El Paso Senior AdvisorWhat is PACE, and is it available in El Paso?
Yes. PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is offered in El Paso by Bienvivir Senior Health Services, which joined the national PACE demonstration in 1992 and was approved as a permanent PACE provider in 2003; it covers all medical and long-term care for enrolled members through its own centers and team.
Bienvivir's centers include 2300 McKinley Avenue ((915) 562-3444) and 940 N. Carolina Drive ((915) 599-8812), and HHSC's directory lists both as licensed adult day sites. PACE members receive primary care, day center attendance, therapy, transportation, prescriptions, home care and, when needed, nursing facility care, coordinated by one team. Members must use PACE's providers.
Who can enroll in PACE through Bienvivir?
People 55 or older who live in the program's El Paso service area, meet nursing facility level of care and can live safely in the community with PACE support can enroll; for those with Medicaid there is generally no premium, and others can pay a monthly premium privately.
Call Bienvivir to confirm the service area for your parent's address and the enrollment steps, which include a home visit and an assessment. PACE suits people with several chronic conditions who want to stay home and are comfortable with one organization coordinating everything. It is a poor fit for someone determined to keep a long-standing doctor outside the program.
What are DAHS adult day centers, and who pays for them?
Day activity and health services (DAHS) centers are HHSC-licensed adult day programs that provide weekday supervision, meals, activities, nursing oversight and help with personal care, paid by Texas Medicaid or the state's community care programs for eligible participants and by families privately.
HHSC licenses 24 adult day (DAHS) centers in El Paso County, from 80 to 380 licensed participants. El Paso County has more licensed centers than almost any Texas county outside the Rio Grande Valley, and many offer transportation and bilingual staff. Ask each center about its hours, meals, dementia experience and how it handles a participant who becomes ill during the day.
What are Community Attendant Services and Primary Home Care?
Community Attendant Services (CAS) and Primary Home Care (PHC) are Texas community care programs that pay licensed agencies for attendant help with personal care and household tasks for eligible people at home; CAS serves people with somewhat higher income under Medicaid rules, and HHSC determines the hours.
These programs are separate from STAR+PLUS HCBS and can help people who need attendant care but not nursing facility level of care. Ask the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging or 2-1-1 which program fits, and whether there is an interest list. El Paso County has 108 agencies licensed for personal assistance services alone, more than the number of assisted living and nursing facilities combined.
What does the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging provide?
The Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging, run by the Rio Grande Council of Governments at 8037 Lockheed Drive, provides information and referral, care coordination with purchased services such as meals, in-home help, adult day, transportation and minor home repair, benefits counseling, caregiver support and the ombudsman program for people 60 and older.
Call (915) 533-0998 or 1-800-333-7082. Its services are not means-tested in the same way as Medicaid, but funding is limited, so ask about waiting lists. It also serves Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Presidio and Brewster counties.
Side by side
| Community care in El Paso can | Community care in El Paso cannot | |
|---|---|---|
| PACE | Cover all medical and long-term care for enrolled members | Let members keep outside doctors |
| Adult day | Provide weekday care, meals and nursing oversight | Cover nights and weekends |
| Attendant care | Pay licensed agencies for set weekly hours | Pay family caregivers under every program |
| AAA services | Coordinate meals, respite and benefits help | Replace Medicaid for long-term care |
Sources: Texas Health and Safety Code chapters 142, 242 and 247; 26 Texas Administrative Code chapters 553, 554, 558 and 559; HHSC program handbooks; CareScout, CMS and VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
