(Lafayette, CO) — TRU PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) recently received a generous $15,000 grant from the Herbert and Judy Paige Family Foundation in support of their work to provide preventive, primary, acute, and long-term care services that enable elderly individuals to continue living safely in the community.
This grant specifically allows TRU PACE to expand usage of MedaCubes, which are “medication robots” with web portal analytics to help frail elders take their medications as prescribed and maintain their independence. It is a unique, error-proof “bulk loading” of up to 90-days of medications and has several features to help patients and caregivers. This funding is in addition to previous grant support provided by The Paige Foundation.
Dr. Shirley Huang, TRU PACE Medical Director, is especially grateful for this grant. She says, “We jumped at the opportunity to utilize MedaCubes when they first came out, so we were an early adopter of this exclusive technology. It gives peace of mind for caregivers, family members, and clinical staff. It’s a better way to remotely manage medication compliance and control drug diversion risk. Some of our participants even use it to guide their daily routine or as an alarm clock. It enables further independent living at home and staves off facility placement. We feel very fortunate that we can now offer it to more of our participants.”
When asked about her MedaCube, PACE participant Barbara Pol stated, “It has helped me to be able to take my medicine on time and to make sure I’m taking the right dose. I don’t get mixed up and I find it very helpful in that respect.”
TRU PACE, available to people 55 years or older who are certified by the State of Colorado to need nursing-home-level care, currently has 128 participants enrolled. The program supports clients to live as independently as possible and helps participants and their families navigate the complicated issues associated with aging.
Part of the mission of the Herbert and Judy Paige Foundation is to ensure that low-income seniors have necessary healthcare, transportation, housing, and food. In addition to being cared for by an 11-person Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) that includes a primary care physician, occupation therapist, social worker, and dietician; TRU PACE participants have access to dentistry, emergency services, home care, podiatry, and more. Participants enjoy a range of activities which they help to select and facilitate. The past year’s activities included chair yoga, music therapy, holiday parties, labyrinth walks, drama club, Purple Art, and Spanish classes, just to name a few. TRU PACE partners with Via Mobility Services for transportation and Meals on Wheels Boulder for lunches, in addition to having more than 200 contracts with individuals and organizations who enhance the holistic plan of care for each participant.
About TRU PACE
TRU PACE is a program of TRU Community Care. TRU Community Care, founded as Boulder Hospice in 1976, is a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and Weld Counties and beyond. TRU’s mission is to affirm life at every step of your journey with illness and loss. In addition to PACE, TRU offers hospice home care, inpatient hospice services, palliative care, grief services, and community education and outreach. Call 303.449.7740 or visit trucare.org for more information. To learn more or to enroll in the TRU PACE program, individuals should call 303.665.0115 or email pace@trucare.org. More information about TRU PACE can be found at pace.trucare.org.
About the Paige Foundation
The Herbert and Judy Paige Family Foundation was founded in June 2000. The mission of the Paige Foundation is to support education, animals and older adults through our endowment and donor engagement. Herb and Judy created the Paige Family Foundation with the strong belief that, “The basis of all human improvement begins with education.” This ideal drives our educational mission today. For more information please visit www.PaigeFdn.org.
