Pathlights

What Pathlights does

Pathlights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit human services organization, originally founded on June 25, 1975 as P.L.O.W.S Council on Aging and rebranded to Pathlights in 2021, headquartered in Palos Heights, Illinois. The organization serves adults aged 60+ and adults with disabilities living in South and Southwest Suburban Cook County, helping more than 17,000 people annually across 20+ communities with a multidisciplinary team of 70+ professionals including licensed social workers, care planners, and specialists in safety, mental health, and disabilities. Service delivery is offered at no cost to eligible individuals through twelve core programs covering care coordination, home-delivered meals, adult protective services, benefits enrollment, caregiver respite and education, housing options counseling, hospital discharge support, and digital literacy (TechWise).

The organization's technology stack is operational rather than proprietary: it deploys third-party platforms TCARE (caregiver assessment) and Trualta (caregiver education) as licensed-by-vendor tools, while delivering most programs through in-person office visits, home visits, phone-based information and assistance, Zoom-hosted support groups, and events at eight partner library locations plus the Palos Heights Recreation Center. Multilingual outreach materials are produced in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Polish.

Pathlights operates as a needs-based community nonprofit with no pricing model — all eligible services are free to recipients. Revenue is sourced from a diversified mix including Older Americans Act pass-through funding administered by AgeOptions, State of Illinois and Cook County appropriations, United Way of Metro Chicago, corporate sponsors, foundations (including RRF Foundation for Aging), individual donations, planned giving, and legacy gifts. In fiscal year 2024 the organization reported approximately $4.32M in program expenses out of $5.19M in total expenses, devoting 83% of expenses directly to programs. The organization holds the designated Adult and Disability Resource Network status for its service area in partnership with the Illinois Department on Aging.

Name

Pathlights

Legal name

Pathlights Human Services

Website

https://pathlights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pathlights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving adults 60+ and adults with disabilities in South and Southwest Suburban Cook County through twelve core aging-services programs, including care coordination, meals, adult protective services, and caregiver support, serving over 17,000 people annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior and Disability Human Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Resources, Social Services & Transportation Coordination (HLADALAK)

Keywords

• Aging services
• Senior care coordination
• Adult protective services
• Caregiver support programs
• Community-based human services

Headquarters

HQ city

Palos Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute one-time or monthly donations via credit card or check. The organization is a 501(c)(3) with Tax ID 36-2882809, making all donations tax-deductible.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: Companies sponsor Pathlights events and programs including the AgeWell Community Walk and educational events. Sponsors receive print and online recognition, logo visibility, on-site signage, and exclusive sponsorship benefits. The organization devoted 83% of expenses to program costs in FY24.
3. Government Funding: Funding provided through the Older Americans Act (requiring 15% local match), State of Illinois, Cook County, local municipalities, and United Way of Metro Chicago. Additional funding from Illinois Department on Aging and AgeOptions.
4. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Donors can leave legacy gifts through wills, trusts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, life insurance policies, retirement plan assets, and donor-advised funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pathlights is a nonprofit human services organization that delivers a comprehensive suite of aging and disability support programs to adults aged 60+ and adults with disabilities in South and Southwest Suburban Cook County. Core offerings include care coordination, Adult Protective Services investigation, home-delivered meals, in-home non-medical care, hospital discharge support (Choices for Care), benefits enrollment assistance, caregiver respite and education, housing matching, options counseling, and the TechWise digital literacy program. Most programs are needs-based and provided at no cost to eligible individuals.

