The Program Most Palm Beach County Families Don’t Know Exists
PACE — Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly — covers doctors, prescriptions, therapy, transportation, and day programming for qualifying seniors. For most dual-eligible participants in Palm Beach County, the out-of-pocket cost is little to nothing.
PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a federally funded Medicare and Medicaid program that provides full medical support — including primary care, prescriptions, therapy, and transportation — so qualifying seniors can remain at home instead of entering a nursing facility. In Palm Beach County, MorseLife Health System operates four PACE centers. For roughly 90% of participants who are dual-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, there is no out-of-pocket cost. Call (561) 557-8908 to start the enrollment conversation.
I was scrolling through the Palm Beach County Moms Facebook group when a post stopped me cold. An anonymous woman wrote that her grandfather — multiple surgeries, can barely walk, fixed income — was two weeks away from being homeless, with an assisted living bed not opening until after that gap. She needed help. Fast. I tagged Paola Pouponneau, someone I know inside Palm Beach County’s senior care system. Her response was immediate: PACE.
What PACE Actually Is
PACE stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. It is a federally funded Medicare and Medicaid program built for one specific situation: a senior who medically qualifies for nursing home-level care but wants to remain at home and in their community instead of being institutionalized.
Under one coordinated program, PACE covers:
- Primary care physicians and specialists
- Prescriptions
- Dental, vision, and hearing
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- Transportation to and from the care center
- Day programming and social support
- Social work and care coordination
No nursing home required. The model is built around keeping seniors where they want to live — at home — while wrapping full medical infrastructure around them.
Why Palm Beach County Families Have Never Heard of It
There are only 12 PACE organizations in the entire state of Florida. Most Florida counties have no access at all.
Palm Beach County is better positioned than most. MorseLife Health System operates as the county’s exclusive PACE provider, with four centers: West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Greenacres, and a fourth location. [VERIFY: fourth MorseLife PACE center location] That level of local coverage is genuinely uncommon.
But “rare” also means most families have never heard of it. Doctors may not mention it. Financial advisors don’t flag it. By the time a crisis hits — the fall, the hospitalization, the sudden eviction — families are making decisions under pressure without the full picture. That’s the problem PACE was designed to solve, but only if families know it exists before they need it.
Who Qualifies for PACE
PACE eligibility generally requires meeting four criteria:
- Age 55 or older
- A medical need that qualifies for nursing home-level care
- The ability to live safely at home with support
- Residence within the program’s service area
For seniors who don’t fully qualify financially, MorseLife’s Foundation — which receives significant donor support from Palm Beach Island — has grant programs specifically designed to bridge that gap. The staff at (561) 557-8908 walk families through the entire enrollment process.
Why This Matters to Real Estate Decisions
After 28 years in Palm Beach County real estate, I’ve sat across from hundreds of families navigating some version of this conversation — an aging parent who needs more support, a home that may need to be sold, decisions being made under emotional and financial pressure at the same time.
The families who navigate it best are the ones who knew their options before they needed them. PACE changes the calculus. It can keep a senior in their home longer, which buys time for families to make thoughtful housing decisions instead of reactive ones. Whether that means staying put, downsizing, or transitioning to a 55+ community — those decisions deserve more than two weeks.
That’s what I’ll keep writing about on Fridays. Not listings. The real conversations that happen when housing and life intersect.
Frequently Asked Questions About PACE in Palm Beach County
What does PACE cover for seniors in Palm Beach County? +
How much does PACE cost in Palm Beach County? +
Where are the PACE centers located in Palm Beach County? +
Does a senior have to move to a facility to use PACE? +
How do I start the PACE enrollment process in Palm Beach County? +
Navigating a Senior Transition?
If you’re working through housing decisions with an aging parent — whether that’s staying at home, downsizing, or moving to a 55+ community — I’m happy to be a starting point. I’ve been through this with hundreds of families. No agenda.
Download the Senior Housing Options Guide or call directly: 561-201-4717.
Brian Wilder
The Wilder Real Estate Group at Keller Williams Wellington
In business since 1996 — over 1,500 homes sold across Palm Beach County
561-201-4717 — palmbeachcountyhomeforsale.com