AltaMed PACE Opens ACS in San Gabriel Valley, CA

AltaMed Health Services has expanded its senior health care offerings in the San Gabriel Valley of California by opening a new alternative care setting (ACS) to provide PACE participants an additional place to access important medical and social services closer to home. The new facility will serve up to 500 participants who live in West Covina and the neighboring cities of Azusa, City of Industry, Covina and La Puente.

The new facility provides on-site skilled nursing care and features a computer lab, quiet room and game room. A spacious day floor for recreational and social activities offers exercise classes, arts and crafts, meals and nutrition counseling, cultural celebrations, and educational programs.

“Seniors have an increased risk of loneliness and social isolation, making them especially vulnerable to a variety of mental health concerns,” said Esiquio Casillas, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer of PACE at AltaMed. “Every day we see the tremendous impact socialization can have on the physical, mental and emotional health of our participants. Not only are we tending to their health needs, but we’re ensuring they remain socially engaged and active, which can prevent cognitive decline and increase life expectancy.”

For participants like Eduardo Frutis, the AltaMed PACE program has been life changing. “This is my happy place,” he said. “When I enrolled in the program almost a decade ago, my health was in a dire state. Today, I am healthy and happy. The staff treats us like family and takes care of us with love, kindness and compassion.”

AltaMed PACE is one of the nation’s largest PACE providers, serving more than 5,000 participants across 16 sites in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Nearly 6 million people 65 and over live in California, and Los Angeles County is home to roughly a quarter of the seniors in the state, according to the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. In the last five years more than 700,000 people in the state turned 65, and that number is expected to nearly double by 2030. With the senior population rising, there is a greater need for health care services tailored to their unique needs.

For more than 25 years, AltaMed PACE has helped participants avoid nursing homes by receiving the care and services they need to stay safe, comfortable and healthy in their own homes. PACE offers care coordination, transportation, social services, meals and social activities in a positive, comfortable environment.