A new report from Altarum, the National PACE Association and Fallon Health details how Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) have stayed effective at keeping nursing home-eligible enrollees safe in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, PACE centers supplied social, nutritional, medical and personal care. Also provided: transportation to the centers.
Now, challenged by the pandemic, PACE programs have taken steps to ensure the safety and well-being of their enrollees. These include:
- Reassignment of vans normally used to transport participants to and from their homes to the PACE centers to instead deliver home-based care, nutrition services, durable medical equipment and medications;
- Use of some PACE centers to offer respite care (including overnight care) for families who need a safe place for their elderly loved ones while they work or take a break;
- Repurposing of some PACE centers to serve as COVID-19 infirmaries providing 24-hour care;
- Retraining of clinic-based staff to support enrollees in the home;
- Implementation of telehealth technologies in the home to conduct virtual care visits;
- Creation of mobile clinics; and
- Development of new programming to combat social isolation of participants and provide support to family caregivers.
Currently, 135 organizations operate PACE in 31 states and serve more than 54,000 people aged 55 or more years who meet their states’ definitions of those in need of nursing home care.
This article originally appeared on McKnight's Senior Living
