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One reason Providence ElderPlace participants remain healthy is because of all the medical and social services they receive through the Providence ElderPlace program. Read more about it and some participants who are benefitting below. Meanwhile, if you have any comments about this or anything else in this newsletter, please contact Jenny Kentta at Jenny.kentta@providence.org. |
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 From PT to homecare, Providence ElderPlace participants receive a variety of services
Working together like a well-rehearsed orchestra, the staff that make up the Providence ElderPlace ancillary services team help keep participants healthy and living in the community for as long as possible.
The ancillary services staff includes physical and occupational therapists, home-care workers, dieticians, audiologists, optometrists, clinic and home-care nurses and many others. Working together with the clinic physicians, these team members help maintain Providence ElderPlace's model of care known as PACE, for Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly, to deliver comprehensive health care and social services all under one umbrella.
Physical and occupational therapists help participants maintain or improve their physical skills. For instance, the physical therapist might work on participants' ability to walk or transfer safely and independently from their bed to their wheelchair, while the occupational therapist might help a participant with specific activities of daily living, such as dressing.
Providence ElderPlace also employs several home-care workers who visit participants as often as necessary to help with chores such as housekeeping or assistance with daily tasks, such as bathing or brushing their teeth. Providence ElderPlace also dispatches visiting nurses to participants' homes to provide closer oversight to those who might have difficulty getting to the Providence ElderPlace Seattle (PEPS) main clinic in the Rainier Vista redevelopment or the Providence ElderPlace Seattle-West (PEPS-West) clinic in West Seattle. Visiting nurses at times make a one-time visit to assess a participant's condition or to teach a nurse's aide how to provide care. Other times the nurse sees participants several times a week, perhaps to help with wound care or to check on them after surgery.
The Providence ElderPlace registered dietician meets individually with participants to help adjust their diets in response to their medical conditions. "If a participant has kidney disease and needs a low-salt diet, the dietician will help them with menu planning," said Laurie Short, Providence ElderPlace nursing manager.
The optometrist visits the Providence ElderPlace clinic several times a month to check participants' vision and make referrals to specialists as needed, while the audiologist comes to the clinic every other month.
All of these services are vital to keep participants healthy "Regardless of their role, all these professionals are dedicated to providing the highest level of care to our participants," Short said. "All take real pride in knowing they are part of a unique and important program - of something truly special."
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Meet participant Kathleen Higgins
 For almost three decades following her first seizure and diagnosis of epilepsy, Kathleen Higgins has wanted one thing: To eliminate the medications that derailed her with side-effects.
"I was heavily medicated. My thinking was greatly distorted," Higgins, 69, said recently from the assisted living facility where she lives. "I was depressed, and at one point I was shaking so much, it was like I had Parkinson's disease," she said.
Higgins had been seeing several different doctors and felt her care and prescriptions were not being managed in a coordinated way. Then, toward the end of last year, her son suggested Higgins consider joining Providence ElderPlace, with its signature coordination of healthcare and social services.
"My son was excited about the idea of having all my doctors under one roof," Higgins said. And having other services, such as physical therapy, vision and dental care, also managed by the same group was appealing.
Higgins joined Providence ElderPlace last December, and under the ElderPlace team's careful direction, she was able to wean herself of some medications, and she is more than pleased with the results. "My emotions and my attitude got much more positive and I was actually able to feel uplifted, joyful," she said.
Higgins also appreciates the progress she's made with the help of Providence ElderPlace's physical therapists. "My balance has improved. I went from completely dependent on my walker to walking well with my cane, and even some walking without my cane."
Higgins does not think she will ever be medication-free, but is buoyed by the progress she's made so far under Providence ElderPlace's watcheful eye. "I have a definite upswing in my life - my body, my mind, my spirit," she said. "I'm satisfied with where I am."
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Meet the ElderPlace homecare aides
 Although Providence ElderPlace participants do not live in nursing homes, many enjoy the benefits of close, attentive care, thanks to a flock of nursing assistants who make frequent home visits.
