An all-inclusive care program for independent seniors opened its Compton center

Last month AltaMed Health Services opened its first Alternative Care Setting (ACS) in the city of Compton. The facility will provide participants enrolled in their Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) an additional place for them to access services designated by their care team closer to home. 

The 10,000-square-foot facility will serve up to 150 AltaMed PACE participants who live in the area. For its grand opening the community celebrated with food, entertainment and raffle prizes.

The new ACS Compton facility offers recreational and social activities, exercise classes, arts and crafts, meals and nutrition counseling, cultural celebrations and educational programs. Participants who are enrolled in the program will also have access to an on-site physical and occupational room where they can receive rehabilitation therapies to recover and rebuild their functionality. 

The PACE program was first established by Medicare to help independent seniors who are 55 and over with complex medical needs. The program helps participants avoid nursing homes and instead, receive the care and services necessary to help them stay safe and healthy in the comfort of their own home.

“[AltaMed] has become one of the nation’s largest PACE providers, serving almost 4,700 participants across its 11 centers located throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties,” Mayra Suárez, spokesperson for AltaMed said. 

She also said that in the next few months, AltaMed Pace will open four additional ACS facilities in the Southeast Los Angeles area, bringing its number of total locations to 16. Through their AltaMed PACE program it allows seniors to receive specialized care they need while

maintaining independence at home and in their community.

“The AltaMed PACE program has been around for more than 25 years, it has helped seniors avoid nursing homes and at the same time receive care services that they need to stay safe, comfortable and healthy in their own home,” Suárez said.

Dr. Esiquio Casillas, who has been with AltaMed for over 12 years, explained the difference between their program to others is that it provides all inclusive medical services as well as long term care services at their centers. Dr. Casillas is the senior vice president and chief medical officer for the PACE program and Senior Services. 

Regardless of whether a patient is at one of PACE's facilities or at home, they are provided with care coordination, transportation, social services, and meals. AltaMed puts the focus on ‘care,’ and connects seniors with peers in their community. Additionally, the PACE staff is committed to treating participants with dignity, respect and compassion. “PACE uses a team of qualified,

bilingual medical staff to provide seniors with assistance for medical, social, nutritional, and

rehabilitation services,” Dr Casillas said. The PACE program ensures that participants attend all their appointments, get their prescriptions filled, and participate in social activities.

Additionally, Dr. Casillas spoke about the program aiming at minority communities and how it helps families with caregiving staff and seniors who don’t want to be moved to senior homes. “We understand that a lot of families have sentimental values to their homes and our program helps seniors with being comfortably taken care of in their own home. We certainly believe that AltaMed is that entity that advocates for the Latino community,” he said.

Dr. Casillas also mentioned that new ACS facilities will be opening up in the cities of Inglewood, Walnut Park, San Gabriel Valley and West Lake downtown area.

Francis Ochoa is 80 years old and is enrolled in the Compton facility and has her own care staff at home. She said that the PACE program has helped her to not feel alone. “I’m the only daughter. I didn't have siblings growing up, so I decided to have 10 kids but due to the pandemic I learned to live alone on my own.”

Thanks to this new facility, Ochoa said she feels very safe because they pay attention to her needs and the staff is very supportive. “I first started in the main Inglewood center and we have the same things such as doctors, social workers, nurses and staff that creates activities. I needed all of this just being social with everybody and keeping myself busy,” Ochoa said. Some of her favorite recreational activities are swimming, dancing, and exercising.

Currently AltaMed has PACE locations in Covina, East Los Angeles, El Monte, Grand Plaza, Huntington Park, Anaheim, Long Beach, Lynwood, Norwalk, Santa Ana, South Los Angeles and now Compton, which is located at 2616 E. Alondra Blvd.

Medicare-eligible seniors who live in the PACE service area are encouraged to apply. To view PACE service areas by zip code, click here.