Lutheran Senior LIFE at Jersey City Celebrated 3rd National PACE Month
(JERSEY CITY, NJ)– The National PACE Association recognized September as National PACE Month, an opportunity to celebrate the work of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®). This year’s theme of “Many Hands, Many Minds, One Goal” highlights the central role of the PACE interdisciplinary team to work together to improve the lives of participants and their family caregivers.
Lutheran Senior LIFE, a part of Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, is a PACE organization that has served Jersey City for nine years. A total of 129 PACE programs serve more than 50,000 enrollees in 31 states. PACE enrollees are age 55 and over and need a nursing home level of care. However, more than 95 percent are able to live in the community with the services and support they receive through PACE.
Lutheran Senior LIFE celebrated National PACE Month with an event on September 26th for fellow senior healthcare professionals and participants. The program included presentations from LIFE team members as well as program participants who spoke about how the program has been instrumental in improving their daily life. Tours were also offered after the event.
Joan Eccelston, Director of Division Affairs for Jersey City, presented the community with a proclamation on behalf of the Jersey City Mayor. Jersey City Assemblywoman, Angela V. McKnight was also in attendance and spoke at the event. “I want to congratulate the entire Lutheran Senior LIFE team. It takes a village and I see how beautifully you work together to care for our community’s seniors,” expressed McKnight.
“The PACE interdisciplinary team is one thing that really sets PACE apart from other care delivery models,” said Executive Director, Chris Lesicko. “So often individuals and families who have health care needs experience a fractured, hard-to-navigate health care system. PACE is just the opposite. Our IDT team addresses both socio-economic and behavioral barriers to care by ensuring our participants coordinated care needs are delivered door-to-door, not corner to corner, to eliminate all obstacles to care, making this program a good fit for any aging member, especially in the culturally diverse service area of Hudson County. We have had so many enrollees and their families tell us how PACE has impacted their life.”
The interdisciplinary team includes a medical director, registered nurse, recreation therapist, dietitian, occupational therapist, PACE center director, home care coordinator, personal care attendant, transportation specialist, primary care provider, social worker and physical therapist, as well as other specialists such as a behavioral health therapist or pharmacist.
More than 95 percent of PACE participants live in the community. A recent study of PACE family caregivers found that 96.6 percent of family members are satisfied with the support they receive through PACE, and 97.5 percent of family caregivers would recommend PACE to someone in a similar situation.
To learn more about Lutheran Senior LIFE at Jersey City, please call 1-877-543-3188, visit www.lifelsmnj.org or contact Jennifer Mojave, director of marketing, at 201.499.3878 (direct) or at jmojave@lsmnj.org.
