UCB Case Study_WelbeHealth_BRIE WP-4_UPDATED 7-15-21

national and state policies for elder care evolve, this report offers a depiction of efforts by a provider of the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)—WelbeHealth—to adapt its care delivery in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. [...] The Traditional PACE Model The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a Medicare and Medicaid funded program designed to provide necessary medical and long-term care services to the frail elderly through community-based rather than institutional care. [...] Beyond issues of physical health and safety, the program also had to determine how to engage and support the mental well-being of participants without the regular mealtimes and group activities at the centers. [...] WelbeHealth began using the WelbeLink tablets to engage participants remotely in the types of games and activities that would have occurred at the centers; later in the pandemic, the program also incorporated a companion app into the tablets that allowed participants to socialize with one another. [...] She expressed eagerness for the center to open, “She needs to be engaged for a good portion of the day — come home exhausted and sleep through the night.” From this interview, we see the limits of remote care in the instance of both dementia and family caregiving.