate of nursing home residents.

Around the country, there are 140 PACE organizations in 30 states serving more than 55,000 enrollees. Ascension Living PACE Michigan has been open since 2015  and currently serves over 180 participants and their families.

The pandemic was disruptive and challenging for all Americans, but the PACE model of care demonstrated its value as a flexible system of care that can adapt to serve the needs of individual participants. As the country looks at long-term care in a new light and searches for nursing homes alternatives, PACE stands as a proven model that is more affordable, provides better care and helps individuals achieve their highest quality of life.

“This year, we celebrate National PACE Month as we work to recover from the historic COVID-19 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 the National PACE Association (NPA).

Since 2015, Ascension Living PACE MIchigan has been providing all-inclusive wrap-around medical care and services that help adults 55 or older who are at high risk of hospitalization or other medical interventions stay living in their home and the community they love, within Genesee County. They now serve additional zip codes in Lapeer, Shiawassee, Livingston and Tuscola counties.

Our program provides many services both inside and outside a home. We can offer options that are usually private pay or limited by insurance, such as:

Transportation to PACE medical clinic and medical appointments

Recreational therapy and social activities

In-home support for daily living activities, like meal preparation, personal care, housekeeping and laundry and more!

For more information call 810-236-7500 today or visit www.ascension.org

 

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