Home Away from Home: InnovAge PACE Benefits and Services

Home Away from Home: InnovAge PACE Benefits and Services

With a capacity of 419 people and a building that was built in 2021, InnovAge (formerly Kassito) is by far the largest Adult Day Care facility in the Roanoke Valley. It has 17 centers in five states, while Virginia’s locations include Roanoke, Richmond, Newport News and Charlottesville. InnovAge cares for hundreds of participants in its large building, with experts from multiple disciplines including a physician and two nurse practitioners on campus.

Director Peg Tierney says staff tend to participants needing various levels of care on campus. There are also 14 buses that take participants on day trips.

Bingo is a favorite activity, but occasionally musical performances entertain and there are a variety of activities open to all participants. “The goal,” says Tierney, “is to keep people independent in their homes, to avoid nursing homes. More and more people want that.”

InnovAge is a full participant in the federal PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) program. As both the insurer and provider for each enrolled senior, InnovAge provides all necessary medical care, while also paying for the cost of that care. PACE is voluntary and participants can disenroll anytime. With PACE, there are no lifetime limits and no deductibles, or copayments (copays), for any service, medication or care approved by your interdisciplinary care team.

What you pay for PACE depends on your financial situation. Most people enrolled in the program have Medicare and Medicaid, or are eligible for both, and pay little or nothing (eligibility requirements are to be at least 55; rated as eligible for nursing facility level of care as determined by the state you live in; are able to live safely at home and in the community supported by PACE; and live in a community served by InnovAge).

The InnovAge Virginia PACE center in Roanoke includes transportation to medical appointments and to the center; which has a full primary care clinic with five clinical exam rooms; and four day rooms connected to a large, secure patio where participants enjoy fun activities, entertainment, catch up with friends and more. There is also a day room designated specifically for memory care; a dental suite; a rehabilitation gym for physical and occupational therapies; personal care areas, including showers and restrooms; areas for talking with social workers; a dining room where meals are served and more.

Related services and benefits are provided as determined by each individual’s care team, and can also include medication management, recreational therapy, in home services, nutrition/dietary needs, counseling, vision, speech and hearing services/therapy, respite care and more.

“We provide support for family and caregivers,” says Nursing Services Director Monique Pratt. InnovAge’s medical staff keeps a close look after participants, giving shots, acting as primary care and urgent care.

Learn more about InnovAge services and more at www.InnovAge.com.

If you’re considering adult day care, the area’s options offer terrific opportunities to continue living life on your terms, while enabling you to get out and meet people and stay mentally and physically active.

“Care enhances life,” says Pratt. “It’s like an extended family. [Participants] see our faces every day and we see things that need to be addressed. It is more well-rounded healthcare.”

And for an increasing number, it is a way to improve the enjoyment of advancing age. 
Read Full Article Here. Author: Dan Smith, Roanoker Magazine. 

A dental hygienist shares how she found her passion for oral healthcare and what dental services are offered through PACE.

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Improvements in hearing, speaking, and eating can be life changing. An InnovAge therapist shares the care she provides through PACE and how she helps older adults maintain their independence.

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Decades of Caring for Puebloans, InnovAge’s Dr. Rona Knudsen Takes the Lead Serving Seniors in Need

After 20 years of caring for families at Pueblo Community Health Center, Dr. Rona Knudsen embraces her role as a Center Medical Director for InnovAge PACE, helping vulnerable older adults in the community.

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