Patricia Moore is sensitive, even vulnerable, and very human. But she doesn’t give up, she keeps going. Paddy Moore is Patricia Moore, but everyone knows her as Paddy. And Paddy is all about getting things done.
“Resilience (noun): The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.”
Paddy Moore, no relation to the near-legendary Irish footballer of the same name (though they share a gritty, never-say-die inner fire), has become a relentless crusader for eldercare on the Island.
Paddy has been at “the cause” since the early 2000s, but her Vineyard story and her Island bond start even earlier. She and her husband, Ben, an architect, came to the Vineyard in 1974 with a newly blended family. Ben was one of only four architects on the Island at the time, and he quickly gained a reputation for not only his outstanding design but his personal connection to clients and neighbors.
Paddy had a B.A. from Swarthmore and master’s degrees from both Cornell and the Kennedy School at Harvard. She taught at UConn and Quinnipiac Law School, and was an accomplished mediator of complex disputes (a skill that would come in handy in later pursuits). Back then, because her mediation work often took her off-Island, she recalls, “There were rumors we were getting divorced –– but, of course, they were never anywhere near the truth. It worked for us. It’s probably more common in today’s couples than in our time.” The Moores settled in a rambling farmhouse in West Tisbury that Ben redesigned and modified as the family grew. “Together we had six boys, and it was noisy, but easier than girls, I think,” Paddy says.
From their earliest days, both Paddy and Ben were deeply entwined in the community. Ben was appointed to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, and worked to establish Habitat for Humanity on the island, while Paddy volunteered at the Dukes County Health Council, focusing on drug use, women’s healthcare, and tick-borne diseases. It was there that she saw data showing that people over 65 were the fastest-growing segment of Vineyard residents.
Meanwhile, Paddy’s mediation work took her to a National Institute of Health project funded by the Hartford Foundation. The study published its findings on the supply (or lack) of workers trained in geriatrics at all levels of the healthcare profession. “And we have a huge shortage of them,” Paddy says. “They didn’t want the publication to sit on a shelf, so they asked us to put together an organization to address the issue, which we did, now called the Elder Care Workforce Alliance.” And that experience, coupled with her knowledge of the demographics of the Island, spurred her to pursue solutions for the aging population on Martha’s Vineyard.
That, and her husband’s diagnoses: Alzheimer’s in 2011, and later, Parkinson’s disease. Suddenly, in addition to her mediation work and her volunteer work off and on the Island, Paddy was also a full-time caregiver. Many would be daunted by that challenge, but not Paddy. She immediately ended all of her other work and concentrated on the modest challenge of reimagining eldercare on Martha’s Vineyard. Paddy adapted. Paddy persisted. Paddy was, as always, resilient.
She founded the Healthy Aging Task Force (now Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard). Its goal: to advocate for seniors to have the services and support to navigate their best lives (remember that word, “navigate”). Paddy herself was already in her mid-70s –– which she considers the prime of life –– and that step would shape every day thereafter.
Paddy got an up-close and very personal education in the issues facing aging people, especially those with needs like her husband’s. In her search for effective answers, she discovered the Green House Project, a nontraditional model for eldercare created by renowned geriatrician Bill Thomas (physician, professor, entrepreneur, playwright, author). Green House’s approach is person-centered, as opposed to conventional, group-oriented care. Instead of shared rooms and bathrooms, Green House empowers residents to live in spaces with privacy, dignity, and autonomy, even as they age and even with health issues. Paddy saw that approach, and was determined to bring it to Martha’s Vineyard. In fact, she would not stop until she could do it. (And she might not stop after that.)
In 2017, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital asked for proposals to address the challenges faced by Windemere, their own eldercare facility. Along with eldercare pioneer Renee Lohman, Paddy co-founded Navigator Homes of Martha’s Vineyard, patterned after Green House, and won the assignment. Remember the word “navigate”? That’s what Paddy envisioned: the freedom for older people to navigate their lives. Fast-forward –– though it has seemed anything but fast to those behind it –– and construction on the project should be complete by October 2025, eventually offering five houses, each accommodating up to 14 residents, respecting independence and individual needs, and providing skilled nursing care.
Despite a recession, the loss of her husband, COVID, the current mass defunding of such projects, and every other setback imaginable, Paddy has kept at it.
Paddy is now 90. She serves on the Navigator board, she speaks, she raises money, she recruits help. She doesn’t feel old. She’s too busy to be old, too busy building new models and knocking down ageist myths. Her mediation skills come into play almost daily. There’s no shortage of stubborn resistance, insurmountable obstacles, impasses of attitude, misinformation, and zoning issues … all of which, with Paddy’s help, have been overcome.
Might Paddy herself want to move into a Navigator Home? “Oh no, not now. I don’t intend to go until I need to.” Paddy is still living independently, her favorite way. “I live with my sister, who is 88.” Her six boys are in careers spread across the country, but she does have two grandchildren on the Island, and she has lunch with one or both of them once a week, in between her work.
Paddy still has a lot left to do. After all, elderly people are the fastest-growing population on the Island. She knows that well, because one day she may become one of them. And thanks to her resilience –– strength, sturdiness, adaptability, durability, determination, and let’s not forget, optimism –– she’ll have a very individual, independent, respectful place to live.
Beautiful article for a beautiful lady. Paddy has been an inspiration and guide to me from almost day one when I first became CEO. Grit, determination, sage wisdom and strong values blended with her kindness and soul makes her the force she is. God Bless and a belated happy 90th birthday!
Denise Schepici
President MVH
What an inspiration to us all. Her unwavering advocacy for a community that we all have a responsibility to support is a lesson in determination and commitment.
Be reminded to take a page out of her book, set your sights on a problem that needs a fix, organize, rally support, and make a difference!!
Congratulations Paddy on your persistence and continued industry. Keep pushing!
I love everything about this article. I’ve known Paddy for about 6 years and I just love her and her spirit!!! She is an inspiration for all! I had no idea she was 90!!!!!!
Paddy is my Idol. xoxox
Paddy’s work over thee years has made most lives better on our Island. Her latest work with the hospital, creating Navigator homes to support the Greenhouse model of long term care and skilled nursing is a perfect fit for the needs of the Island and replacement for Windemere. Paddy is a ‘perfect fit’ committed to strengthening community values of decency, fairness, respect, and just plain ‘doing the right thing’!
The photo of Paddy Moore, seated, captures a rare moment when she is not in full voice and motion. Paddy has not only made indelible differences in systems and the lives of individuals, the ripple effects of her constant lead forward extend far around and into a future her work has influenced.
Paddy is an amazing human being, a mentor and an inspiration to me and so many others. It’s lovely to see such a great article about her. Now, more than ever, we need Paddy’s guiding light and exemplary spirit to keep us going in these challenging times.
Thank you for honoring Paddy with this piece, and thanks to Paddy for all that she brings to all of us trying to make this a better world. Her direct, to-the-point approach is a breath of fresh air that makes getting things done possible in a too-often sclerotic environment of bureaucracy and confusion. And she’s certainly not old, simply older.
I was impressed and awed by Paddy’s commitment and service years ago when I shared some time with her and Ben in his final months. She is a pillar of strength in the community as well as her family. Miss you, Paddy!
woweee !!! ONYOU GO PADDY !! and thank you for all you have done -dont stop now!! never a dull moment for sure-YOU-are on top of my CREDIBLE CRITTER LIST an exclusive whose who of special people on Marthas Vineyard that have ALWAYS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND-nice article only scratched the surface of what makes PADDY TICK and inspire others GOD BLESS YOU-
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