PACE: The Best Thing We Could Have Done for My Mom

When I talk with callers to the Information & Assistance hotline about PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), I understand what many caregivers are going through because I have lived it myself: I'm not only a community health worker, I'm the primary caregiver for my mother.

For most of my life, my mom was the caregiver in our family. She devoted herself to caring for my older brother, who was disabled, and my grandmother. When they passed away, the emotional toll and the years of putting them first took a significant toll on her health.

At the time, I was living in San Mateo while she was in Napa. I spent hours driving back and forth to take her to medical appointments and help around the house. My siblings

and I were constantly juggling who could take her to appointments, pick up medications, follow up on referrals, and make sure she was getting the care she needed.

It became too much, so I moved back to Napa to be closer, but it still felt like an uphill battle: I found myself constantly advocating for her with her healthcare providers. Referrals took months. Prescription refills could take weeks to be approved, sometimes leaving her without medications she needed. And when I called with questions or concerns, it felt impossible to reach a real person.

When I started working for Information & Assistance and learned about PACE, I realized this was exactly what my mom needed. PACE wasn't just another healthcare program. It was a team of people who would help navigate, coordinate, and advocate for her so she could receive the healthcare and support services she needed to stay healthy, independent, and safely in her own home.

Looking back now, enrolling my mom in PACE was one of the best decisions our family has ever made:

She now has a team of doctors, nurses, therapists, and specialists who work together to make sure her needs are met. Instead of me trying to coordinate everything, her care team handles appointments, prescriptions, referrals, and follow-up care.

PACE helped us arrange for an in-home caregiver. For years, I helped my mom after work and on weekends, but on weekdays she would still insist on doing everything herself. It took a fractured back from trying to move a couch before she agreed to accept help. Now, a trusted caregiver comes to her home several days a week. It’s made an incredible difference: My mom maintains her independence, but she has support when she needs it, and I have peace of mind knowing someone is there to help her and provide companionship while I'm at work.

The Adult Day Health Program has been a real blessing. Before PACE, my mom spent too much time alone at home. Now she attends the Adult Day Health program, a benefit of PACE, twice a week, where she has found a community of friends and enjoys activities that keep her engaged and active. She also receives physical therapy, which has helped her maintain her mobility and strength and manage the aches and pains that come with aging.

PACE improved her medication management. Like many older adults, my mom rarely questioned the medications she was prescribed and didn't always understand how they worked or why she was taking them. PACE reviewed everything, explained each medication in a way that made sense, and created a clear plan. Her prescriptions are now managed properly and delivered to her.

PACE gives my mom access to vision and dental care she postponed for years. She has received cataract surgery and new glasses, dramatically improving her quality of life. Dental care had always been a challenge because finding affordable services was difficult, but now she receives the dental care she needs through PACE. PACE also provides supplies like incontinence products and helps with services that many families don't realize can make a big difference.

For years, I carried the constant worry that comes with caring for someone you love, and worried if I was doing enough. PACE helped lift that weight, giving my mother support, dignity, independence, and a team that cares about her well-being, and allowing me to spend less time worrying and more time simply being her daughter.

As a community health worker, I often speak with families who are overwhelmed with navigating the healthcare system while caring for a loved one. Their stories remind me of my own family's journey. Because of our own experience, I encourage every eligible client and family I work with to learn about PACE.

I truly believe it can be life-changing, because I've seen the difference it has made in our family.

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