COLCHESTER, Vt. -
Sad news for hundreds of elderly Vermonters... A popular program they rely on is shutting down. We want to make sure you have time to make other arrangements for yourself or loved ones, before the center closes its doors for good.
For the growing aging population, "PACE" has been a helpful resource for more than a hundred seniors in both the Rutland and Colchester areas.
PACE has been one of the choices in Vermont's long-term care system for five years, and it's been struggling ever since it opened.
After exhausting all of its options, the doors will be closed at the end of March, leaving seniors scrambling.
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"Today we did dancing," Louise Diamond said.
The program of all inclusive care for the elderly, better known as PACE sits right next to the Fanny Allen Hospital in Colchester. There's also one in Rutland. Combined, they serve 140 seniors. Louise Diamond has been a part of PACE since June.
"It gives you everything in one place," Diamond said.
Diamond's spine has started to collapse so she relies on PACE, the one stop shop, for medical services, in home care, transportation, therapy and adult day services.
"The day program is just wonderful, it gives you a chance to be around other people, it gives you a chance to interact with them and I've made some wonderful friends here," Diamond said.
I asked, "so has your quality of life improved here?" Diamond said, "oh yea!"
But in order to stay afloat financially, PACE clients must provide a mix of care, some needing less, others needing more... but for five years, PACE has had nearly everyone landing on the latter end of the spectrum and therefore taking up a lot of the resources.
"We ended up with a very frail participation, we didn't have that spread of acuity you need to make that financial model work," Jeanne Hutchins, PACE VT Board Member said.
And after asking the state and the feds for more money, they were denied... and left with closing being the only option.
"We couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel," Hutchins said.
"If there was anything I could do to save it, I would," Diamond said.
People like Louise Diamond won't only have to find a new place to spend their weekdays, but also a new pharmacy and a new doctor.
"I'm just really sad; I've been close to tears a lot," Diamond said.
The PACE staff says they're doing everything they can to set their clients up with new doctors and services. And speaking of the staff, it's not just the participants who will be affected... about 80 pace employees will be laid off when the doors close in March.
We wanted to know what this means for the one hundred plus people who rely on PACE, so we reached out to another similar organization, the Visiting Nurse Association.
They're planning to hire some of the laid off care-givers, and take in some of the displaced participants. The VNA has an adult day program, that includes exercising, so it closely matches what PACE had.
"We're really focusing on the patient's right now, how many they have, what their needs are and how we'll be able to incorporate them into the services they're expected to receive," James Manahan said, Vice President of Finance and Administration for the VNA.
There are other agencies in the state that provide medical services to the elderly, but come April first, the VNA will be the only agency providing an adult day program.
