St. Paul’s PACE opens new El Cajon facility for seniors

By
B.J. Coleman
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Aging is often an experience of staggering losses. Isolation through distance and death of family and friends can be accompanied by diminished mobility and physical infirmities. The worst indignities of growing older may be losses of independence and ability to choose one’s own living circumstances.

Aging is often an experience of staggering losses. Isolation through distance and death of family and friends can be accompanied by diminished mobility and physical infirmities. The worst indignities of growing older may be losses of independence and ability to choose one’s own living circumstances.

For frail low-income East County seniors, help is on the way to allow staying at home as long as possible. St. Paul’s PACE East hosted a Ribbon Cutting Reception on Friday, February 23, to celebrate the opening of the program’s third facility at 1306 Broadway in El Cajon. PACE stands for Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. East County’s new location joins earlier facilities in San Diego and Chula Vista. The two-hour opening celebration featured tours of the 14,408-square-foot building.

Operations at the El Cajon PACE center, including daily activities, commenced on Monday, February 26. The facility’s clinic is expected to receive necessary approvals and begin medical care services by mid-March.

Enrollment at the East County center is underway. PACE is a managed care plan open to seniors at least 55 years of age who have serious chronic medical conditions but wish to continue living in their homes. They must meet the Skilled Nursing Level of Care requirement of the California Department of Health Care Services and be capable of remaining safely in the community with PACE services. The East County coverage area for eligibility ranges from Santee and Lakeside, through San Carlos, El Cajon and La Mesa in central East County, to Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and Jamul in East County’s southern reaches.

Covered services run the gamut from primary medical care, medical specialties, prescription medications and equipment including those for vision, dental and hearing, adult day center activities, meals, and social and recreational activities. Emergency services are available at all hours of each day. PACE participants typically are transported to their center two to three times weekly. About 50 to 60 seniors are at each facility daily.

“There is no program like it,” said Dr. Victor Lee, Medical Director of St. Paul’s PACE East. His medical specializations are internal medicine and geriatric care. He has been working with PACE for four years, splitting time until now between the San Diego and South County centers. He will be dedicating substantial portions of his time at the El Cajon facility as more operations are gearing up.

“I was attracted to the PACE model of care,” Lee continued, “as nonprofit and faith based, caring for underserved populations. The program has been quite successful in keeping seniors at home in a good way. We are like family here. We and our care team can be their family and support.”

Lee said that each patient in PACE commonly has 10 to 12 diagnoses and takes 15 medications. Frequent combined conditions include high blood pressure and diabetes. PACE’s team approach model offers a degree of continuity of care unlike most other senior health services. An elderly patient will see the same providers for visits, all of who communicate about the individual from their respective health care disciplines.

PACE leaders project that the East County day center will ultimately serve more than 700 program participants. Roughly 300 are expected to be enrolled soon and more than 70 employees will be on site.

St. Paul’s PACE accepts Medi-Cal, Medicare and Medi-Cal in combination, or private payment. For seniors with Medi-Cal and no share of costs, all PACE services are free of charge. PACE is one of several programs of St. Paul’s Senior Services. Nondenominational, the programs adhere to values of the Episcopal Church.

More general information can be found at www.StPaulSeniors.org. Specific questions about the El Cajon Day Center, including possible enrollment, can be obtained by phoning (619) 551-7400 or by email at PACE enrollments@stpaulsPACE.org.  

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