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We’ve all heard the announcement by now. PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is expanding their operation in this region. But what does that mean? Company officials say it will bring some very specific changes, providing more opportunities for residents in this region to use some of the programs they offer. 

“The history of our Farmville location, as many folks know, it used to be a movie theater,” said Aleana McClellan. She works as site director for PACE’s Farmville location. “It is an older building that requires some additional renovations. But before we could renovate that, we wanted to expand our square footage to give our folks space that they needed to continue their therapy and the treatments they received.” 

And so they branched out, into the adjacent space and storefront next to their existing operation at 1530 S. Main Street in Farmville. 

“We added more than 6,000 square feet there and doubled the size of our therapy gym,” McClellan said. “We were able to add additional patient care areas, and clinical areas for our staff and our participants.”  

That means a new Activities of Daily Living (ADL) patient kitchen and office space. It also means more patient treatment rooms. And the new gym will give plenty of options they didn’t have before, at least not on this scale. 

“ The gym is outlined with mirrors, allowing participants to monitor their form on machines,” McClellan said. “This assists participants in improving balance, mobility, and functioning within the home. The therapy gym allows PACE staff to support patients during therapy, supporting the goal of keeping seniors active in their homes and communities.” 

She also points to the ADL kitchen as a key piece of the expansion project. 

“The kitchen provides an environment for occupational and physical therapists to work with patients who enjoy cooking to practice, maintain and restore skills in a safe space,” McClellan added. “The goal is to keep these skills in their homes, allowing for quality and safety in the community.” 

What is PACE? 

So what is PACE? Who does it help? PACE is a comprehensive program for adults age 55 and older to meet the criteria for nursing facility placement, prefer to stay at home and have an assessment indicating that living at home with the support of the PACE program is a safe alternative.

Participants can be picked up from their home each morning and brought to the PACE Center. They participate in social activities, eat a hot lunch with friends and receive medical assistance as needed. The participant is then taken back home to surroundings they know and love. The program has a focus on prevention, wellness and the belief that it is better for seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in the community whenever possible. 

McClellan said this new expansion helps the mission on the medication side. PACE administers medications, fills them and delivers them to participants. The medication room has doubled in size due to the expansion. 

What’s next? 

And this expansion is really the first step in a two-step growth process. 

“Our next phase will be, after we move over to that additional square footage, to renovate the existing space we have occupied since 2013,” McClellan said. 

Again, more space for patients, more of an opportunity to help the community.