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West PACE in San Marcos can help caregivers and their loved ones with transportation, health care, physical therapy and more. Courtesy photo
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Family caregivers, it’s OK to ask for help

If you’re caring for an elderly loved one, you have likely sacrificed untold amounts of time, money, and emotional and physical labor to keep your loved one safe at home during the pandemic—all while simultaneously caring for your own children amid school closures.

It’s an enormous amount of pressure and responsibility, and many caregivers may feel like they have to bear it alone.

In California, you don’t have to.

Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) services are here to help you and your loved one with transportation, healthcare, medication management, physical therapy, nutrition support, respite care, and more.

The ‘Eyes and Ears’ for Adult Children

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed serious gaps in our country’s caregiving infrastructure, both for childcare and elder care—a serious crisis, given the fact that 1 in 5 U.S. adults are family caregivers for an elderly, ill or disabled relative.

Nearly half a million women have been forced to leave the workforce because of caregiving responsibilities for both elderly relatives and their own children.

PACE is a comprehensive health plan to fill those gaps, and keep seniors healthy, safe and independent in their own homes. PACE programs reduce hospitalizations among enrolled seniors, saving their caregivers time, money and emotional distress.

Here’s how our team at the Gary & Mary West PACE in San Marcos helped one north San Diego County family:

“PACE has been their eyes and ears as they care for their mom from a distance,” says Mary Jurgensen, our community outreach manager. “Their mom’s husband had been her primary caregiver, but after he died of COVID-19, her complicated medical history and chronic conditions made it nearly impossible for her to care for herself alone and remain at home.

“She now faced the real possibility of having to enter a skilled nursing facility during the pandemic, a risk her children did not want to expose her to. Our PACE team worked out home modifications, transportation to medical appointments, and the necessary home care support to assist with daily activities including bathing, dressing and therapy in the home.

“As soon as she was enrolled and her PACE services began, you could see the tension lift from their shoulders.”

Keep Your Loved Ones Safe and Independent at Home

PACE programs are available to seniors of all income levels. At Gary & Mary West PACE, we can provide consultations for your family in Spanish or English, and our coordinators are committed to providing culturally competent care. We give family caregivers peace of mind while they are at work. You don’t have to it all on your own.

If you’d like to learn more about whether PACE is right for your family and your loved one, call us at (760) 280-2230 or email us at [email protected] to schedule a free consultation.

To learn more about the Gary & Mary West PACE Center in San Marcos, visit westpace.org.