UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation Announces
Grant from the Jackson Community Foundation
Funds Will Support Home Repairs for Low-Income Thome PACE Participants
The UMRC (United Methodist Retirement Communities)-Porter Hills Foundation announced that it has received a grant of $20,000 from the Jackson Community Foundation. These funds will support the Home Repair Program for participants of Thome PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) in Jackson.
A partnership between Brio Living Services and the Region 2 Area Agency on Aging, Thome PACE serves the psycho-social, medical, and supportive needs of low-income, nursing home-eligible adults, aged 55 and up. Thome PACE’s service area extends throughout Jackson, Hillsdale, and Lenawee counties, with a capacity for 300 total PACE participants. Thanks to PACE services, these older adults are able to remain living independently and safely in their own homes and communities.
However, for these low-income older adults, most of whom receive Medicaid, maintaining safe and stable housing is a challenge that can jeopardize their ability to participate in PACE. Susan Decker, Executive Director of Thome PACE, explained, “Many of our participants live in homes that are unsafe due to structural deficits such as unsafe stairs or leaky roofs. Others live in homes which have inadequate plumbing, doorways that are too narrow to navigate a wheelchair through, or broken, drafty windows. This generous grant from the Jackson Community Foundation will enable us to provide repair services and modifications to ensure that our participants are able to remain safely in their homes with our support and services. Much gratitude goes to the Jackson Community Foundation for recognizing the need in the community.”
Dana Ashlock, Jackson Community Foundation Program Director, said, “This grant round from the Jackson Community Foundation was made possible with funding from the Community Needs Endowment Fund, the Healthy Youth/Healthy Seniors Endowment Fund, and a $20,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation. The Consumers Energy Foundation recognizes and shares in our commitment to programming that advances Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our community.”
Healthcare disparities for the population served at Thome PACE is a major focus that Thome PACE addresses through its offerings. 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, who have both Medicare and Medicaid, pay no additional fees for PACE services.
Chair of Brio Living Services Board of Trustees and Jackson resident, Mike Shore, said, “As Chair of Brio Living Services, former Chair of the Thome PACE Board, a lifelong Jackson resident, and retiree of Consumers Energy, I am delighted that the Jackson Community Foundation, supported by the Consumers Energy Foundation, has awarded a $20,000 grant to Thome PACE. The grant will help provide repairs to program participants’ homes in the Jackson area to allow them to remain safely in their residences. PACE programs are designed to keep senior participants safely in their homes while receiving necessary support services. This grant will fill a need that is not currently funded through traditional sources and aligns perfectly with the PACE mission.”
Brio Living Services is one of Michigan’s leading providers of PACE services, including Thome PACE, with five sites statewide, serving approximately 1,200 older adults annually across 15 Michigan counties. To learn more about all that Thome PACE has to offer, call 517.768.9791, or visit www.thomepace.org.