When Grace Villiotte was born on September 6, 1915 Woodrow Wilson was President. The following month Wilson would be the first U.S. President to throw out the ceremonial first pitch during game two of the 1915 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.
“She’s lived through a lot,” said her son, Dr. Jim Villiotte M.D.
Mrs. Villiotte was born in Boston and lived in the North End before relocating to Revere to raise her family. Her husband died at age of 52 and Villiotte raised her two boys, Jim and Richard (an attorney), in Revere.
“She worked her whole life and helped put us through school,” said Jim. “She lived independently until about four years ago when she turned 98.”
Now a resident of the Prospect House in Revere, Mrs. Villiotte is an enrollee in the the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE program, in Winthrop.
“It’s great,” said Jim. “It gets her out of the Prospect House for a couple hours a day. She has her meals. She’s able to socialize with other seniors and the nurses. We think it’s a terrific program.”
On Wednesday the PACE program staff, along with local elected officials, helped Mrs. Villiotte celebrate her 102 birthday. Sen. Joseph Boncore (D-Winthrop), Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo (D-Revere), State Representative RoseLee Vincent (D-Revere) and Councilor Ira Novoselsky (D-Revere) all helped Mrs. Villiotte celebrate her milestone.
During the luncheon, some gathered around asking Mrs. Villiotte the secret to her longevity.
“Walking,” she said.
EBNHC’s PACE program is one of 121 PACE programs across the nation and was the first in Massachusetts when it was founded in 1990. The program has locations in Eastie and Winthrop and serves residents age 55 and over who meet the program’s clinical and financial eligibility criteria.
There is a tremendous demand for the PACE program, which is to ensure that older adults have ready access to the medical care and services they need to continue to live safely in the community they feel most comfortable in.
PACE is designed to assist older adults who have complex medical conditions and require some help to live safely in the place they call home, by providing both health and social services. These services include primary and specialty medical care, home nursing and personal care, rehabilitation therapy, social interaction and programming, medications without co-pays, and medical transportation.
For more information visit www.neighborhoodpace.org.
