Integrating informed healthcare into supportive housing
Because older adults often struggle with access issues, integrating healthcare and housing is essential. Making healthcare convenient encourages its use, which in turn helps identify potential health issues before they become significant challenges. Better access also results in closer monitoring of and greater compliance with treatment for chronic conditions. Integration of housing and healthcare, therefore, is a key component of 2Life’s “aging in community” model.
In 2020, 2Life began partnering with Element Care to bring a PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) center to the newly built J.J. Carroll House in Brighton. Co-location makes it easy for 2Life residents of Brighton Campus, as well as others who live nearby, to experience the benefits of this remarkable Medicare program that supports the most vulnerable seniors.
What is PACE care?
Participants in PACE are under the care of a team of clinical and social services providers who work together to help them proactively manage their health and coordinate their care. PACE care includes complete medical care; physical and occupational therapy; behavioral health and counseling; dental and vision care; and hearing aids. PACE homecare even includes homemaking and meal preparation.
Who qualifies for PACE care?
Participants must be 55 or older, qualify for nursing home care, and be able to live safely in their home and community with the support of the PACE program following an assessment.
What does PACE cost?
PACE program costs depend on an applicant’s income and assets. For those who are on Medicare and are eligible for MassHealth, there are no monthly premiums, co-pays, or out-of-pocket expenses. There are additional options for Medicare-only applicants and private pay.
Why is PACE different from traditional healthcare approaches?
When people receive care from multiple providers at different facilities — a situation that intensifies as they age — communication gaps and barriers can have negative patient outcomes.
With PACE, care teams meet each morning to discuss the care of their participants, a process coordinated by the site center manager and the social workers. The team works together to arrange doctor visits, home health visits, and even transportation for participants, which allows them to receive informed care much faster. In this way, necessary updates in care and treatment plans can be implemented immediately.
How do participants benefit?
Research indicates that the PACE approach and its focus on care coordination improves health outcomes, which in turn lowers costs. According to a study published in Geriatrics, “participation in PACE is associated with improved care quality, less mortality, preservation of function, fewer unmet assistance needs, greater participant and caregiver satisfaction, less hospital and nursing home utilization, and lower Medicare costs.”
From a quality of life perspective, being able to stay at home helps residents maintain connections with friends and family as well as participate in all the other benefits of community living at 2Life, including onsite programming such as life-long learning (or educational and cultural programs), holiday celebrations, expressive arts therapy, exercise programs, and home gardening.
PACE in Brighton
The Element Care PACE center in Brighton includes clinical, activity, and rehabilitation/exercise spaces. Healthcare and rehabilitation visits can take place in either the center or a resident’s home. The PACE center offers behavioral health services and a day program with meals, opportunities to socialize, and additional time to engage with the care team.
Element Care also partners with 2Life to provide all residents with enjoyable and engaging activities in spaces outside of the center. For example, everyone on Brighton Campus was invited to an afternoon tea on January 14 and “A Day at the Casino” on January 23.
Future plans
In 2024, Element Care opened its new headquarters, including a PACE center, in Lynn. The headquarters is adjacent to the land on which 2Life will begin constructing Solimine House, a new 2Life community, in 2025. Solimine House residents will have the opportunity to become PACE participants and receive care in the center that is just steps from their homes.
This continued partnership is part of 2Life’s commitment to integrating healthcare in our communities. Onsite clinics, multilingual nurses, care coordination, health education presentations, and programming and resources to support residents with mental health concerns and memory decline are a few additional examples. All of 2Life’s programs and services help residents stay physically, mentally, and socially active, with a goal of maintaining their vibrant lives at 2Life as long as possible.
