On Saturday, September 29th from 9:00 am through 1:00 pm, PACE clinical staff from Occupational and Social therapy met with the caregivers of PACE participants to discuss caregiver support. This first annual event was held at Fulton Alley where caregivers were able to discuss with each other issues they were having trying to care for their loved ones and strategic ways to effectively manage their care while at home. The event also featured a continental breakfast and several hours worth of bowling. In attendance from PACE were Lynette Gordon, Director of Clinical & Day Center Services, Social Workers Mae Dumas, Brenda Grayson, Mary Kulas Smith and Occupational Therapist Trisha Ventura.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding its Annual Health & Safety Fair, Thursday, October 25, 2018, from 10:00am until 1:00pm where PACE GNO will participate as a booth sponsor to answer questions about its valued services to the elderly community, Approximately 300-400 people are expected to pass through this fair. It will be held at the New Orleans District Headquarters, 7400 Lake Ave. (River Road), New Orleans, La. 70118. Both the U.S. Corps of Engineers and PACE GNO are proud to promote health and wellness at the upcoming fair.
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The U.S. House of Representatives took decisive action today to address the needs of an increasing number of American families who are straining to provide long-term care to loved ones by passing the Comprehensive Care for Seniors Act (H.R. 6561). Congressional leaders long have seen greater access to Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®) as a key component to improving care for older adults and those with disabilities. The legislation, which passed by unanimous voice vote, directs the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue the final PACE regulation by Dec. 31. ….Read More
“Before I Found PACE” is a new video series that is part of the PACE 2.0 initiative. The series will illustrate the need for expanding PACE through the stories and words of PACE participants and caregivers. Read more . . .
PACE began holding a Tai Chi class at the Shirley Landry Benson PACE Center at St. Cecilia as a pilot program for the State of LA Thursday, June 28, 2018. Lori LeDuff, Physical Therapist at PACE GNO and Alecia Oden, Occupational Therapist at PACE GNO, returned from Baton Rouge last week after becoming certified instructors in Tai Chi for fall prevention, seated Tai Chi, and Tai Chi for arthritis. They will participate in a study with the state of LA on fall prevention.
“Mind-body exercise, such as Tai Chi, is a type of physical exercise that combines physical and cognitive-stimulating activity. Tai Chi focuses on tranquility of mind to achieve longevity through meditation and life style modification. It is an alternate form of aerobic exercise with moderate intensity. Aerobic exercise can delay age-related brain atrophy, increase cerebral blood circulation, and stimulate neural cell regeneration. As an activity to promote cognitive stimulation, the meditation component of Tai Chi can improve attentional focus and executive function through learning a series of choreographed movements in continual sequence. As well, engaging in Tai Chi exercise in group settings allows elderly persons to maintain social contact with others, which can further benefit cognition through stress reduction and peer group support.
Systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies have reported Tai Chi training can improve general cognitive performance, memory, attention, language, and executive functions in older adults, including people with MCI. Effective management of IADL is dependent on memory, attention, and executive functions. Tai Chi can be conceived as an appropriate exercise for elderly persons to preserve cognitive health and functional abilities.”*
Classes will be regularly scheduled and held in the Wellness Center at the PACE GNO Eastbank Center.
*U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health – pub. 2018, Feb. 2; Mei-Yi-io and Diane T.F. Lee
Catholic Charities Archbishop Hannan Community Appeal 2017 had come to a successful end, and to honor the many donors and volunteers, the organization hosted an End of Campaign Celebration on April 25 at Archbishop Gregory Aymond’s residence.
National Nursing Assistants Week has been observed since 1977. This year Nursing Assistants Week is being celebrated June 14th through the 21st. PACE GNO recently gathered its Nursing Assistants for a photograph (as pictured above) at the Shirley Landry Benson PACE Center in celebration of their dedicated service exhibited by the special care and attention provided directly by the Nursing Assistants to PACE participants.
Antonio Dias, Executive Director of PACE Greater New Orleans, was a guest on Catholic Community Radio earlier this month! He called in to share the exciting news that, as of April 2, Hope Haven at St. John Bosco PACE Center in Marrero has extended its hours to include Monday through Friday from 8AM – 5PM, offering additional access to care and services on the Westbank.
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) Master of Occupational Therapy students are facilitating a six session wellness program at PACE GNO’s Shirley Landry Benson Center at St. Cecilia.
The program is based on Life Style Redesign, an innovative approach developed by the University of Southern California that has been shown to improve health and wellness by preventing and managing chronic conditions by building healthier lifestyles.
Trisha Ventura, a long-term member of PACE’s Occupational Therapy team, has been coordinating this effort in conjunction with Shannon Mangum, MPS, LOTR, Assistant Professor and five LSU students: Kristen Bienvenu, Kaitlyn Foret, Sally Richardson, Maggie Smith and Kaleb Spencer.
The group works with PACE participants to enhance their mentality and spirituality and encourage an active lifestyle through open discussions and storytelling. These classes focus on older adults living in the community and apply a strategy that promotes social interaction among the participants and their peers.
The program provides a safe environment for participants to talk amongst themselves rather than engage in one-on-one conversations with program directors.
“This encourages each participant to help each other. Peers are thereby able to set the direction of the activity while keeping the abilities of the group in mind,” said Sally Richardson.
In order to qualify for PACE’s Healthcare & Caregiver services, you must meet the eligibility requirements included in this form. Please complete this form to determine if you are eligible for PACE. If you have any questions, please contact our intake enrollment number at 504-835-0006.
