All-Inclusive Care - CenterLight

Helping Regain and Improve Life Skills: Rehabilitation Services

After an accident or a serious health event, or as part of their long-term care, people often need rehabilitation services such as Physical Therapy (PT) and/or Occupational Therapy (OT).

Physical Therapy

CenterLight Healthcare Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Physical Therapists (PTs) help participants reduce pain and improve or restore mobility, often reducing the need for long-term use of prescription medications.

PTs can teach participants how to prevent or manage their condition so that they may achieve long-term health benefits. PTs examine each participant and develop a plan, using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, improve range of motion, regain strength, improve endurance, and prevent disability.

PTs also work with participants to prevent the loss of movement before it occurs by developing fitness and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles. Trained in exercise programs and rehabilitative interventions, PTs can also help with falls prevention. For older adults who wish to continue to live safely in their own homes, PTs can help with maintaining, restoring, and reaching the individuals’ optimum function.

Occupational Therapy

Through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations), Occupational Therapists (OTs) help participants do the things they want and need to do. This helps them maintain their independence and remain in the community for as long as possible.

Common occupational therapy interventions include providing treatment to individuals recovering from injury to help them regain skills. OTs provide support for those experiencing physical changes as well as rehabilitation and education to help participants perform everyday tasks. These include, but are not limited to, bathing, dressing, cooking, getting in and out of bed, getting in and out of a car, and other Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).

For participants who may be having cognitive issues, OTs can also design exercises with the goal of improving memory and focus.

Open Gym

CenterLight Healthcare PACE centers, located in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, and Westchester, have an open gym available for participants to use. This is supervised by PTs and OTs to ensure safety and help participants get the most out of their exercises. Participants can contact our team to schedule transportation to and from the PACE center, where they can enjoy therapeutic recreation activities and nutritious meals, see their medical provider, and take advantage of the well-equipped open gym.

Working with the CenterLight PACE Care Team

At CenterLight PACE, physical and occupational therapists are part of the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), a group of dedicated professionals who work together to provide participants with the care they need, when they need it. And because our PTs and OTs are working with the full care team, they collaborate with each discipline to provide high quality, holistic care.

This blog post is written by Brendan Geraghty, Director of Rehabilitation at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

H3329 RehabBlog2025 Approved 01282025
Updated 01022025

Social Work at CenterLight Healthcare PACE

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Social Workers are important members of the CenterLight Healthcare Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Interdisciplinary Team (IDT). Every day, our social work professionals collaborate with the rest of the care team to help our participants continue to live safely and independently in their own homes and communities. In this blog post, Kim Sodano, LCSW, LNHA, Director of Social Work at CenterLight Healthcare PACE, discusses the role of social workers in the IDT.

What is the role of a social worker?

Social workers provide counseling, emotional support, referrals, entitlement assistance, and more. CenterLight PACE participants know that social workers are part of their care team, and that they can come to us if they have a question, need assistance, or if they received a bill that they don't understand. We're here to guide them and be there for them as they keep up with the pace of aging.

How does the social worker collaborate with the rest of the care team?

As part of the IDT, social workers are involved in the discussion of effective treatment and any other issues that may affect our participants' care. We make sure that all aspects of the their situation is taken into consideration in their plan of care and addressed accordingly.

Each participant is assigned a social worker.

CenterLight Healthcare PACE participants are assigned a social worker who gets to know them--not only their medical diagnoses, but also their social, behavioral, emotional, and basic needs. Since we are based at the PACE centers, we are always available if they need assistance. Our participants can also call us, and we meet with them at the PACE centers or in their own homes.

Why did you become a social worker?

I became a social worker to make a positive impact toward social change. Being an advocate for individuals and communities while witnessing resilience and transformation is extremely rewarding.

Kim Sodano, LCSW, LNHA, is the Director of Social Work at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

H3329_SocialWork2025Blog Approved 02202025
Last updated January 15, 2025

The Importance of Feeling and Looking Good for Older Adults

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CenterLight Healthcare’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provides care and services that our participants need to help them remain living safely and independently in their own homes. We serve more than 6,300 people every day—and beyond medical and nursing care, physical and occupational therapies, nutrition, social work, and therapeutic recreation services, our team aims to improve the quality of life of those we serve. True to our mission, our goal is to make a difference in our participants’ lives.

