InnovAge

The deep and personal commitment from our InnovAge teams to support seniors, their families, and the community - shined bright - in the wake of back-to-back hurricanes in Florida. Throughout Hurricane Milton, our Tampa staff kept a close eye on our senior participants, making sure they had safe shelter and supplies. This short video will warm your heart... as our staff reopens the center and welcomes participants with open arms. https://lnkd.in/g7SdTX-5 Following the storms, we brought our specialized care to the community. InnovAge partnered with Metropolitan Ministries to bringing warm meals and water to close to 200 hundred seniors devastated by Hurricane Milton and Helene. Still living amid destruction, our clinicians provided “psychological first aid” to some seniors, to help ease the stress and emotional hurt brought by such an event. Watch this short video to experience a community coming together to recover. https://lnkd.in/gRaXJNz9 Thank you to our teams... for being the heart and soul of InnovAge.

Hey bright, beautiful people! The InnovAge LIFE/PACE Pennsylvania Allegheny center wrapped up Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a special celebration filled with color, joy, and wisdom. "Stay on top of your health, find purpose, and love the ones you're with," said wise participant Jessie Williams. It's impossible not to smile back:) Thank you Allegheny team for making our participants and their loved ones feel special every day!

It has been a busy October for InnovAge PACE in Pennsylvania, where our Allegheny, Henry Avenue, and Pennypack leaders and staff hosted and participated in several events championing independent living and healthy aging. Every event helped to chart the way forward for a better quality of life for seniors. Thank you all for your great work! AGING IN PENNSYLVANIA SUMMIT: In Harrisburg, Rachel Liebman, DO, State Medical Director-InnovAge Pennsylvania LIFE/PACE, joined an informative discussion on the topic “Preparing and Planning for Aging in PA.” Covering key areas such as housing, transportation, workforce, healthcare, economic security, and safety, the panel focused on strategies to transform Pennsylvania’s aging services system over the next decade to promote health, well-being, and independence for a state with one of the oldest populations in the nation. FALL HEALTH RESOURCE FAIR: At our InnovAge Pennsylvania LIFE Pennypack location in Philadelphia, we hosted a resource fair that brought together organizations and resources dedicated to supporting seniors in the community, and providing adults and their caregivers with valuable tips for navigating this chapter of life. Among our special guests were State Senator Jimmy Dillon and State Representative Pat Gallagher, who posed for photos with InnovAge Outreach Specialist Jeannie Bowen. SENIOR STRUT: Presented by Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), this annual health event included a one-mile walk and the opportunity for hundreds of attendees to participate in a wide range of wellness activities, while learning about programs and services dedicated to senior health. InnovAge PACE was there to join in the fun. We enjoyed meeting with seniors and their families, and shared the benefits of the PACE care model that provides customized healthcare and social support at our centers throughout the Philadelphia area, while allowing seniors to remain living independently. NAMIWalk: Also in Philadelphia, InnovAge PACE had the pleasure of assembling a walk team and raising $1,210 to benefit the important work of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization. We share in NAMI’s mission of breaking the stigma and improving access to mental health care. For everyone who walked, donated, and supported our efforts on Walk day – we thank you for making a meaningful difference!

Awesome Job Dr. Johnson! “One thing that makes PACE different from other health care options is the relationships we build,” said Dr. Joseph Johnson, InnovAge PACE Lakewood Center Medical Director. FOX/CW’s Great Day Colorado interviewed Johnson before the center’s (10/24/24) EVENT. “I’ve been taking care of some individuals for my entire 9 years at the Lakewood center. When I know you were a pageant queen from Alamosa, Texas 50 years ago, and that you weren’t taking your insulin because you don’t like needles, that makes a difference in the quality of your care,” he said. Johnson shared how most people enrolled in PACE pay little to nothing for all of their health care needs, and that includes access to an extensive healthcare team. “When folks enroll in PACE, they have at least an 11 member health care team that gets to intimately know them over their health care trajectory and everyone is practicing at the top of their license. We share information. We collectively know you and want to know you so we can spend that time well, because there are a lot of different ways that folks can spend the last 10, 15, 20 years of their lives.” The Lakewood center is having an OPEN HOUSE, THIS THURSDAY 10/24/24, where folks can tour the center, watch a presentation, meet the health care team, learn more about PACE, and find out if PACE is right them or their loved ones. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/g65KpSRr WATCH FULL INTERVIEW HERE: https://lnkd.in/geADrv9Z

