The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): The Innovative and Economically Viable Model of American Geriatric Care

The aim of this paper is to present a modern model of non-institutional geriatric care which operates in the US, called the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The economic consequences of an aging population with multiple chronic diseases are creating new solutions in the delivery of medical care. The author of the following article, based on review of PACE literature and her own experience, will focus on the history of the program, its nature, the social and economic advantages, and its efficacy in practice. In addition, the difficulties and limitations of PACE are analyzed, taking into account solutions for increased availability and popularization of the program on an international scale.

Author currently works as an ANP at Mercy LIFE (Living Independently For Elders) of Alabama, a PACE organization, delivering primary care. She has identified a need for a model similar to PACE in the context of her own home country of Poland, where cultural and societal norms value caring for a loved one in his or her own household rather than institutional care.

The author concludes that the PACE model would be indispensable as a geriatric healthcare model for countries outside the US experiencing a rapid growth in elderly patients resulting from demographic shifts common in the 21^st century. Fast response is needed in creation of a similar program to PACE to prevent future economical consequences affecting medical care for the elderly.