Bankers Hill elder care center offers care alternative
By Monica Garske | SDUN Reporter
For some senior citizens, seemingly simple tasks, such as preparing a meal or making a doctor appointment, can become arduous obstacles.
For those living in Uptown, help can be found through St. Paul’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The PACE community center is located at 111 Elm St. in Bankers Hill.
PACE’s mission is to help low-income seniors live healthy, happy lives by providing comprehensive medical care and support in one centralized location so seniors can comfortably live at home and offers and alternative to living in a convalescent home.
Originating in San Francisco in the 1970s, PACE opened in Bankers Hill in March 2008. Executive director Carol Hubbard said the Uptown location made perfect sense.
“We did a market study in this area and discovered a high concentration of low-income seniors, without families, living alone in apartments,” she explained. “We felt we could really serve this particular community, so this was the perfect place to start PACE in San Diego.”
Since then, Hubbard said PACE has helped more than 170 seniors in the area. Using Medicare and MediCal, an average of eight seniors enroll in the personalized healthcare program each month, receiving a combination of in-home services and scheduled visits to the PACE facility. The average participant is 78 years old, but the oldest is 100.
Medical services provided under PACE’s roof include primary healthcare, physical therapy and mental health services. The staff includes a physician, registered nurses, social workers, psychiatrists, a dentist and a transportation team that takes seniors to and from the center.
Additionally, an in-house dietician arranges nutritious lunches for participants, and a non-denominational chaplain assists with spiritual needs and coordinators organize Bingo games and social activities.
Hubbard said most seniors visit the daycare facility twice a week for medical appointments, but stay for the extra-curricular activities. Lunch, she said, is also a daily highlight, served “restaurant style” in their large dining room.
For many elders, PACE’s socialization features are just as helpful as the healthcare services.
75-year-old Robert Harwood has been with PACE since November 2008 and says his favorite part about the program is making friends.
“I don’t have a family, so I consider everyone here my family. Coming here gives me a new lease on life and I can face getting older. My friends here lift my spirits,” he said.
“I like the music activities the most,” Harwood added. “They have sing-alongs to music from our generation: the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s.”
With PACE’s medical care and social events, Harwood says he’s been able to battle pre-existing depression. The weekly activities on his calendar help him feel happy and fulfilled.
With the holidays coming up, Hubbard encourages Uptown locals to get involved by volunteering to spend time with seniors and donating basic items like blankets, toiletries and shoes to PACE’s Holiday Drive, which kicks off after Thanksgiving. The non-profit organization relies on funding from St. Paul’s Foundation and private donations.
Last year, locals responded to the holiday fundraiser with overwhelming generosity and Hubbard hopes to replicate those results.
“Donations came in droves; every one of our seniors got to open a present on Christmas. For them, a little gesture like that goes a long way,” Hubbard said.
Hubbard said donations are utilized year-round since they’re constantly celebrating birthdays. Each month, the center organizes a party to celebrate birthdays with a gift and cake.
“That means so much to them. Most of them haven’t celebrated their birthdays in years, but here, they’re never passed over. Every one of our seniors is special. They’re not a number, they’re a person,” Hubbard said.
To learn more about PACE in Bankers Hill and a planned expansion into other San Diego areas, visit www.stpaulspace.org.
