PACE in Asheville and Buncombe County

PACE stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. It is one of the most important senior-care options families can miss, because it sits between home care and nursing home placement. For the right person, PACE can coordinate medical care, therapy, transportation, medications, day-center services, home support, and other services while the older adult continues living in the community.

In the Asheville area, CarePartners PACE is the listed PACE organization serving Buncombe County. This guide explains what PACE is, who may qualify, what to ask, and how it differs from ordinary home care, adult day services, assisted living, and skilled nursing.

Source note: This page was reviewed on July 29, 2026 using NC Medicaid, NC PACE Association, and CarePartners PACE public information. Program rules, service areas, and enrollment availability can change, so confirm current details directly with CarePartners PACE or NC Medicaid before making decisions.

Quick answer

PACE is designed for older adults who need a nursing-home level of care but may be able to live safely in the community with coordinated services.
NC Medicaid says PACE enrollment is voluntary and uses an interdisciplinary team to assess and manage care.
CarePartners PACE lists its Asheville center at 286 Overlook Road, Asheville, NC 28803.
CarePartners lists the phone number as 828-213-8442.
CarePartners’ public page says its service area includes Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, and Transylvania counties, with certain zip-code exclusions.
PACE can be paid through Medicare, Medicaid, a combination of Medicare and Medicaid, or private pay depending on the person’s situation.

What PACE is

NC Medicaid describes PACE as a managed care program for older adults with a comprehensive service delivery system and integrated Medicare and Medicaid financing. In plain English, that means PACE is not just one service. It is a coordinated care model built around a team.

Instead of a family separately arranging primary care, transportation, therapy, social work, day programming, home support, medication coordination, and nursing-home backup, the PACE organization coordinates the covered care plan through its team and center.

Who may qualify

NC Medicaid says a person must generally meet several requirements to receive PACE services:

Be age 55 or older.
Need the level of care required for nursing facility services under the state Medicaid plan.
Live in the PACE organization’s service area.
Be able to live in a community setting at the time of enrollment without jeopardizing health or safety.
Meet program-specific eligibility conditions under the PACE agreement.

CarePartners PACE’s public page uses similar language and says a person must be 55 or older, live in its service area, meet North Carolina Nursing Home Level of Care criteria, and be able to live safely in the community at the time of enrollment with PACE services.

What services may be included

CarePartners PACE lists a wide range of services on its public page, including adult day care, primary care, prescription drugs, meals, medical transportation, home care, therapy, nursing home services, social services, dentistry, emergency services, hospital care, laboratory services, and medical specialty services.

The exact care plan depends on the participant’s assessment and PACE team. Families should ask what is included, what is arranged through outside providers, what requires approval, and how the team handles urgent changes.

How PACE differs from ordinary home care

Ordinary non-medical home care usually means paying an agency or caregiver for help with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, meals, errands, companionship, and supervision. PACE is broader. It can combine medical care, transportation, therapy, day-center support, social work, medications, and home support into one coordinated model.

That does not mean PACE is right for everyone. Some people only need a few hours of private-pay help at home. Others need the structure of assisted living or memory care. PACE is most worth asking about when a person is medically complex, needs coordinated services, and may otherwise be headed toward nursing-home placement.

How PACE differs from assisted living or nursing home care

Assisted living and memory care are residential settings. Skilled nursing facilities provide nursing-home and rehabilitation care in a licensed facility setting. PACE is different because the goal is to help the participant remain in the community when that can be done safely with the program’s services.

PACE may still arrange nursing-home services when needed, but families should ask how that works, where care would be provided, what triggers a higher level of care, and whether the participant can return home after a temporary change.

When PACE may be worth asking about

An older adult wants to remain at home but medical, mobility, or care needs are becoming harder to coordinate.
The family is comparing in-home care with nursing home placement.
Transportation to appointments is becoming a barrier.
Medication management, therapy, meals, and medical follow-up all need coordination.
The person needs adult day support plus medical oversight.
The caregiver is overwhelmed by managing many separate providers.
Medicaid or dual Medicare/Medicaid eligibility may be part of the care plan.

Questions to ask CarePartners PACE

Is the person’s address inside the current service area?
Are there any zip-code exclusions or enrollment limits right now?
What does the nursing-home level-of-care assessment involve?
How does the team decide which services are included?
How often would the person come to the PACE center?
What transportation is available?
How are medications handled?
What happens after a hospitalization or rehab stay?
How does PACE coordinate with family caregivers?
What would cause PACE not to be a safe fit?

Local contact information

CarePartners PACE
286 Overlook Road
Asheville, NC 28803
Phone: 828-213-8442

CarePartners’ public page says families can call this number for more information if they are worried about a frail elder in the community and whether the person can remain safely at home due to health issues.