LIFE Coordinated Targets Social Isolation During National PACE Month

LIFE Coordinated Commonwealth PACE, in Benton, KY, is celebrating National PACE Month with a range of activities and a special focus on social isolation among elders in Western Kentucky.

“Social isolation is a challenge for older adults. More than 60 percent say it’s hard to make new friends, according to the CDC,” said CEO Nancy Everitt. “We want to change that. As part of National PACE Month, the goal at LIFE Coordinated is to enhance awareness of PACE, have fun, and create friendships for older adults in our area.”

The first activity of the month-long observance was a movie night at the Calvert Drive-In on Sept. 12 for a special showing of the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. “The Calvert Drive-In is a community gem, and a free night at the movies was our way of saying that we care to area seniors and their families and caregivers who work hard on their behalf.”

LIFE Coordinated also will host a barbecue and open house on Sept. 18 and a senior prom for individuals age 50 and over on Sept. 24. The community is invited to attend all of the events, which have a special focus on connecting with elders.

LIFE Coordinated opened its PACE facility in May with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Gov. Andy Beshear. The program serves Calloway, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall and McCracken counties. It is the only PACE program authorized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to operate in Western Kentucky and just the eighth overall to be authorized in the state.