Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly, PACE as it is affectionately known, is a comprehensive health care model that provides medical and social support for persons over the age of 55 who require nursing home level of care, but still live in the community. The benefits of PACE include the following, but are not limited to adult day center, home care, hospital care, primary health care, therapy, prescription drugs, and transportation. And can you believe that all these services are covered by Medicaid and Medicare? With nearly 1 million seniors living in South Carolina, it is mind boggling why more people are not enrolling in this service at a higher rate.
There is no doubt that there is not enough effective communication about the program and how it can benefit, not only seniors, but their families. Currently, the sandwich generation is growing by leaps and bounds. This is the population of caregivers that care for their older adult family member and their own children and/or spouse. This level of care causes stress that may bring on additional co-occurring conditions that could impede a caregiver’s ability to provide care to others. This is where PACE comes in to play.
PACE has an interdisciplinary team of professionals (i.e. medical doctor, nurse, dietician, therapists, activity coordinator, social worker, etc) that takes a comprehensive approach to participants’ overall care and well-being. This means that the seniors’ care needs can be managed all under one roof. When participants are transported to the PACE center for the day, they can see the doctor and/or any of the professionals on their care team because they are all housed at the PACE Center. Now how convenient is that? So, if PACE provides all of this, why is this service under-utilized?
One of the things that I’ve noticed is that many people don’t want to give up their primary care physician to change to the doctor that is housed at the PACE center. Well, you might not have to. Simply call one of the PACE centers near you and inquire about anything you want to know before making the change.
Tap into the resources your local PACE program provides today. I am here to tell you that it is one of the best Respite options out there! My aunt attends the Orangeburg Senior Helping Center, and it has been a saving grace to my family, especially to my aging family members and those who work full-time.
If you’re interested in learning more about PACE, here is a list of locations serving your area:
The Orangeburg Senior Helping Center
Serves Orangeburg, Calhoun, and Bamberg counties. For more information, please call (803) 747- 0012. Email:
referrals@orangeburgshcpage.com Fax: (803) 268-5302 TTY: (866) 884-9856
Prisma Health SeniorCare PACE-Midlands
Serves Richland and Lexington counties. For more information, please call (803) 931-8175. Fax number: 803-434-3773 TYY: (864) 522-1950
Prisma Health SeniorCare PACE-Upstate
Serves Greenville, Pickens and Anderson counties. For more information, please call (864) 522-1950. Fax number: (864)522-1955 TYY: 800-735-8583