Some Providence ElderPlace participants live in assisted living facilities or adult family homes, while others live in the community with family members or in supportive independent senior apartments under contract with Providence ElderPlace.
While the homecare aides do not give residents medication, they can keep an eye on whether prescriptions are taken appropriately, said Sheila Rodriguez, Providence ElderPlace's home care supervisor. Providence ElderPlace's nursing aides primarily help participants with daily living activities, such as bathing, dressing and toileting. They can fix participants' breakfast or other meals, and do laundry and other household chores.
The frequency of the home care visits depends on the participant's needs. Some caregivers might come several times a week, while other staff is available around-the-clock for participants who live in supportive housing.
The home caregivers are an important part of the Providence ElderPlace team and talk frequently with clinic staff and alert them to any concerns they have about a participant's welfare. Since the homecare assistants see participants so frequently, "they are the first line in noticing if anything needs attention," Rodriguez said.
The most important thing the home caregiver provides is a bond with the participant, said Rodriguez, who works to keep turnover low so that such bonds can develop and flourish over time.
"Once that bond is formed, the participant is very happy," Rodriguez said. As that relationship develops, it provides comfort to the participant and their family members, who can breathe easier that their loved one is being well cared for.
"One of the things that we all cherish so much is our independence," Rodriguez said. "The homecare aides help make sure our participants are allowed to do all the things that they can do, and we assist with the things they can't."
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Cooking with Class fundraiser - a recipe for fun
By Corina Kroll, referral specialist
 Join 22 of the area's top chefs during our annual Cooking with Class event and fundraiser on Sept. 13 at Salty's on Alki.
The event matches 176 guests with the chefs, who each teach three 30-minute classes. Each guest attends three classes to create a dish hands-on with the chefs. Every dish is paired with a wine donated by exceptional wineries.
This spectacular occasion provides an intimate setting that allows guests to get to know the chefs and learn their tips. In addition to cooking, eating, and wine tasting, guests will have the opportunity to participate in a raffle of culinary items and a small live auction. John Curley, a KIRO radio personality and former host of Evening Magazine, and Jeremy McLachlan, executive chef at Salty's on Alki, will act as the auction tag team. Once again Andaluca Chef Wayne Johnson's will offer his wild chef pants for auction!
The event raises money to support the valuable programs provided by Providence ElderPlace and Providence Heritage House at the Market. The volunteer team procures donations for the auction and raffle. Salty's on Alki has donated its entire banquet floor for the past nine years and will do so again this year. Local chefs donate their time and product, wineries donate wine to pair with the chefs' dishes, and many local businesses donate items to help make the event a success.
To register online, visit www.seattledining.com/cwc, or contact Connie Adams at 206-283-9067 or connie@seattledining.com. Cost is $125 per person. Check-in begins at 6 p.m. Guests must be pre-registered. Salty's on Alki is located at 1936 Harbor Ave. SW, Seattle.
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What is
Providence ElderPlace?
Providence ElderPlace is an innovative program of health care and social services for older adults. Our model of care
is known as PACE
(Program for All Incluisive Care for the Elderly).
PACE programs keep
older adults as healthy
as possible in the community by providing comprehensive health
care and social services including: primary and specialty medical care,
a day health program, social work services, rehabilitation, housing
and much more.
4515 MLK Jr Way S,
Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98108
Phone: (206) 320-5325
Fax: (206) 320-5326
Driving Directions >
Email Us >
Visit our website! >
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Wish List
Do you have any items
to donate? If you have
any of the items listed below please email
Susan Disman or call
206-320-5325.
- Small stuffed animals (new or gently used)
- Personal care items
- Gardening pots
- iPad
- Xbox, Kinect and games
- Earphones
- Markers and crayons
- Perfume
- Unopened makeup
- Unopened nail polish
- Balloons
- Photo books
- Playing cards
- Trivia books
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