For years the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center’s (EBNHC) Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE Program, has allowed seniors to live safely in their homes instead of in nursing homes. The Health Center has successfully implemented this national program to help seniors live with dignity and security at home by providing them the necessary support and services.
Rep. Adrian Madaro has been pushing legislation through the halls of Beacon Hill in an attempt to make the program more accessible to seniors not only in Eastie but across the state.
Madaro’s bill, H.747 – An Act Increasing Awareness of Community Based PACE Programs for Older Adults, that is currently in committee would require the Department of Elder Affairs to provide information about this program to residents.
“I am very familiar with the tremendous work of the Health Center’s PACE Program in Eastie,” said Madaro. “The challenge we have seen at the state level is that many seniors do not know this important program exists. My legislation would resolve that by making the program more accessible and allow more seniors in our community to age at home with the resources they need to thrive.”
For his work on this legislation Madaro was honored by MassPACE with a 2021 Legislative Champion Award.
“I was humbled and honored to receive a 2021 Legislative Champion Award from the Mass PACE,” said Madaro. “I’m deeply grateful for my partnership with MassPACE and the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center in our work to expand access to care that allows seniors to age in place with dignity, self-determination, and community.”
PACE is a national program that serves individuals 55 and over who are eligible for nursing home care. PACE is provided at the EBNHC as well as 27 other health centers across Massachusetts, including clinics and senior centers, covering 264 cities and towns across the Commonwealth.
Participants receive coordinated care from a dedicated team of healthcare workers and social service professionals, encompassing everything from primary care, behavioral health, therapy, prescriptions, as well as services such as meals and social support.
“The goal of PACE is to allow these seniors to age in place, and continue to receive care in their homes instead of being placed in nursing homes,” said Madaro. “I’ve been able to see the great work PACE does first hand right in my district. The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center operates a PACE center that serves seniors throughout our neighborhood and the surrounding communities, as far out as Stoneham. The team at EBNHC works diligently to provide seniors in our neighborhood with comprehensive care and services that keeps them happy, healthy, active, and, importantly, staying in place and involved in their local communities.”
Madaro said his legislation is important because almost all seniors, if given the choice, would prefer to stay in their own homes and their own communities as they age instead of being forced to relocate to a nursing home because of health issues.
“For these seniors, PACE is invaluable,” said Madaro. “In East Boston I’ve heard from many of my constituents about how this program has empowered them as they aged, providing them with medical care, therapy, and other services that help them live their daily lives in place, as well as keeping them active and involved outside of the house.”
But the biggest barrier to accessing PACE is not knowing about it in the first place. Many seniors who might be eligible, and risk being placed in a nursing home, are unaware that these services are available to them, or that they qualify.
“In order to make sure that more seniors are accessing this comprehensive, highly effective form of care, it’s critical that we raise awareness, so that eligible seniors know that it exists, that it’s an option, and have the information to decide if it is the right program for them,” said Madaro.
“This legislation helps raise awareness of PACE by ensuring that information about local programs is made available to seniors seeking care through elder service agencies. It would require that the Department of Elder Affairs, including Aging Services Access Points, or ASAPs, be contracted by the department to disseminate information about PACE to eligible seniors as part of their existing information and referral responsibilities.”
The bill would also require those seeking admission to a long-term care facility, such as a nursing home, under MassHealth, to be informed about PACE services as part of existing counseling on community-based options.
“These very simple, easy additions to the existing law will go a long way toward ensuring that our seniors are informed about these important services that will allow them to age in place, stay healthy and engaged in their communities,” said Madaro. “Our most senior neighbors are a cherished part of our cities, towns, and neighborhoods. They have often lived in our communities for most of their lives, and built them to be what they are today. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that they, utilizing these valuable, existing, comprehensive PACE services, are able to age in place wherever they call home.”