Rural policy development: an NRHA and PACE association collaborative model.

Abstract

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) offers a unique model of comprehensive care for frail, elderly people. To date, all of the PACE programs have been located in urban areas. Rural advocates and policymakers, however, believe the program may hold great promise for use in rural areas, which have higher percentages of elderly residents than urban areas. In 2002, the National Rural Health Association and the National PACE Association convened a meeting that brought together PACE experts, policymakers, and rural health care providers to examine PACE and its applicability for rural communities. The meeting participants concluded that there were many rural communities where the PACE model might not only be appropriate but also highly successful in caring for rural, frail, elderly people. This article examines the notion of expanding the PACE model to rural communities, including some of the barriers and some of the possible solutions that might make PACE a viable part of the rural health care delivery system.