Our deep bench of experienced leaders and healthcare professionals shined at this year's 2024 National PACE® Association Conference! A round of applause for everyone's efforts! Thank you to InnovAge PACE leadership, clinicians, and staff who did an incredible job representing the company leading panels, joining committees, and engaging in activities. Congratulations to Dr. Randy Ferrance, Courtney Despos, PT, DPT, OCS, Olivia Patton, Dr. Ann Wells, Leslie Minna, PsyD, MBA, MS, Ray Fullerton, and Stephanie Wilson for leading insightful and valuable panel discussions. In "There is Something We Can Do Better: Living and Dying Through Good Communication and Care" Courtney shared successes with the company's CCT (Comfort Care Team) and VANs (Visiting After Hours Nurses) programs, while Dr. Ferrance shared heartfelt experiences in meeting people's life goals. "We talk to people at the most vulnerable time in their lives. We need to know where they want to go with this. What you all do is so important," said Ferrance. "This is the best presentation I've seen yet," said one attendee, during Olivia Patton's discussion on "CMS Audits: Tips for Success." Olivia and her co-panelist outlined experiences, tips, activities, and a clear path on how to successfully prepare for the inevitable audit for any PACE organization. Leslie Minna and her co-panelists, facilitated by Dr. Ann Wells, shared the importance of helping other care team members "speak and spread the language of behavioral health" in their discussion "Lessons Learned in Behavioral Health Integration Across PACE Organizations." Dr. Wells also guided Stephanie Wilson's panel on "Top 6 Medicare Risk Adjustment Initiatives," helping attendees with chart reviews, avoiding missed diagnosis, improving risk scores and recapture rates, and with a comprehensive reporting and analytics plan. Ray Fullerton's panel discussion on "Lessons Learned and Best Practices for Preparing for Financial Audits" helped others identify CMS requirements, emerging issues, areas of scrutiny, and how to better prepare the next big development. Great Job Team! A final thought from NPA's keynote speaker: Mitch Albom wrote the hit book "Tuesdays with Morrie." He did a series of interviews with his high school teacher as Morrie was dying from ALS. Mitch talked about what he learned from his dear friend about life. "Morrie likened himself to a leaf right before it was going to fall, at its peak of brilliance, with all the fall colors of the day," said Mitch. "Investing in relationships, making meaningful connections, and learning from those who have lived the longest keeps us alive. You are doing this with PACE."

Creativity and color were in full bloom last Saturday at InnovAge Colorado PACE-Pueblo. Our Craft Fair showcased the work of both participants and staff, with everything from flower arrangements to quilts to jewelry to paintings for sale (for a nominal fee covering supplies and labor). Residents of Pueblo were invited to attend, and they enjoyed the diversity of the artwork, as well as the opportunity to learn more about everything InnovAge PACE offers to local seniors and their families. The inaugural Craft Fair was such a success, the Center plans to make this an annual event!

In the town known as “the home of heroes,” this was the perfect presentation. InnovAge Colorado PACE–Pueblo recently welcomed Tom Tudor, one of a select group of military sentinels and commanders responsible for guarding The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. He spoke to InnovAge PACE participants about the history of the Tomb, which honors soldiers who died in service without identification. Based in Colorado Springs, Tom is one of many veterans in our area, including a record number of Medal of Honor recipients. Our Pueblo Center alone has 43 participants who are proud veterans! Tom’s audience thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this meaningful memorial, and he plans to return to InnovAge PACE in March for Women’s History Month, with a presentation on The Women of Arlington. #TomboftheUnknownSolider #lifelonglearning #puebloveterans

Our InnovAge Florida PACE Tampa and Orlando centers will be closed for the rest of this week due to Hurricane Milton. We urge all of our participants and their families to take all precautions necessary to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. We will continue to reach out directly to all of our participants and their caregivers to share important information, guidance, and support. If it is an emergency please call 911. Otherwise, we will have center staff, as well as staff in other locations, prepared to help.

InnovAge PACE leaders in the spotlight! Check out the recent #PopHealthPodcast episode as Maria Lozzano and Shadie Qaqish share insights on PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), and why it’s often referred to as “the best-kept secret in health care.” Host Gavin Ward has personal experience with the PACE program, having toured our center in Crenshaw, CA, where he was “blown away” by the modern, technology-driven facility and the warmth and energy of the InnovAge PACE team. Thanks to Gavin and 24 Hour Home Care for leading a lively and informative discussion!

While fall prevention is a serious topic, InnovAge PACE Centers brought the fun to a week-long celebration: FALLAPOLOOZA! Led by our physical therapists, participants enjoyed games, skits, and informative sessions focused on raising awareness of ways to prevent falls, the leading cause of injuries and death for adults 65 and older. Here are a few highlights from last week’s creatively themed Fall Prevention Month activities at InnovAge PACE Centers nationwide: Crenshaw, CA:  Name That Tune for songs with “fall” in the title, and Fall Trivia, Family Feud style! Denver, CO:  Name That Tune, Fall Bingo, Fall Charades (great teamwork and lots of laughs), Falls Trivia (goodie bags for the winners), and Fall Scavenger Hunt (even more goodies at the end of the hunt!). Orlando, FL:  Fall Bingo, fall prevention discussions, and coloring activities. Roanoke, VA:  Name That Tune, Fall Bingo, and a skit with Ms. Magoo and her cat, Mischief, demonstrating the importance of safety around pets. Tampa, FL:  Group discussions with personal stories of falls, identifying hazards in the home (including pets – using a stuffed monkey for laughs), and great giveaways (including nightlights, gripper socks, and InnovAge coolers). Thornton, CO:  Strengthening exercises to help prevent falls, risk assessments, selfie photo frames, and the chance to spin the wheel for prizes. Thanks to our amazing InnovAge PACE team for making Fallapolooza an entertaining and educational week for all!