Care During COVID-19
How We're Caring for Seniors During COVID-19
Older adults with underlying health conditions are at higher risk for severe complications from COVID-19. Trinity Health PACE has risen to the challenges of the pandemic by providing medical care and social services to keep seniors safe at home.
Traditionally, our all-inclusive care model provides coordinated and comprehensive medical and social services at our day centers, in the community and at home to help frail, medically compromised seniors remain living in their own homes. When COVID-19 first hit our nation, Trinity Health PACE transformed service delivery to its more than 3,000 seniors in their homes.
Although our clinics continued to be operational, our day centers were closed with the implementation of stay-at-home and social distancing mandates. Early on in the pandemic, the Trinity Health PACE geriatric-trained team acted quickly to augment its all-inclusive services and innovatively meet its participants' needs at home. Though most of our programs are slowly beginning to bring participants back to the day centers, we continue to provide services in the home for many:
- Medical care: nurses and primary care providers visit participant homes for hands-on care, as needed; physicians and nurse practitioners use telehealth technologies for virtual visits; medications, medical supplies, and cloth masks are delivered to participant homes
- Rehabilitation therapy: physical therapists and occupational therapists have implemented telephonic or virtual therapy sessions; therapists visit participant homes for hands-on care, as needed
- Nutritional care: meals are delivered to participant homes; Trinity Health PACE staff are connecting participants with food banks and assisting with online grocery shopping
- Social work services: The social work team breaks down socioeconomic barriers for our participants; caregivers can turn to our social workers for guidance and support; social workers connect participants with community resources via telephone call
- Social engagement: isolation resulting from stay-at-home orders can be challenging for seniors; our recreational therapy teams have group calls with participants; telephonic activities like BINGO and trivia, along with activity packets delivered to participant homes, keep participants engaged and socially connected
- Participant and caregiver education: The Trinity Health PACE programs serves as a source of truth for COVID-19 facts with participants and caregivers; the program keeps participants informed of signs and symptoms, how to avoid getting sick, and other topics like how to avoid fraud and scams during COVID-19
- Spiritual care: participants can choose to participate in prayer and reflections via telephone with staff and other participants; many seniors are seeking spiritual support to cope with the impact of COVID-19
Trinity Health PACE is uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive care for seniors during this time. Would you like to learn more about our care during COVID-19? Contact us.