The Wise and the Wary
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PACE: A Team Effort
Holistic care catches any changes in client
PACE provides “one-stop shopping” for seniors’ health care and much of their social well-being as well. Every PACE client has an interdisciplinary team of professionals at the PACE Day Center that oversees the client’s well-being. This team includes a physician, registered nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, home health nurse, personal care assistant, social worker, and dietitian as well as mental health personnel and transportation staff.
The team meets regularly to review the care plan for the client and to compare notes and observations. Subtle changes in mood, weight, health, and behavior can be detected and quickly addressed.
This approach is holistic, comprehensive, and preventative, striving to keep the client in the community for as long as possible. And it succeeds. Only 7% of PACE clients live in nursing homes. The other 93% are in their homes, thanks to PACE programs and assistance. The maxim of the Rocky Mountain PACE (the area I live in) is “Stay in the Home You Love: Visit Us for the Care You Need.”
Next week, we address the service offerings available in the home, day center, and community in general.
By Deborah Hoskins, JD, CFP
The Wise and the Wary Blog