Some of our participants’ favorite activities are our “Self-Care” programs, which allow them to relax and enjoy services such as manicures, massages & haircuts from certified individuals. Our Flushing, Wallerstein (Bronx), Westchester, and Stillwell locations even have a dedicated space for a salon/barber shop, while the rest of the sites bring in beauty care experts as part of their special events.*

These types of programs may not be the usual activities that come to mind when you think of healthcare. But at CenterLight PACE, we believe that providing complete care means we provide not only services that our participants need for their physical health, but also those that can help them feel good mentally and emotionally. In essence, we aim to nourish our participants' body and soul.

For CenterLight PACE participants, one of the benefits of self-care programs is the convenience of not having to go to a salon or barber shop. On days when self-care programs are in the schedule at our PACE centers, our participants can enjoy these services while they are at the site taking part in other TR activities, seeing their nurse, speaking with their social worker and dietitian, or using the open gym. Although it may be tough for some older adults to travel from one place to another, for CenterLight PACE participants, transportation is provided to and from our centers.

As we grow older, we may fear losing our independence or being too focused on other needs that self-care becomes very low on the priority list. It’s amazing how a simple haircut or manicure can help someone feel more confident and in control, and more importantly, promote a healthy sense of self that can contribute to mental wellness. In fact, a study published in the National Library of Medicine concluded that beauty care is effective for maintaining and improving the self-rated health and depression status of community-dwelling older adults.**

Our commitment to holistic care and providing these types of simple but meaningful experiences for our participants come from the belief that an individual's health and capabilities may decline with age, but their personalities and who they are at their core remain. We love that we get to know our participants as their unique selves while respecting their individual needs and preferences. They become like family, and it's always amazing to see your family feel good about themselves. I have personally seen how these simple things can make participants feel connected to their younger selves, and our team is very privileged to be a small part of those moments.

*Participants should check the TR activities schedule or ask their care team when self-care/beauty care programs are scheduled at their site.

**Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27250219/

This blog post is written by Kathleen Keegan, Director of Therapeutic Recreation Services at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

H3329 SelfCareBlog Approved 02202025
Updated 12302024

Dietary Services at CenterLight Healthcare PACE

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Each day, CenterLight Healthcare Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) participants receive care and services from a team of professionals called the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT). We spoke to Phyllis Russell, Registered Dietitian at CenterLight PACE, about the role of Dietitians in the IDT.

What is the role of a dietitian within the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT)?

CenterLight PACE Dietitians work with our participants, their caregivers and other members of the IDT to create an individualized meal plan according to the participants’ health conditions and food preferences.

As one of the registered dietitians at CenterLight, I do home visits where I can help participants manage their diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol or their weight by ensuring they have the education they need to stay with a healthy diet.

I also teach exciting classes once a month. We talk about the importance of nutrition, we make smoothies, we talk about what’s new in the news that affect their health.

How does the dietitian work with the rest of the IDT?

The dietitian works very closely with all the members of the team. For example, when I do meal observations, I can see if participants need any type of help with feeding and if so I can go to the occupational therapist who can then order adaptive equipment.

I also work with the social workers. When I make my home visits, if I ever notice that participants have issues perhaps with finances, or they don’t have food or anything that may come up, I can go to the social workers who can then help them apply for food stamps or find another solution.

Also I work with the nurses and doctors dealing with participants’ clinical status in managing their diabetes and their hypertension.

The team always comes together so we can discuss everything that’s going on with our participants.

Can you tell us about meal observation?

I do meal observation at our center once a week. This is when I come during lunch time and take note of how participants are eating, what they’re eating, what they’re not eating, and if someone has difficulty with chewing and swallowing. Through this program I can also see if they’re having difficulty feeding themselves. And sometimes I do actually sit down and help feed the participants.

Beyond your role in helping participants get proper nutrition, what is your goal as a dietitian?

