This September, Eddy SeniorCare is celebrating the first National PACE Month, in recognition of the work of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The observance recognizes PACE programs nationwide, which “deliver independence” by coordinating and providing preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services so older adults can continue living at home in their community. Eddy SeniorCare is the Capital Region’s only PACE provider.
This fall, Eddy SeniorCare will be celebrating its 21st year of helping Schenectady seniors to remain living in their own communities. Though 100 percent of Eddy SeniorCare’s 204 seniors need nursing home level of care, 95 percent of them are able to live in their homes with the program’s support. Eddy SeniorCare is patterned after PACE, an established national service model with a community-based approach to serving seniors.
The PACE model of care is centered on the belief it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs, as well as their families, to be served in the community whenever possible. This “one-roof” model of integrated care revolves around an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, dietitians, drivers and home health aides who provide health and support services to meet the individual needs of participants.
The theme of the first National PACE Month is “Delivering Independence,” celebrating the role of PACE drivers in promoting independence for seniors. “In PACE’s integrated model of care, transportation drivers play a key role in helping seniors live safely in the community,” said Shawn Bloom, president and CEO of the National PACE Association (NPA). “PACE drivers don’t just offer curb-to-curb transportation. They enter the participant’s home to help them to the van and are trained to look for changes in the home environment or in the level of assistance a participant needs. By identifying changes quickly, the PACE program can respond immediately before larger issues surface.”
“The PACE model’s success is built upon strong relationships among the members of the interdisciplinary team, the seniors we serve, and their families,” stated Bernadette Hallam, Executive Director of Eddy SeniorCare/PACE in Schenectady County. “It is truly an all-inclusive program that supports the frailest of seniors to live at home, where we all went to age, versus being institutionalized.”
Hallam invited the community to learn more about options for senior services by calling Eddy SeniorCare or stopping in for a tour. “It is important to plan for long term care services so when the unexpected occurs, community options are known,” she noted.
For more information, please call Eddy SeniorCare, located at 504 State Street in Schenectady, at (518) 382-3290, or toll-free at 1-800-662-1220.
