Individualized care surpasses helping resident to live at home, it keeps couple together

Kirk Shendler is able to continue living at home on his family's 200-year old farm with the assistance of Reid Health PACE.

A year ago his wife, Linda, was looking for solutions to move her husband out of a nursing home. A friend's recommendation led her to Reid Health's Program of All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE), a program designed to help seniors live independently in their community for as long as possible.

She decided PACE was the best solution.

"I felt he wasn't ready for a nursing home," Linda said. "I decided PACE would be a great place for him."

Twice a week Shendler visits the day center. PACE provides the transportation, and he brings his mug ready to drink coffee with his buddy, William.

During this visit, Shendler has a stack of family photos he brought secured in a storage bag. The time-worn, thumbed-through photos remind Shendler of his past as he talks with William.

As they flip through pictures, Shendler fills in the details about the faces that appear alongside his - his friends, parents, and four adult children: Kathy, Michelle, Scott, and Mark. He also has six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The U.S. Air Force veteran shares about the 28-cylinder engine planes he worked on as a mechanic. He enlisted after he graduated from Boston High School in 1958. He was first stationed in Texas before he returned to Indiana to work on the propelled planes at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, now Grissom Air Reserve Base.

After the Air Force, Shendler moved back home and worked as a service manager at the Volkswagen dealership. He used his earnings from the military to learn how to fly at the old Richmond Municipal Airport. He became a flight instructor and six months later, he was instructing pilots.

Shendler then joined as a flight instructor at Miami University in Oxford as a flight instructor at where he worked for two years.

He continued to be involved with the Richmond airport as a flight instructor. Along with other flight instructors, he helped to start a flight school based at the airport. He also flew Cessna and Piper chartered flights.

"I flew a lot of the planes I worked on as a mechanic," he added.

Among the black and white photos are images from the day he and Linda were married in a Piper flying over the airport with friends and family below. After the vows were exchanged, he drove a horse-drawn wagon to the reception.

"That was our get-away car," Linda said.

The couple has been married for 47 years.

He also continued working with Volkswagen, and when ownership changed to Honda, he stayed on in the same role. That's when Shendler got his first motorcycle and traveled to "just about every state in the Union."

Shendler enjoys being a PACE participant. It gets him out of the house and gives his wife a break, he jokes.

"(At PACE) I people-watch. I enjoy being around people. I don't read much anymore and unless its Westerns, I really don't watch TV," Shendler said.

For Linda, Shendler's visits to PACE give her time to catch up around the house and errands.

PACE provides care at the level he needs now and can increase the care provided as they age or his condition changes, she said.

"He's really no trouble," Linda said. "He doesn't need much help at this time, but I know there's someone to help him and that's comforting to me."

At PACE, Shendler follows a customized care plan. Every visit he's in the exercise room to help with his mobility. His medical appointments and visits with his provider are held at the day center. He has medical assistance available whenever it's needed. His trips to the day center provide interactions with other participants, he said.

"I've met a lot of good friends," Shendler said. "Join (PACE). You won't regret it."

Linda receives help from PACE and that alone makes it worthwhile, he added.

The couple has been impressed with Reid Health PACE so much so they reached out to others who might benefit from the care and services provided, including to Wayne County's Veteran Affairs representative. Shendler's veterans benefits wouldn't have covered his needs if he'd stayed at an extended care facility, Linda said.

"We told them there's someone who can care for you," Linda said. "It does get difficult sometimes, but PACE is wonderful for the caregiver. Right now they might be more help to me than they are to him, but I know that'll change."

This summer, Linda's planning to apply to PACE. She's interested in participating twice a week, just like Shendler, so she can get familiar with the interdisciplinary care team for the services she needs.

To be eligible participants must be 55 year of age or older; live in the service area; be eligible for nursing home-level of care; and be able to live safely in the community with assistance from Reid Health PACE. A PACE specialist can answer questions about the enrollment process and help to determine the best care options and provide a tour of the center.

For more information, questions on enrolling for services, or to arrange for a tour of the center, contact Reid Health PACE at (765) 935-8959 or visit https://www.reidhealth.org/pace.