FAQS

PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) delivers all needed medical and supportive services. The program provides the entire spectrum of care and services to seniors with chronic care needs while maintaining their independence in their homes for as long as possible.

The PACE model of care can be traced to the early 1970s. The Chinatown-North Beach community of San Francisco saw the pressing needs of families whose elders had immigrated from Italy, China and the Philippines for long-term care services. On Lok Senior Health Services, a nonprofit corporation, was the first to create a community-based system of care in San Francisco.

There are over 100 PACE providers like Senior CommUnity Care of North Carolina nationwide.

The average PACE program participant is 77 years old, has 7.9 medical conditions and is limited in roughly three activities of daily living. Despite a high level of care needs, more than 95 percent of PACE participants are able to continue to live in the community.

PACE serves people who are age 55 or older. They must be certified by their state to need nursing home care. They must also be able to live safely in the community at the time of enrollment and live in a PACE service area.

Please visit our PACE Center in Durham to inquire about eligibility, services and becoming a participant. For our location, please see our Services section. You can also call our PACE marketing director at 919.425.3050.

Yes. If a person meets the income and assets limits to qualify for Medicaid, the program pays for a portion of the monthly PACE premium. Medicare pays for the rest. If a person does not qualify for Medicaid, he or she is responsible for the portion of the monthly premium Medicaid would pay. PACE staff can help determine a person’s Medicaid eligibility.

Yes. We provide transportation to and from the PACE Center. Not only is transportation provided between the participant’s home and the Center, but also to important medical appointments and other activities.

No. The average participant attends the Center about three days a week.

We offer all heath care related services based on individualized needs, allowing the participant ability to continue living in the community, cost savings and much more. For a complete list of services that Senior CommUnity Care of North Carolina provides, please visit our Services section.

Yes. All prescription and over-the-counter drugs deemed necessary by the PACE care team are covered by Senior CommUnity Care of North Carolina.

Not at this time. When a person enrolls in Senior CommUnity Care of North Carolina, he or she is assigned a primary care physician who is part of a care team skilled in treating seniors. This primary care physician works with the team to coordinate all services a participant receives.

We support your family members and other caregivers with training, support groups and respite care. This helps families keep their loved ones in the community.

A participant is free to dis-enroll from our program and resume their benefits in the traditional Medicare and Medicaid programs at any time.

You can volunteer at our PACE Health Center. Contact us at 919.425.3000 for details.