Chamber of Commerce

} } S PACEetting the By Nathan Walls A new program will breathe new life into elderly care for eligible participants in Cumberland, Moore, Harnett, Hoke and Robeson counties. Scheduled to open in the fall of 2010, LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines is building a comprehensive adult day healthcare facility to provide PACE services at 4900 Raeford Road in Fayetteville. LIFE stands for Living Independently for Elders. Program services will be coordinated from a 27,000-square-foot center in Fayetteville and will become the third of its kind and the largest in the state of North Carolina. Participants must be 55 years of age or older, live in a designated service area, be eligible for Medicaid nursing facility care and still have the ability to live safely at home. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model of services will include physical therapy, occupational therapy, a medical clinic, specialists, transportation to specialists’ offices, a physician, home health care services, social worker support, meals, medication, nutritional counseling and daily recreational and social activities for participants. Transportation is provided unless the individual or family requests otherwise. Another benefit the service will bring is an opportunity to make new friends. “There will be activities for them to participate in, so there will be a social environment that they are a part of,” said Ken Cormier, president and CEO of St. Joseph of the Pines. And for participants’ family members, they can carry on with their daily lives, knowing their loved ones are receiving good care. “I have seen a lot of professional people who want to take good care of their parents Want to learn more? For a complete list of local nursing facilities, adult daycares and assisted living centers, visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services at www.dhhs.state.nc.us. or grandparents and they still have to work during the day,” said Karen Oldham, program director for LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines. “So, having a facility and being able to rely on a team of professionals that they feel comfortable with is a blessing to so many families.” After opening similar facilities in Wilmington and Burlington, which have been open for about two years, LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines did a feasibility study of Cumberland County and surrounding counties and understood there was a need for a PACE program. The analysis revealed there were about 1,300 LIFE-eligible persons in and around Cumberland County. The program plans to serve up to 225 people in Fayetteville. At full capacity, as many as 70 full-time employees are projected. The program plans to hire both medical and support staff with a total annual payroll expense in excess of $1.1 million. The new facility represents an investment in excess of $5 million. www.FayettevilleNCChamber.org | 63

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