If I notice they don’t like something, for example, I can go back to our vendor and report back if they didn’t perhaps like the chicken that day or they don’t like the way it was cooked, they don’t like the flavor. Always, everything is about our participants and making sure they’re happy and they like what they’re receiving.

What is the advantage of having a dietitian as part of the team?

Through the IDT, our participants have access to every single discipline that they need to help them stay well in the community.

Not many people have access to a dietitian. Maybe you can go to the clinic, you can see a doctor, you can run into a nurse, but where’s the dietitian? But here at CenterLight, since we have this Interdisciplinary approach, I’m part of the team.

What inspires you about your work?

My work is mostly inspired by helping the population that we have here enjoy their years right now. I am motivated by just interacting with our participants, seeing them enjoy the food, talking with them. Our participants are so much fun. I learn a lot from them as much as I try to educate them.

Phyllis Russell, MSN, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

This blog post was originally published in 2020, and republished in 2025.
H3329_2020BLOG_Dietitian Approved 03112020
Last updated March 5, 2020

Stillwell Choir: It’s all about the music!

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CenterLight Healthcare Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is home to many talented participants, and the choir at our Stillwell location in Brooklyn is no exception. The Stillwell Choir began as a musical ensemble featuring instruments like the accordion, banjo and erhu, a two-stringed Chinese instrument that is played with a bow. Accompanied by CenterLight PACE's Therapeutic Recreation Specialist on piano, participants regularly come together to perform a diverse range of music, including traditional Chinese folk songs, opera, and Russian tunes. This vibrant mix of cultures is a testament to the unity fostered at CenterLight.

The CenterLight Stillwell Choir is always eager to explore new music and welcomes new performers to join their ranks. Tanglai Kwai Ping, who chose to attend the Stillwell PACE site to be part of the choir, learned Chinese opera decades ago in Hong Kong. At CenterLight PACE, she continues to enjoy singing while also expanding her social circle within the choir.

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Albert Laiquong began playing the banjo at the age of 12, learning from his brother. It was not until he joined the CenterLight PACE Stillwell center that he had the opportunity to perform alongside other musicians.

Loh Sui Zhu, who has always loved music and enjoyed singing at home, discovered her passion for Chinese opera at CenterLight PACE. She also honed her accordion skills, which she first picked up from her daughter.

Siu Shui Tong found her voice after joining Stillwell, where she cherishes the socialization and camaraderie she shares with the group.

The CenterLight Stillwell Choir is a true source of pride for both its participants and the staff at the Stillwell PACE Center, and an example of participants pursuing and enjoying their passions. The choir recently showcased their talent at a multi-location holiday event and eagerly anticipate more opportunities to perform in the future.

H3329 StillwellChoir Approved 02202025
Updated January 6, 2025

A Team Approach to Complete Care

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CenterLight Healthcare is New York's largest Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Each day, we deliver care and services to thousands of adults 55+ through the combined expertise of our Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), a group of dedicated professionals who work together to provide our participants with the care they need, when they need it. The IDT includes but is not limited to a nurse, doctor, physical therapist, an occupational therapist, social worker, therapeutic recreation specialist, a dietitian, transportation coordinator, and a PACE center manager. Each participant has a full team dedicated to them, who collaborate to discuss their needs, effective treatment, plan of care, and any other aspects in their lives that affect their well-being.

Like Pieces of a Puzzle Coming Together

Healthcare is often confusing and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. At CenterLight PACE, we bring together all services our participants need in their healthcare journey. We coordinate necessary services, so that participants and their loved ones don't have to. Each discipline has a specific role—with every person bringing a different perspective—allowing us to provide holistic, person-centered, and personalized care to our participants and helping them continue to live safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

Because CenterLight PACE medical providers are on-site, they’re able to keep a close eye on participants' health and focus on preventative care. If issues come up, they are always there to see the participants as needed. All PACE centers have a Nurse who can treat the participant if they are not feeling well or if the team sees a change in condition. This helps prevent hospital and urgent care visits. Our centers are equipped to handle minor conditions such as fever, minor headaches, body aches and pains, symptoms of upper respiratory infections, and more. Our medical staff is able to administer specialized treatments and interventions including wound care and IV Therapy. Our team also assists with medication management, hypertension, diabetes management, preventative screenings, and helps participants obtain needed medical equipment, which are also provided by CenterLight PACE.

