EXTENDING BEYOND PACE

Most elders in the U.S. do not have access to comprehensive medical and long-term care that will maintain their best possible health and help them live in their own homes and avoid nursing homes. About 55,000 low-income elders in many states benefit from the comprehensive array of medical care and long-term care that PACE programs provide, but most elders in the country do not have access to such care.

The situation for frail elders with moderate or middle income can be frightening. Elders must patch together with great effort the services they need to remain in their homes and communities. Medicare covers much of the hospital care, doctors’ care and other medical services that are needed, but coverage for long-term care is very limited. Few elders have private long-term care insurance, which is expensive and often does not cover very extended periods of care that many people ultimately need.

One of Edenbridge’s founding goals is to expand access to comprehensive care to elders with moderate or middle income. Such comprehensive care would include medical care sensitive to the special needs of frail elders, support for mental health needs and cognitive decline, support and therapy to address physical disability, and attention to nutrition.