W
hen Clint Allison’s father had a
stroke in 2010, he stepped in to
provide the round-the-clock care
his father, Bob, required. But not
long into his father’s recovery, Allison
realized he couldn’t do it alone, even
with the help of his wife and children.
“We were doing everything for him,”
Allison says. “Even though we had in-
home supportive services, the number
of hours it took to care for my dad far
exceeded the number we could receive
through the state. It just wasn’t enough
for him to get better.”
Then Allison’s brother happened
upon an article about Sutter Health’s
SeniorCare PACE (Program of All-In-
clusive Care), which has provided Sac-
ramento County residents ages 55 and
older the option of a complete health
plan for more than 25 years.
The national nonprofit cares for the
“whole person” with a team of doctors,
nurses, therapists, social workers, aides
and drivers who collectively provide
medical services and home health care.
In late 2018, the non-profit Sutter
Health opened a new 45,000-square-
foot, state-of-the-art medical and recre-
ational complex in Sacramento’s River
District. The new space can accommo-
date up to 1,000 patients per day.
PACE services allow patients to age
in place, meaning they can stay in their
homes as they grow older with the help
of home health care, as well as trans-
portation to and from activities and
appointments, instead of opting for full-
time residence at a nursing home.
“PACE is about giving seniors who are
sick enough to be in a nursing home the
option to maintain their independence,”
says Philip Chuang, vice president of
strategy and business development for
Sutter Care at Home, which oversees
SeniorCare PACE. “We want our clients
to be able to continue living their lives
with the health care piece made easier.”
“We noticed an
immediate improvement
once we got my dad into
PACE. Now he’s meeting
friends, taking classes
and doing things I’ve
never seen him do.”
—Clint Allison, son of Sutter Health SeniorCare
PACE patient
To qualify for PACE, an individual
55 years of age or older must meet
the requirement for skilled-nursing
home care as determined by an
interdisciplinary team assessment and
certified by the California Department
of Health Care Services; reside in the
service area (county and ZIP); and be
able to live in the community without
jeopardizing his or her health or safety.
PACE is also a health plan option for
those on Medi-Cal and Medicare.
“We noticed an immediate improve-
ment once we got my dad into PACE,”
Allison says. “Now he’s meeting friends,
taking classes and doing things I’ve nev-
er seen him do. To be able to see him
improving at this time in his life is a
godsend.”
Allison says he especially appreci-
ates the transportation aspect of the
program. PACE patients are picked up
at their homes by professional drivers
and transported to the day center, on
field trips to stores and activities like
River Cats minor league baseball games,
or to medical appointments around the
city — and dropped off at home at the
end of the day.
“It’s been a huge relief to our family,”
Allison says. “Caring for an aging parent
can be such a burden that you end up
losing the connection with your parent.
PACE gives you the opportunity to not
go down that road, removing the bur-
den so you can just enjoy your time with
them.” n
Jessica Laskey is a freelance writer and
professional actress based in Sacramen-
to. Her work can also be seen in Inside
Publications, Sacramento Magazine,
Sactown Magazine and The Sacramen-
to Bee. Read more at jessicalaskey.com.
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