Every morning, a fleet of fully accessible buses pulls up to the LifeCircles PACE Holland Day Center, bringing seniors who live independently to medical appointments, physical therapy, and sometimes just to socialize.
For many in Ottawa and Allegan counties, the day center offers not only crucial care but also the key to maintaining independence. And now, a $1 million expansion is now allowing LifeCircles to help even more seniors age in place.
"This expansion is more than just additional square footage; it's a testament to our commitment to proactively combat the economic and social challenges posed by Michigan's aging population," says Dr. Allison Ilem, director of behavioral health at LifeCircles PACE. "With our enhanced facilities, we're not just serving more seniors – we're serving them better and providing crucial support to families increasingly stretched thin by caregiving responsibilities."
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Courtesy LifeCirclesLifeCircles PACE's Holland location is expanding.
Celebration set for Oct. 10
The new 6,620-square-foot addition at the Holland Day Center includes state-of-the-art therapy facilities and community spaces designed to enhance the quality of life for the elderly in Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan counties.
LifeCircles will celebrate the completion of the addition with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The event will feature tours, food vendors, and fall-inspired giveaways.
This expansion comes as Michigan’s population rapidly ages, putting pressure on traditional eldercare systems. Nearly 20% of Michigan’s residents are 65 or older. In comparison, the working-age population, expected to remain flat at 37% through 2050, is increasingly burdened with caregiving duties. This demographic shift threatens to overwhelm nursing homes and hospitals.
LifeCircles PACE, part of a nationwide program its director refers to as "the gold standard of senior care," is emerging as a solution to this crisis.
“Our goal is to keep people in their homes as long as possible, avoiding the need for expensive and often unwanted nursing home placements,” explains Phil McPherson, director of program integrity at LifeCircles PACE, who led The Lakeshore on a recent tour of the facility.
Wellness, personal care and more
The expansion will allow the center to increase capacity by nearly one-third. Currently, the organization serves 440 participants across Allegan, Ottawa, and Muskegon counties, with 190 at the Holland location.
The centerpiece of the expansion is the new wellness gym, which provides physical and recreational therapy to keep seniors active and prevent falls. The gym is part of LifeCircles’ holistic approach to care, which includes medical services, social activities, and home support to help seniors avoid unnecessary hospitalizations.
About 53 of every 100 participants require hospital admissions each year, below the PACE national average of 64 admissions, says McPherson.
LifeCircles PACE also provides participants with access to essential personal care services, like laundry and bathing, which can be difficult for some seniors to manage on their own.
“We have showers and laundry facilities available for participants who might struggle to manage these tasks at home,” McPherson says. “And if they need help at home, we can assist with that too. It’s all about making sure participants can stay independent and healthy.”
The expansion also includes new rooms for family and caregiver education, office space for a growing team, and a larger, more comfortable break room for staff, including a dedicated lactation room. These improvements ensure that LifeCircles can continue to provide top-quality care while supporting both participants and staff.
“This project goes beyond typical construction. We're building a lifeline for our community's seniors and their families,” says Alan Rose, owner of Van Eck Construction, Inc., which managed the project’s construction.
“The thoughtful design of this expansion, with its focus on accessibility and therapeutic spaces, will significantly enhance LifeCircles' ability to provide top-tier care.”
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Courtesy LifeCirclesPhil McPherson is the director of program integrity at LifeCircles PACE.
‘Rewriting the narrative’
The expansion was funded in part by $16 million in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds allocated by the state to PACE programs. PACE, or Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is a national network of nonprofit organizations (PACE) that works with Medicare and Medicaid to help people meet their health care needs in the community instead of going to a nursing home or other care facility.
"Our person-centered approach is changing expectations of geriatric care and rewriting the narrative on independent living for older adults," Ilem says. "With quality home care, one-stop-shop medical and social services, transportation to appointments, and individualized support for families, we're proving that aging in place is not just possible, it’s preferable.”
LifeCircles PACE offers a wide range of services, including physical therapy, dental care, pharmacy support, and transportation for participants who need to attend outside appointments.
The organization’s transportation service, contracted through Pioneer Resources, operates 70 fully accessible vehicles serving Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan counties.
These vehicles are equipped with ramps and other accessibility features to ensure that participants can easily get to their appointments, whether for medical care, physical therapy, or even grocery shopping.
“We don’t just bring participants here. We also provide services in their homes,” McPherson says. “If they need an eye doctor, a dentist, or even a chiropractor, we send those services to them. It’s an incredible model of care that allows participants to stay in their homes longer and live independently.”
The Holland location serves a large Spanish-speaking population, and the organization partners with Voices for Health to offer bilingual services and translation for any language needed.
McPherson, who celebrated his one-year anniversary with the nonprofit last week, says he’s proud to be part of an organization that makes such a difference in people’s lives.
“I love working at LifeCircles because I get to see firsthand the impact we have on both our participants and their families,” he says. “Knowing that we’re helping people stay in their homes, stay independent, and live fulfilling lives – it’s incredibly rewarding.”