LANSING, Mich., Aug. 19, 2021 – On Tuesday, the Michigan House of Representatives passed House Resolution 147, a resolution acknowledging September 2021 as PACE Awareness Month in the state of Michigan. The resolution comes after state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) successfully passed legislation this past May, which secured $4.8 million for an expansion of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) projects in Southeast Michigan.
“From before I even took office, improving the lives of seniors has been one of my top priorities,” said Whitsett. “This past year more than ever has emphasized the need for quality care and services to be available to our senior population, and it is my honor to bring forth this resolution declaring September as 2021 PACE Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.”
PACE is an innovative model of community-based care that enables elderly individuals, who are certified as needing nursing facility care, to live as independently as possible.
Michigan’s first PACE program opened in 1995. Now, over 25 years later, more than 3,700 participants are served by 14 PACE programs across the state, and this number will soon grow as Whitsett works with the PACE Association of Michigan to connect seniors with new, available slots in the community.