MILWAUKEE — The Community Care PACE Program recently celebrated thirty years-serving of Wisconsin's elderly.  

It’s a one-of-a-kind program that offers Wisconsin's most vulnerable seniors an opportunity to grow old on their terms. It's all thanks to caring health care workers and people who work there like Debra Gordan who defines what the program is all about.

For the past 22 years, Gordan has worked with the Community Care PACE Program, an all-inclusive elderly care plan. It's a one-stop-shop. It combines medical care-prescription drugs and all the necessities.

“Bathing someone, to fixing their food, so that they can continue living in the community," says Gordan.

The Community Care PACE Program allows seniors like Willie, who has special needs, to continue to live independently. For Willie’s sister, Elmira, who cares for her older brother, the program provides her with peace of mind.

"He would be stuck home all day, community care takes him places, they talk to him. This is his home," Elmira says. "I'm so grateful to everyone here." 

The program allows its members to grow old at their pace. 

Gordan's love for people and helping the elderly is something she credits to her mom. Growing up, her mother was like the town caretaker, which ingrained Gordan’s love for serving her community and our seniors.

She says she wishes there was a PACE program like this for her mom who lives in Georgia.

"I'll be here until I know she needs the kind of care that I can provide for our members here," Gordan says . 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Senior Day Center is operating on a much smaller scale, which is why they can only take in seven to eight members a day.

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