By Casey Ott, MD, Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE and Mauricio Lopez, Marketing Director BCSC PACE
When we think of frequent flier miles, we think of airline passengers who love traveling to various destinations such as Hawaii, Europe, or Central America. For their loyalty to a certain airline, they may be rewarded with points redeemable for future travel.
In healthcare, being a customer who returns often, sometimes referred to as a frequent flier, is quite different, especially for seniors 55+ who have high numbers of re-hospitalizations. The paradox is, if they have decreased re-hospitalizations as a result of preventative care, the reward comes from them feeling better, enjoying a higher quality of life and, perhaps more importantly, spending more time with their loved ones.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shares that many readmissions are avoidable. They occur for many reasons, among them are:
- Patient health status
- Availability and effectiveness of local primary care
- Quality of inpatient care
- Threshold for admission in the area
- Discharge planning and care coordination
According to CalPACE, (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) PACE programs have a proven track record of successfully managing the care of participants who have a combination of high medical needs coupled with high levels of frailty. For example, the average PACE participant is 75 years old, has 18 medical conditions, and is impaired in managing 3-5 activities of daily living (bathing, walking, toileting, feeding and transferring). More than 30% of PACE participants are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia.
At Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE, our goal is simple--provide affordable, high-quality health and long-term care services for the well-being of participants and the communities we serve. Prevention is key. A team effort approach is crucial, and providing high quality, coordinated care to each participant is the cornerstone of what we do. According to the National PACE Association, PACE participants receive better preventative care, specifically with respect to hearing and vision screenings, flu shots and pneumococcal vaccines than those who do not join a PACE program.
Helping participants achieve decreased re-hospitalizations takes a village. This is where the BCSC PACE interdisciplinary team shines. They establish personalized goals and outcome expectations for each participant. This collaborative approach works to maximize the health and safety of participants, ensuring a comprehensive and effective approach.
Overall, PACE costs less than other medical services and programs serving frail seniors. More importantly, reducing re-hospitalizations is a priority BCSC PACE is addressing with a solutions-driven approach. Decreased re-hospitalizations is a critical goal that when achieved can give participants and their families peace of mind.
For more information about PACE, call 844.952.7223.
