Mountain
Empire Older Citizens is now offering a Program of
All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). PACE
organizations contract with Medicare and Medicaid to provide
a broad range of health and social services to enrolled
participants. Each month, PACE receives a set amount of
payment for each person enrolled and, in exchange, PACE
assumes full financial risk for the cost of patient care and
treatment.
Program
services are based at the PACE Center in Big Stone Gap.
Participants come to the Center for recreation and meals,
medical care, rehab, personal care, and counseling. PACE
arranges for other services as needed, including
hospitalization, lab and x-ray, dental, vision, and hearing
care, transportation, home delivered meals, lifeline,
medical equipment, medical specialty care, home health, and
homemaker services. Enrollment in PACE is voluntary. Most
participants in the program have Medicare and Medicaid.
ELIGIBILITY.
People eligible for Mountain Empire PACE must:
-
Be 55 years of age or older
-
Live in Norton or in Lee, Scott or Wise County
-
Be deemed eligible for nursing facility level of care,
and
-
Be able to live safely in the community.
LOCATION.
Services are usually provided in the PACE Center and in the
participant’s home, but when needed are also provided in a
hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation center.
The PACE
Interdisciplinary Team, composed of health care
professionals with expertise in multiple areas, develops a a
plan of care to optimize each participant’s care to enable
them to safely live in their own home. At home,
participants can receive personal care, homemaker services,
skilled nursing care, medicine, nutrition, and restorative
therapies as needed.
When
participants need specialty medical care, PACE makes
appointments, provides transportation, and coordinates care
with the specialists. The PACE physician admits and follows
participants in the hospital and nursing home.
The PACE
Center is located at MEOC headquarters in Big Stone Gap.
The Center opened on April 1, 2008. MEOC is building a new
PACE Center across the road from MEOC headquarters and the
new Center should be ready in 2009.
ENROLLMENT.
MEOC became a permanent provider of PACE services in
February 2008 and immediately started enrolling
participants. We will enroll about 50 participants during
the first year of operation and we hope to reach a permanent
enrollment level of 180 participants.
For more information, contact:
Leigh Ann Bolinskey
Enrollment Coordinator
Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc.
P.O. Box 888
Big Stone Gap, Virginia 24219
276-523-4202
Fax: 523-4208
lkennedy@meoc.org
www.meoc.org
