Bay Area

Center for Elders’ Independence PACE Program Addresses Growing Needs for Senior Care

Published

7 years ago

September 26, 2019

In a show of support for PACE, the transformative model of senior care, the California Assembly passed a resolution on Sept. 20, 2019, that designates September as PACE month in California.

Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI), offers PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) to seniors in the East Bay. PACE is widely recognized as the gold standard of care for seniors with multiple health challenges.

During PACE Month, CEI and the California PACE Association, known as CalPACE, are educating seniors, their caregivers, medical providers, and elected officials about the benefits of the PACE program. PACE provides improved and sustained health management to seniors and reduces family and caregiver burnout by offering a proven, cost-effective, and high-quality alternative to nursing home or assisted living placement.

PACE provides a full range of preventive services at their wellness centers and in the home so families can keep older adults living at home. This approach provides tremendous benefits to California in annual savings of up to $22.6 million.

PACE achieves highly successful health and social outcomes by caring for the whole person with a personalized care plan that supports their medical, social, emotional and nutritional needs. Although every participant enrolled in PACE has multiple health challenges that meet the requirements for nursing home care, more than 95 percent can continue living in their homes across California with the services and support they receive through PACE.
CEI participant Cao Peixia, understands the value of the PACE model of care.

“As soon as I enrolled in CEI, my life started getting better. Not only do they take care of my medical problems immediately, but I feel I am being respected and valued. They treat me with dignity, and they treat me well. All of that helps me do better physically. I love coming to CEI because it feels like home and the staff is like family to me,” said Peixia.

By 2030, 1 in 3 Californians are projected to be over age 50. To meet the growing need for senior care in the East Bay, CEI is implementing a vigorous expansion plan to increase access to the PACE model of care for more elderly residents in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

“We have added substantial capacity with new and refurbished state-of-the-art centers in San Leandro, El Sobrante, Downtown Oakland and, in the near future, Concord,” said Linda Trowbridge, CEO, Center for Elders’ Independence. “Our new facilities are designed to incorporate the expressed priorities of our participants. By offering engaging social activities, new friends, nutritious meals, a place to exercise safely, and actively coordinated, excellent medical care, all provided in beautiful, contemporary setting, we continue to improve the lives of vulnerable seniors throughout the region,” added Trowbridge.

PACE, developed in 1971 by San Francisco-based On Lok, now includes 129 programs serving more than 50,000 participants in 31 states. PACE programs throughout California serve more than 8,800 participants at 47 PACE Centers and Alternative Care Sites in 14 counties. Since its founding in 1982, Oakland-based CEI has grown to provide medical, social, emotional, and nutritional services to 770 seniors.
For more information about PACE, visit elders.org or call (510) 433-1150.