Product overview

Pathlights is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of aging services programs for adults 60+ and adults with disabilities in South and Southwest Suburban Cook County. The organization provides 12 core service programs including Adult Protective Services, Benefits & Advocacy, Caregiver Resource Center, Choices for Care Program, Home-Delivered Meals, Housing Options & Assistance, In-Home Services, Information & Assistance, Options Counseling, Shared Housing Program, TechWise technology education, and Path to Financial Stability. Most programs are needs-based and available at no cost, serving more than 17,000 people each year across 20 communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Protective Services Investigation of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults (60+) and adults with disabilities in partnership with the Illinois Department on Aging, including consultation with banking, law, mental health, and social work experts.
• Benefits & Advocacy Assistance with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), property tax savings, license plate sticker and transit discounts, cell phone/internet savings, and Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Medicare counseling for older adults.
• Caregiver Resource Center Comprehensive caregiver support offering respite services, support groups, TCARE assessments, Trualta caregiver education platform access, Memory Cafés, and the Stress-Busting Dementia Program for family caregivers of older adults.
• Choices for Care Program Hospital discharge support program that decreases chances of re-admission and ensures proper services are in place following discharge from hospitals or rehabilitation stays through exit screenings and care coordination assessments.
• Home-Delivered Meals Delivery of nutritious meals to homebound older adults who cannot shop for groceries or prepare meals, including special diet options (vegetarian, renal-friendly, pureed, gluten-free), serving also as a well-being check.
• Housing Options & Assistance Guidance on housing needs and resources to assist older adults to age in place, with connections to community partners for specific housing issues.
• Information & Assistance Guidance and referrals to aging resources including legal, housing, health, finance, transportation and other community services and supports for older adults and their families.
• In-Home Services Non-medical care services including assistance with personal care, meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, grocery shopping, and assessments for home-delivered meals, emergency response systems, medication dispensers, and adult day services.
• Options Counseling Independent decision-support process guiding clients, friends, and family as they explore future care choices and develop action plans based on individual needs and preferences.
• Shared Housing Program Program allowing older adults to share housing, providing financial, social and safety benefits by matching seniors with compatible roommates.
• TechWise: Technology for Older Adults Free six-class series helping older adults enhance digital skills covering computer basics, email, online security, technology troubleshooting, social media, and technology resources for aging.
• Path to Financial Stability Program helping older adults lower overall living expenses through benefits enrollment assistance including prescription savings, SNAP, health insurance savings, property tax savings, and transportation discounts.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Illinois Department on AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership for Adult Protective Services investigation. Pathlights' trained professionals investigate abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities through this state partnership.
• AgeOptionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuburban Cook County's agency on aging provides funding and oversight for Pathlights' programs, made possible through the Older Americans Act.
• Alzheimer's AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for early-stage memory loss support groups and dementia-related education and resources.
• Orland Park Public LibrarysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for early-stage memory loss support group sessions and Memory Café programs.
• Cook County Sheriff's OfficesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative presentations on fraud prevention, financial exploitation, cryptocurrency scams, and personal safety for older adults.
• Moraine Valley Community CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for community education and workforce development related to aging services.
• TCAREsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCaregiver assessment platform used to identify areas causing caregiver distress and recommend personalized interventions like respite and support groups.
• TrualtasecondaryTechnology or IntegrationFamily caregiver education and support platform providing caregivers confidence to provide better care at home.
• Northwestern Medicine Palos HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner for care coordination and hospital discharge services.
• OSF HealthcaresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner for senior care services.
• UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner for Choices for Care program and hospital discharge coordination.
• Advocate Christ Medical CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner for senior care coordination.
• BoldAge PACEsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly partner.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• BoldAge PACE: BoldAge PACE operates Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly for dual-eligible seniors and is already a Pathlights partner; it represents a more capitated, integrated model that could absorb some of Pathlights' case management population.

Broad incumbents

• Help at Home: Help at Home is a large national provider of personal care and in-home services to Medicaid-eligible seniors and disabled adults, competing for the same in-home aide demand that Pathlights addresses for its service area.
• AgeOptions: AgeOptions is the designated Area Agency on Aging for suburban Cook County and acts as both a funder and oversight body for Pathlights; it operates a broader portfolio of aging services across a larger region that overlaps with Pathlights' service area.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: Catholic Charities operates senior services, case management, and benefits enrollment programs across the Chicago metropolitan area, overlapping with Pathlights on elder care coordination and benefits advocacy for vulnerable older adults.
• National Council on Aging: NCOA is a national advocacy and service organization supporting community-based aging services providers like Pathlights through benefits access programs (e.g., BenefitsCheckUp) and policy work that shapes their operating environment.

Regional players

• Senior Services of Will County: Senior Services of Will County provides care coordination, congregate and home-delivered meals, and caregiver support in a neighboring Illinois county, operating the same mix of Older Americans Act–funded senior services as Pathlights.
• DuPage Senior Citizens Council: DuPage Senior Citizens Council delivers in-home services, meals, and senior resource coordination in adjacent DuPage County, mirroring Pathlights' service portfolio in a different but comparable suburban Chicago geography.

Direct peers

• Aging Care Connections: Aging Care Connections is a suburban Chicago nonprofit that provides care coordination, in-home services, and caregiver support to older adults across nearby Cook County communities — a direct functional peer with the same mission and service mix.
• Meals on Wheels of Northern Illinois: Meals on Wheels of Northern Illinois provides home-delivered meals and well-being checks to homebound older adults across the region, overlapping directly with Pathlights' Home-Delivered Meals program as a comparable homebound-senior service provider.

Others

• TCARE: TCARE is the caregiver assessment platform that Pathlights integrates into its Caregiver Resource Center; it is a key technology enabler whose capabilities shape Pathlights' caregiver service delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqV5W57D3NHp9euSbGRjn3w?disable_polymer=true
• Facebookfacebook.com/PATHLIGHTSIL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pathlights

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pathlights