A new partnership between senior care agencies in Ramona and San Marcos is being touted as the link needed to expand care options for seniors in North County.
In the last month, Always Sunny Ramona Senior Day Club and the Gary and Mary West PACE nonprofit in San Marcos have agreed to work together in an effort to serve more people ages 55 and older who need supplemental care, meal services, and assistance with paying for medications and medical care.
The partnership combines PACE’s ability to provide insurance programs to seniors through Medicaid and Medicare with Always Sunny’s senior caregiving services.
Now, seniors who would otherwise go to PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) for services have the option to go to Always Sunny, said Mary Jurgensen, PACE community outreach director.
For residents of Ramona, Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Escondido, that may mean seniors and their caregivers can save a half-hour or more of driving time, Jurgensen said.
“It’s been a challenge convincing seniors to get into a van to come to our center,” she said. “If they had to come once a week for social engagement they weren’t sure they wanted to make the drive.”
“Our purpose is to keep seniors at home and out of nursing homes, and to provide services for seniors so they can age safely at home and avoid institutionalization,” she said. “This partnership allows us to serve more people. It’s taking the concept of serving someone where they want to be served. We’re not telling them where to go, we’re meeting them where they’re at.”
Always Sunny provides structured activities to promote mental stimulation, physical health and social interaction among seniors from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays at its day club at 2138 San Vicente Road.
On a typical day, the club serves about a dozen seniors 55 years old and older, owner Janna York said. Some of them may have mobility issues, dementia or other conditions that make it unsafe for them to be home alone, York said.
Usually, a husband or wife drops off their spouse, or an adult child living in a multigenerational home drops off a parent or in-law, she said. The service provides respite care so the caregiver can run errands or spend quality time with friends and relatives while seniors can participate in activities and have meals with their own group of friends, she said.
“We provide as much care as a professional in-home caregiver,” York said of her program, which opened last Thanksgiving. “If people need a special diet, we can help with that. If they need to be fed we can help with that, too. It’s considered non-medical care.”
Always Sunny staff , who number one staff per eight , keep the visiting seniors busy, she said. “The seniors can come home after a day well spent and they don’t need as much entertaining or care.”
The fee for the program is $120 per day.
Although Always Sunny charges less than a typical in-home caregiver, which could run $40 per hour, some low-income seniors may not be able to afford the services, York said.
That’s where PACE comes in, by covering the costs of care at Always Sunny with Medicaid and Medicare funding, said York and Jurgensen.
Assisted living facilities, sometimes referred to as nursing homes, can charge $5,500 per month or more, Jurgensen said.
“Our primary population and focus is low-income seniors who, due to the high cost of living, are at risk of going to a nursing home when they can no longer afford to pay rent or a mortgage,” she said. “Private home care is far too expensive.”
Gary and Mary West PACE is one of 164 PACE programs nationwide that are funded by Medicare and Medicaid, Jurgensen said.
The San Marcos location has a day center and is staffed by 130 workers — nurses, physicians, therapists, dieticians and social workers — who focus on keeping seniors safe during the day so they can live at home instead of at a facility, she said. But through PACE’s insurance program, medical expenses are also funded.
“There are no co-pays,” Jurgensen said. “We pay for medication, wheelchairs, extra home care and we provide transportation to and from medical appointments and to the day center where they can have meals, therapy and social engagement.”
Like Always Sunny, PACE offers seniors activities and social engagement, but through their new partnership seniors have the option to go to either location.
Seniors who are struggling with their health or are isolated after friends or move away can find assistance at either center by g up with PACE, Jurgensen said. Before the partnership, seniors would pay the full cost of care provided at Always Sunny, but now PACE can cover the costs through Medicare and Medicaid similar to other insurance providers such as Blue Shield, Blue Cross or Kaiser Permanente.
Since Gary and Mary West PACE was founded five years ago, Jurgensen said the nonprofit has formed similar partnerships with AmeriCare Adult Day Health Center in San Marcos, Poway Adult Day Center and the Foundation for Senior Care in Fallbrook.
“Some seniors may not know they qualify for Medicaid and our team can help them apply for that,” she said. “The vast majority of seniors are living on between $600 and $800 a month. They can’t pay for rent and buy food so, oftentimes, they’re sharing rooms or going without medication.
“PACE is a big help by providing services such as meal deliveries and medication. A social worker can help seniors navigate resources and potentially find them even more help.”
York said she hopes the new partnership can help more seniors use the services of Always Sunny, which is licensed for up to 60 .
“I’d like people to come and check us out,” she said. “The first day is free because we like to make sure it’s a good fit. We’re giving people the freedom to know that seniors are safe and they’ll have a good day. This will help more people and we’re thrilled about that.”
For more information about Always Sunny Ramona Senior Day Club, call the club at 760-654-2818. For more information about the Gary and Mary West PACE program, call 760-280-2230.
