Contact: Robert Greenwood, 703-455-2969, RobertG@npaonline.org
‘Delivering Independence’ Is Theme of National PACE Month in September
Celebrating the Role of PACE Drivers in Connecting Enrollees with Their Communities
Alexandria, VA (Sept. 5, 2017) – The National PACE Association joins with Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®) across the country to celebrate National PACE Month in September. PACE programs provide clinical and support services to nursing home-eligible seniors so they can continue to live in the community for as long as possible.
“PACE is such an innovative program, we hope the recognition through National PACE Month will make more people aware of PACE and the benefits the PACE model of care provides to seniors, their caregivers and communities,” said Shawn Bloom, CEO and president of NPA.
The theme of National PACE Month is “Delivering Independence,” highlighting the important role that transportation plays in the PACE model. Drivers are members of the PACE interdisciplinary teams that provide or arrange for direct health care and supportive services for PACE enrollees, both in the home and at PACE centers that enrollees attend several days a week.
“Only in a fully integrated model of care like PACE could transportation play such an important role in keeping seniors with long-term needs living safely in the community,” said Bloom. “PACE drivers don’t just offer curb-to-curb transportation; they enter the enrollee’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 an enrollee needs. By identifying changes quickly, the PACE program can plan treatments and interventions immediately before larger issues surface.”
Nationally, 239 PACE centers serve more than 40,000 PACE enrollees in 31 states.
“Every senior enrolled in PACE meets the requirements for nursing home care, yet 95 percent of PACE enrollees live in the community,” said Bloom. “PACE is an innovative model that continues to adapt and change as public policy, technology, and even the seniors we serve change. PACE is successful because it is based on building relationships between enrollees and the members of the PACE interdisciplinary team.”
The National PACE Association works to advance the efforts of Programs of All-Inclusive Care
for the Elderly (PACE®). Congress recently passed bipartisan legislation to adapt the PACE model to
serve other high-cost, high-need individuals who could benefit from highly coordinated personalized care. Policy-makers see a key role for PACE in serving younger individuals with physical or mental
disabilities or those with multiple chronic conditions. For more information, visit the NPA website.