DOWAGIAC — Standing in front of a small group inside the Dowagiac Elk’s Lodge Thursday, visitor to the Dowagiac Rotary Club Connie Didonato talked about what happens when the elderly can no longer fully take care of themselves and the options that are available to them.

“I want to talk to you all about this today. Not because there are any elderly here, because I’m probably older than most of you,” Didonato said with a laugh. “But I want to talk to you because Rotary members are usually key influencers in the community, so you can share these messages with the community.”

Didonato, marketing and community outreach coordinator for PACE of Southwest Michigan visited the Dowagiac Rotary Club Thursday to discuss what her organization does and how it serves southwest Michigan. PACE — standing for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly — is part of a national network of organizations designed to keep older adults with long term healthcare and memory needs living safely in their own homes and serve as an alternative to nursing homes, according to the organization’s marketing materials.

PACE of Southwest Michigan is based in St. Joseph, Michigan and serves Berrien, Cass and Van Buren Counties.

“Our mission is to help seniors who are struggling with some kind of health issue stay at home so they don’t have to live in a nursing home,” DiDonato said. “Nursing homes are definitely the best option for some people, but for the people who are able to be in their homes with our help and want to be in their homes, that’s who we are here for.”

Once in the PACE program, PACE coordinates all medical care for its patients and transportation to medical appointments, offers home care visits from its nurses, and offers physical, occupational and speech therapy as needed, in addition to offering services from its team of healthcare professionals, nutritionists and social workers. PACE also offers a daycare center for its patients that provides group activities and hot meals.

Didonato also said that PACE offers support to caregivers by encouraging them to stay involved in their loved ones’ care. Specifically, she called to mind a scenario when PACE helped a woman wanted to care for her ailing father at home, out of a nursing home. However, the woman worked full time, had children and was also caring for her husband who had been diagnosed with cancer.

“She couldn’t imagine caring for her father with dementia and doing all of that. But when she came to us and found out her father was eligible and she would be able to keep him at home, she broke down in tears of happiness,” Didonato recalled. “Knowing we could help her and help her father was wonderful.”

Ultimately, Didonato said PACE is dedicated to providing care to southwest Michigan, something she is also passionate about.

“We want to help,” she said. “That is what we are here for.”

To be eligible for PACE one must be:

• 55 or older

• Able to live safely in the community

• Eligible for nursing home level of care as determined by the state of Michigan

• and reside in Berrien, Cass or Van Buren County

To learn more or to enroll in PACE, call (269) 408-4322 to speak with an intake coordinator.