The region’s stay-at-home orders increase challenge for seniors and family caregivers to shop for essentials; Community collection effort alleviates this stress; GoFundMe page established
San Marcos CA— The team at the nonprofit West PACE will host a drive-up collection event for their ongoing “Everyday Necessities Drive for North County Seniors” community campaign. The event, which is open to the public, Tuesday, Dec. 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the Gary and Mary West PACE Center located at 1706 Descanso Avenue in San Marcos. All donors who drive-in to drop-off items at West PACE will receive a coffee and a holiday treat.
Organizers encourage San Diego County businesses, community groups, and individuals to donate new and unused toiletries, games, puzzles, socks, masks and other care items that will be assembled into holiday gift packages and new year bundles. Their goal is to collect hundreds of items to create 200 bundles which will be gifted to vulnerable North County seniors with chronic care needs who rely on West PACE for high-quality, comprehensive, and coordinated healthcare, social services which help them successfully age in place rather than in a nursing home. Local companies and groups have already come on board to support the inaugural Everyday Necessities Drive for North County Seniors hosted by West PACE: San Diego North Economic Development Council, West Health, Devore Realty Group, and Qualicare San Diego.
“Seniors often make difficult decisions between buying food or personal care items,” says Rena Smith, executive director, West PACE. “Since Southern California is in a stay-at-home order and there is a significantly reduced capacity at retail stores, it will be difficult for seniors and family caregivers to shop for the essentials, items that we take for granted everyday,” says Renata Smith, executive director, West PACE. “Our ‘Everyday Necessities Drive for North County Seniors’ is a great opportunity for students and businesses who are looking for a community service project to give back to our senior neighbors in a tangible and immediate way.”
In addition to distributing items during the holiday season, items will also be used to stock the center’s “Care Closet,” where West PACE team members can provide these extras to seniors in need or by request from caregivers throughout the year. The wish list includes: warm clothing accessories like scarves, mittens, gloves, socks; fleece blankets; large print books; games and puzzles; crossword books; masks; hand sanitizer; Kleenex; shampoo; conditioner; lip gloss; hand soap; body wash; women’s lotion; men’s razors; women’s razors; shaving cream; men’s undershirts; toothpaste and toothbrushes; denture kits; toilet paper; and senior friendly manicure kits. A complete wish list of gift ideas is available on westpace.org.
For those who are not able to make it to the Dec. 22 drive-thru event, items can be dropped off at the West PACE center during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., through Dec. 31, 2020. Organizers have also set up a GoFundMe page to collect financial donations for those in the community who are not able to make it to the West PACE center but are interested in supporting the holiday drive efforts.
Learn more about this year’s “Everyday Necessities Drive for North County Seniors” at westpace.org.
Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, is a model of person-centered care that has been shown to reduce rates of emergency room visits, unnecessary hospital admissions, long-term nursing home placements, and reduce the cost of care and the strain on family caregivers. Over 90 percent of PACE participants are able to successfully remain in their homes and communities, many live longer, are more socially engaged and have a better quality of life than those in nursing homes or other institutional settings.
West PACE provides a wide range of services including adult day programs, medical care, social services, dentistry, home care and physical, occupational and speech therapy. Transportation to and from the center and outside medical appointments is provided, as well as social activities, meals, pharmacy, long-term services and supports, and caregiver training and support groups. All services are managed by an interdisciplinary care team to ensure the coordination of care and clear communication to participants and their families.
Medicare and Medi-Cal reimburse PACE for care. If participants are enrolled in Medicare and Medi-Cal, they will pay nothing, or they will pay their Medi-Cal “share of cost.” The program also accepts people enrolled only in Medi-Cal and people who want to pay privately. There are thousands of seniors in the area that may be eligible for enrollment in West PACE. To apply or learn more about eligibility, contact West PACE at (760) 280-2230.
About the Gary and Mary West PACE
The nonprofit Gary and Mary West PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) is part of an innovative, nationwide model of care for vulnerable seniors with chronic care needs offering high-quality, comprehensive and coordinated healthcare, social services and support to enable them to successfully age in place. Established with a grant from the Gary and Mary West Foundation, the Gary and Mary West PACE program was specifically created to be the gold standard by which all PACE programs are measured. The West PACE center is located at 1706 Descanso Ave., San Marcos, CA 92078. Learn more about the program and eligibility requirements online at westpace.org or call us at (760) 280-2230.