Program of All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE)

The University Hospitals Center for Geriatric Medicine offers the Program of All-inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) in collaboration with The A.M. McGregor Group and Senior Independence. This important home- and community-based program is a medical home for frail elders, designed to keep nursing home-eligible seniors out of nursing homes and help them continue to live in the community. It provides comprehensive medical, nursing, social services and rehabilitative care.

University Hospitals is the contracted health system provider for all medical services of the McGregor PACE Center for Independent Living. This clinical partnership allows geriatricians and gerontologic nurse practitioners from the UH Center for Geriatric Medicine to provide primary care to participants of the McGregor PACE program in Cleveland. University Hospitals will build on the strength of its House Calls Program, launched in 2004, which helps home-bound seniors beset with heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, memory loss, and other health-related problems.

The PACE model grew out of a pioneering community-based senior healthcare program in San Francisco in the early 1970s. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services oversee 72 PACE centers in 30 states. Ohio currently has two PACE Programs. Buses bring enrollees to the PACE centers for medical attention and occupational and recreational therapy. Caregivers visit participants at home to address health and personal needs. Only seven percent of PACE participants nationally reside in nursing homes because of the individual attention provided by the program’s caregivers, a large taxpayer cost savings.