Construction has begun for a new senior service center in Alpena, which will provide services in-house and to residents homes as needed. The project has been in the works since 2023.
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to provide the “highest quality of life” for seniors while allowing them to stay independent as long as possible. According to their website, pacemichigan.com, it serves as an alternative to nursing homes by providing seniors with their medical, social, and physical needs.
There are currently 14 organizations in Michigan that serve 24 locations across the state. Partnering with the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency and Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, this new center will be the 15th in the state and cover five counties: Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, Alcona and parts of Iosco.
Jeff Meden is an Alpena resident and the executive director for the upcoming Northeast Michigan center. He said the construction crew finished demolition last week, and are currently demoing details like the ceilings, floors, and windows, as well as cutting concrete for plumbing.
“It’s really just a shell at this point,” he said. “There’s lots and lots of work to be done.”
Meden said during the day, the center will be open for physical and occupational therapy, rehabilitation services, and recreational activities and even meals on-site. He said the center will also be able to provide at-home services like aids and will have registered nurses on staff.
Meden said Northeast Michigan has never had a center before, and the closest one is in Central Michigan which is over an hour away. He said the new center will fill gaps in care.
“Northeast Michigan has an aged population, and we’re very rural,” he said. “We don’t have the resources that a lot of urban geographies do, so to be able to build something like this and serve in a way that this community has never had is incredible.”
Meden said the center is expected to be fully built within six to nine months, but will not open immediately. He said the center will still have to hire staff, set up transportation services, and go through a readiness assessment with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
If it passes the assessment, the center will be open to the public. Meden said they are currently aiming for a spring 2025 opening.
“Our goal is to keep people in their homes,” he said. “A lot of times when people reach an age where they have to make those tough decisions about moving into an institution for the support they need, those are hard decisions to make. It fills my bucket to think that we’ll be able to make an impact for the elderly and Northeast Michigan community because this hasn’t been available before.”
