Huron Valley PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) in Ypsilanti has recently partnered with the Ann Arbor Housing Commission, thanks to a Golden Opportunities grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) Glacier Hills Legacy Fund. This support is helping to provide a social worker from Huron Valley PACE to assist approximately 140 low-income older adults who live at Lurie Terrace, located at 600 W. Huron Street in Ann Arbor.
“Lurie Terrace serves one of the largest concentrations of low-income seniors in Ann Arbor’s core,” said Ann Arbor Housing Commission Residency Manager, Joel Barson. “All new households at Lurie Terrace must meet HUD’s “low income” limit, which is 80% of the median income or less for Washtenaw County, and at least 40% of new households must have incomes of 60% of the median income or less. This priority population sometimes lacks natural supports, technical connectivity to essential services, and assistance with care planning as medical issues arise.”
In March 2021, the Ann Arbor Housing Commission purchased and assumed the management of Lurie Terrace. A pioneering community from its inception in 1964, Lurie Terrace offers affordable dwellings for older adults in the heart of Ann Arbor.
“As we began to manage it, it was apparent that the Lurie Terrace community would benefit from an embedded social worker with gerontological expertise. Huron Valley PACE, with its Day Center in Ypsilanti, seemed like an excellent fit,” Barson said.
Huron Valley PACE, a program of United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) & Porter Hills, serves the psychosocial, medical, and supportive needs of low-income, nursing home-eligible adults, aged 55 and up. PACE’s 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. Most participants are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and pay no additional fees for PACE services.
“PACE’s multidisciplinary model of providing care and services to older adults is a good fit for Lurie Terrace,” said Barson. “With the Huron Valley PACE Day Center nearby and access to practitioners from most relevant senior-focused fields under one roof, we’re excited that Lurie Terrace tenants will benefit from all that expertise.”
The AAACF Golden Opportunities grant will provide $40,000 per year for three years toward this project, with the Ann Arbor Housing Commission providing additional in-kind resources.
Executive Director of Huron Valley PACE, Sonja Felton, said, “I am delighted to partner with the Ann Arbor Housing Commission on this project. A Huron Valley PACE social worker will be onsite at Lurie Terrace five days a week for forty hours to assist with identifying and coordinating services to support the residents in remaining independent and self-reliant, and helping them age safely in place. Services will include counseling, outreach, case management, problem-solving, advocacy, crisis intervention, and more.”
“I am so appreciative and excited about the PACE-Lurie Terrace partnership,” said Alison Diver, Vice President of the Lurie Terrace Resident Executive Board. “I have been so impressed with their staff and facility, and I think it is so wonderful to have a trained, professional social worker on our premises for residents to talk to, bond with, trust, and get information, support, and resources. Many here do not have that opportunity, either due to limited finances, lack of insurance, or no access to a provider. Many thanks to Huron Valley PACE for filling this critical need here.”
Barson added, “We were drawn to PACE’s mission of helping older adults remain independent in their homes for as long as possible. That very much overlaps with our hopes for the folks we serve at Lurie Terrace. We want to support everyone in this community to age in place with dignity, a sense of community, a feeling of safety, and with joy.”
UMRC & Porter Hills is one of Michigan’s leading providers of PACE services with five sites statewide, serving approximately 1,000 older adults annually across 15 Michigan counties. To learn more about Huron Valley PACE and UMRC & Porter Hills, visit umrcph2022.wpengine.com.