ABOUT US | PACE

Our Story,
Our Purpose

PACE Canada is a not-for-profit organization that helps older Canadians live safely at home longer by improving coordination between health and social care in their communities.

Who we are and why we exist

PACE Canada exists to help communities deliver better support for older adults with complex needs. We bring health care and community supports together through a coordinated care team and a shared care approach, so care is easier to access, easier to coordinate, and easier to navigate for seniors and caregivers.

Gaps in the current system

Canada’s health and social care systems were not designed for today’s aging population. Services are often fragmented and hard to navigate, caregivers are overwhelmed, and hospitals and long-term care face capacity pressures. PACE Canada was created to help close these gaps by supporting integration, shared accountability, and coordinated support in the community.

Our Approach

PACE Canada is a system enabler, not a direct service provider. We help communities adopt and scale integrated care by working with existing providers, supporting local implementation, sharing tools and standards, and supporting evidence and evaluation over time.

We are:

Collaborative — built with local providers and communities.
Evidence-based — focused on outcomes and continuous improvement.
Community-centred — designed around local needs and strengths.
Accountable — committed to transparency and learning.

What We Do, and What We Don't Do

What we do:

Support the whole person: We help older adults and families find trusted providers and supports that reflect health needs, daily life, culture, preferences, and what matters most at home.
Bring care together: We strengthen coordinated care planning and teamwork across services, so everyone is aligned and families aren’t left navigating alone.
Make it easier to deliver great support: We develop shared standards, education, credentialing, and practical tools that help communities provide consistent, people-first care.

What we don’t do:

We don’t replace primary care or the publicly funded health system.
We don’t charge participants membership fees to access PACE Canada.
We don’t take commission or a portion of provider revenue.

Where did
PACE come from?

PACE grew from the ‘On Lok’ model created in San Francisco in the 1970s. It began as a day health program serving frail older adults, many in Chinatown, who were forced to navigate a fragmented system with many providers and no common plan.

“On Lok” means “peaceful, happy abode” in Cantonese. The original vision was to help seniors age with dignity in their own homes and communities rather than in institutions. Over time, the model evolved into the modern PACE approach used across the United States.

What made the original On Lok model work?

Wraparound support in one place: Health care, social supports, and help with daily living were coordinated through a single program, so people and families weren’t left to connect the dots on their own.
A team that works as one: A mix of professionals (like doctors, nurses, social workers, and therapists) collaborated closely and shared updates, so care stayed consistent and responsive.
A people-first approach: The focus was on what matters most to each person, staying independent, feeling respected, and maintaining a strong quality of life.

PACE Canada, what's different?

In Canada, people remain entitled to universal health care, and PACE programs are adapted locally based on existing community resources, funding structures, and partnerships. Our focus is to keep the philosophy and team-based coordination that makes PACE work, while designing a practical Canada-ready pathway that communities can adopt.

Our goals:

Enable person-centred, integrated care so older adults can thrive at home.
Support strong coordination and shared accountability across services.
Deliver social connection and prevention alongside medical care.
Track outcomes that matter: quality of life, caregiver experience, and system value.
Scale what works: support growth to serve 500,000 to 1 million participants over 5–10 years across Canada.

Where we are today:

PACE Canada is incorporated and building an ecosystem.
We are growing our Board of Directors and management team.
We are signing up members (service providers, community organizations, commercial and technology partners).
We are developing local teams and implementation resources to support adoption.