All-in-One Care: A Program to Help Seniors Stay Home
If you have an older family member or friend who needs special medical help but wants to keep living in their own home, there is a special program that can assist. It's called PACE, which stands for the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly.
The main goal of PACE is simple: to help seniors (older adults) get the full care they need so they can live safely and happily in their community instead of moving into a nursing home.
What PACE Does for Seniors
PACE is like having an entire health team dedicated just to you. The program brings together all the medical, social, and long-term care services an older person might need.
Here’s how it works:
- Your Personal Team: A team of many professionals—like doctors, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, and diet specialists—all work together. This team gets to know the senior and creates a single, personal care plan just for them.
- One Stop for Everything: This program handles everything related to health. It includes primary doctor visits, specialist care, hospital stays, prescriptions, physical therapy, and even meals and home care.
- Community and Social Life: Seniors in the program can visit a special place called an Adult Day Health Center. This center is a safe, friendly place to see doctors, get therapy, and enjoy social activities with other people.
- Getting Around: PACE also helps arrange transportation to and from the center, doctor appointments, and other needed services.
Once you join PACE, the program becomes the main, or "sole," provider for almost all of your health care.
Who Can Join the PACE Program?
To be able to join this program, a person must meet a few main requirements:
- Age: They must be 55 years old or older.
- Location: They must live in the specific area that the local PACE center serves./li>
- Care Need: They must be certified by the state as needing a nursing home level of care. This means they need a lot of help with daily life.
- Safety: They must be able to live safely in their home or community with the help provided by the PACE team.
How Much Does It Cost?
The cost for the PACE program depends on what kind of health insurance the senior has:
- If the senior has both Medicare and Medicaid: They usually pay nothing (zero cost) for the services.
- If the senior only has Medicare: They will pay a monthly fee, or "premium," to join the program.
- If the senior has neither: They can choose to pay for the program privately.
For decades, the PACE program has helped thousands of seniors across the country keep their independence and stay in their own homes for as long as possible.