Behind every senior enrolled in InnovAge’s LIFE (Living Independence for the Elderly) program in Pennsylvania is a highly specialized, deeply collaborative team of professionals working together to help aging adults live safely and independently in their own homes and communities.
LIFE is the name Pennsylvania gives to the nationally recognized PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly). At its heart is something called the Interdisciplinary Team, or IDT — a group of experts in fields like medicine, nursing, rehabilitation, social work, nutrition, and more, who collaborate daily to deliver holistic, customized care to each participant (enrolled senior).
“It’s just what it sounds like,” explains Dr. Louis Capponi, Center Medical Director for InnovAge Colorado PACE’s Thornton center. “PACE is a series of services that wrap around seniors — from physical therapy and dental care to medication management and transportation. The IDT is the group that makes it all happen.”
While much of that care happens at InnovAge centers, support continues well beyond the clinic walls. “We follow participants at home and have a presence there,” says Shannon Sawaya, In-Home Services Manager at the Thornton center. “From wound care and end-of-life support to assistance with bathing, dressing, and medication reminders — our team helps people stay safe and dignified in their homes.”
That coordinated, wraparound approach is what makes PACE—and the LIFE program in Pennsylvania—so distinct from traditional care models. It’s also why those who are a part of it are so passionate.
“You get to bring all the best minds to the table when solving complex participant problems,” says Sally Lindsay, an occupational therapist at the InnovAge Virginia PACE Peninsula center in Newport News. “You’re able to draw on the knowledge and expertise of the whole team, and often provide the most creative solutions to help our participants live their best life.”
This collaboration is not theoretical — it’s real, tangible, and happens in real-time. Dr. Capponi shared a story from earlier in the week: “A participant was feeling off balance and afraid of falling. I examined her, saw she needed strength training, and walked her straight to the physical therapist. She started therapy the same day. No waiting, no prior authorization — just care, where and when it was needed.”
At the core of it all is the IDT’s unified goal: delivering person-centered care that treats not just a condition, but the whole individual.
“It gives us the opportunity to look at a whole person and come up with the best plan possible,” says Joan Feldman, a nurse practitioner in Loveland, Colorado. “It makes a big difference in patient care.”
That sentiment is echoed by InnovAge team members across the country.
“Getting input from different disciplines helps us take care of our participants in a truly holistic way,” says Dr. Derek Moore, Medical Director at InnovAge Pennsylvania LIFE centers in Allegheny and Henry Avenue. “The end result is always a great thing.”
For seniors and families navigating the often fragmented world of senior care, LIFE offers something powerful: peace of mind.
“It’s not only reassuring to our participants, but also to family members,” says Sawaya. “They know their loved ones have a team of experts working together, every day, to provide the best care possible.”
In the world of older adult care, that kind of teamwork isn’t just rare — it’s revolutionary.
Sponsored content produced in partnership with InnovAge
