To qualify for PACE, a person must be age 55 or over, live in a PACE service area, and be certified by the state to need a nursing home level care.

The typical PACE participant is similar to the average nursing home resident. The typical participant is an 80-year-old woman with eight medical conditions and limitations in three activities of daily living. Nearly half (49 percent) of PACE participants have been diagnosed with dementia. Despite a high level of care needs, more than 90 percent of PACE participants are able to continue to live in their community.