SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — PACE CNY workers have found a way to bring care to patients instead of having them come into the office.
“Our principal means of maintaining patient care and handling patients has suddenly been cut off to us and we had to do something different as a result,” said David Heisig, the medical director at PACE CNY.
Normally, they offer a day center for seniors, provide medical care, physical therapy and hair dressing.
But, because of state mandates, they’ve cut back on in-person services, providing them in different ways.
The new mobile medical unit now closes that gap.
Our contact has decreased with these participants due to the pandemic, so that team approach that goes out and looks at all aspects really gets the whole picture of the participant.
Nicole Esposito — Director of Sites Operations with PACE CNY
Once the patient is ready to be seen, a group of medical personnel including doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists head onto one of the vans and go to the patient’s home.
It’s the medical aspect as well as looking at their environment to see if there’s any fall risk, looking in their cupboards to make sure they have enough food. Talking about interactions that they have with people during the day to make sure their socialization needs are being met.
Nicole Esposito — Director of Sites Operations with PACE CNY
Even though they have done at-home visits before, it has never been a team effort.
Now, the tag team takes care of more than 100 patients, seeing dozens each week.
“They are a very frail population who are often socially isolated, so that team going out and even interacting with a person, it makes their day,” said Nicole Esposito with PACE CNY.
This is something that PACE CNY plans on continuing even after the pandemic has ended.
