PACE Your Life is latest tenant at Milford Wellness Village, and fills healthcare gap for nursing home-eligible seniors who wish to continue living at home
MILFORD, DE – PACE Your LIFE, a comprehensive medical and social services program for nursing home-eligible adults 55 and older who reside in their home, opened its doors today at the Milford Wellness Village and is now accepting participants to enroll in the all-inclusive program.
PACE, which stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is unique to southern Delaware for individuals who reside in Kent and Sussex counties. It gives participants the ability to stay in their home while receiving essential services and maintaining independence and physical and emotional well-being.
By enrolling in the PACE Your LIFE program, individuals will have access to the state-of-the-art PACE Day Center, an 18,400-square-foot facility inside the Wellness Village that provides a variety of services, including, medical care, personal care, rehabilitation, social/recreational services and meals. Transportation is provided to allow individuals to get to-and-from the Day Center and other medical appointments. All care is fully managed by the PACE Your LIFE team and network of contracted healthcare providers
“Providing the PACE Your LIFE program at our innovative Milford Wellness Village is another way we are filling the healthcare gap in southern Delaware,” said Meir Gelley, CEO of Nationwide Healthcare Services, owner and operator of the Milford Wellness Village and PACE Your LIFE program. “We know that seniors have many medical care needs, and it can be overwhelming and stressful for them and their families to deal with those needs alone. PACE presents a solution and a way to provide for all these services under one roof, so older adults can keep their independence and maintain their physical and emotional well-being.”
Services are provided in the PACE Center at the Wellness Village, and in the participant’s home or within the PACE Your LIFE community network. The program director, Lisa Bond, has spent most of her career leading Delaware’s Aging, Health & Human Services agencies/programs. She was twice appointed by Delaware governors for key leadership positions leading programs and operations, including Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the State of Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services.
“We focus exclusively on maintaining older adults in the community by managing chronic health conditions, addressing functional impairments, and supporting family caregivers,” said Bond. “PACE is a nationally recognized program that provides care with the goal of improving the lives of older adults. We are proud to bring this program to Kent and Sussex counties.”
PACE services are free to seniors who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid or qualify for Medicaid only. Individuals who live in southern Kent and northern Sussex counties are eligible to enroll in the program. The new program at the Milford Wellness Village is part of the National PACE Association, recognized among consumers, health care providers and government leaders as the most innovative, accessible, valuable and effective model of care promoting the highest level of independence for individuals with significant health care needs.
Several state and local stakeholders support the new PACE Your LIFE program:
“We are grateful to Milford Wellness Village for opening the PACE Your LIFE program to help address the needs of the fast-growing aging population in the Milford area,” said Molly Magarik, Cabinet Secretary for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). “One of our priorities as a state agency is to support seniors across our state in aging actively, safely and with dignity in their homes. DHSS congratulates PACE Your Life for adding to those much-needed supports in the southern part of Delaware.”
“The City of Milford is pleased the PACE Your LIFE program has opened its doors in our community,” said Sara M. Bluhm, Economic Development & Community Engagement Administrator for The City of Milford. “The residents of Milford and the surrounding area are beyond lucky to have services such as medical care, personal care, rehabilitation services, social/recreational services and meals all in one state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Milford.”
“With the aging population continuing to grow in the greater Milford area, and folks wanting to continue residing in their homes, having a professional health care and transportation program provided by PACE Your LIFE (conveniently located in the Milford Wellness Village) is the perfect solution,” said Jo Schmeiser, Greater Milford Chamber of Commerce. “The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Milford is delighted to have PACE Your LIFE as a member, as they are truly an asset to our community.”
Individuals looking to enroll in PACE Your LIFE or want more information can visit www.paceyourlifemwv.com