PACE Pals continue support for homeless individuals

On a recent cold day in Lewes, local men with dementia who call themselves the PACE Pals helped bring warmth, dignity and human connection to individuals who are homeless.

PACE Your Life is a Medicare alternative program that helps people meet their healthcare needs in the community instead of going into a nursing home or care facility. The program is based in the Milford Wellness Village.

While the program provides comprehensive medical care, social engagement and daily support, the PACE Pals wanted to step into a different role – that of helpers.

Their project focused on delivering blankets to individuals living in tents in wooded areas around Lewes. Many of these people are not staying in shelters for deeply personal reasons. Some have pets that shelters cannot accommodate. Others are couples who choose to remain together rather than be separated by shelter rules that require men and women to stay apart.

“These are not casual choices,” said one PACE staff member involved in the effort. “People are making sacrifices in order to stay with a loved one or care for an animal that brings them comfort.”

For the PACE Pals, the experience was about far more than distributing supplies. It offered an opportunity to contribute, to be useful and to engage with the broader community in a way that felt purposeful. Participants took time to greet people, offer blankets directly and share brief conversations.

The men involved expressed pride in the experience. Living with dementia often brings losses – of independence, roles and confidence – but the PACE Pals initiative reinforced that these men still have the ability to give, connect and make a difference.

“They felt good about helping others,” one staff member noted. “You could see it in their faces. This mattered to them.”