As part of home care services, a Community Health Nurse visits participants in their home to assess their needs and make sure they receive necessary care.

Beyond medical care, each participant is assigned a Social Worker who provides emotional support, counseling, referrals, and when possible, encourages family involvement.

Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Specialists design activities with our participants’ needs in mind. They coordinate services such as art therapy, music therapy, dance and movement therapy, and pet therapy. There are over 100 activities at each center per month, taking into consideration cultural diversity and the unique preferences of our participants.

Physical Therapists focus on participants' ability to walk, climb up and down stairs, and their ability to go outside in the community. Occupational Therapists, on the other hand, look at Activities of Daily Living (ADL) such as dressing, bathing, and grooming. These rehabilitation professionals also supervise our open gym, which is available to all participants at our PACE centers.

Our Registered Dietitians’ role is to provide nutrition interventions based on each participant’s care plan. This includes helping them manage their diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and weight. They are located in our centers, can answer any questions participants may have and provide nutrition counseling.

Led by the PACE Center Manager, the team meets regularly, develops a plan of care, and works with the participant's community primary care doctor and in-network specialist. A Coordinator schedules transportation to and from medical appointments, as well as the PACE Center.

Imagine all your clinicians, therapists, and care professionals under one roof – listening to you, working together, and communicating as one team. This model of care results in efficient delivery of services, effective preventative care, and high quality care with the participant at the center of everything we do.

To learn more, contact us at 1-833-CL-CARES (TTY 711), 8AM-8PM, Monday-Friday.

H3329 CareTeamBlog Approved 01022025
Updated November 27, 2024

This blog post is written by Tara Buonocore-Rut, President and Chief Executive Officer at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

40 Years of Caring for the New York Community

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This year (2025), CenterLight Healthcare is celebrating 40 years of providing managed care—a perfect time to look back at our rich history of caring for the New York Community.

A New Kind of Healthcare

In 1973, the healthcare industry saw a shift in the way care is provided. With an increasing number of aging immigrants, diverse cultural traditions helped shape a new model of care. Immigrants from countries such as China, Indonesia, and the Philippines required an alternative to nursing homes and a way for those who needed long-term care to be able to remain in their homes with their families, while receiving the services they need. As a result, On Lok in California became the first to introduce a managed care program now known as the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

As the need for solutions like PACE grew across the country, States started seeing an increase in the number of managed long-term care plans. CenterLight Healthcare, then known as Comprehensive Care Management (CCM), begun as a demonstration program and started providing case management and comprehensive services 4 decades ago – making it one of New York State’s oldest long-term managed care programs. In 1992, we enrolled our first participant, marking the beginning of what is to become the largest not-for-profit PACE program in the nation.

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Serving the Diverse New York Community

While our operations started in the Bronx, CCM started expanding its service area in 1996. PACE centers opened in Westchester, Chinatown, and Allerton in the Bronx. Our Stillwell Center opened its doors in 2005 to serve Russian and Asian participants, and our 99^th Street Manhattan location opened the year after, serving a diverse group of older adults, including English and Spanish-speaking individuals.

In 2009, three more PACE centers opened. Our Ridgewood location brought services to the Albanian community and others in Queens, and our Rockaway Parkway center started serving English and Haitian Creole speaking participants in Brooklyn. Working to find innovative solutions for communities with unique needs, we opened a PACE center in the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Dominic in Amityville, Long Island, with the goal of providing care to the nuns aging in. This site was the first of its kind built to answer a need within a specific community.

The Birth of the CenterLight Brand

In 2012, our parent organization, which at the time included, among others, nursing homes, a Medicaid Managed Long-Term Care Program, a Medicare Special Needs Plan, and of course PACE, recognized growth opportunities and the importance of being known as one strong brand. This was the birth of CenterLight Healthcare.

Over the next few years, CenterLight PACE opened more locations across New York, including Bushwick in Brooklyn and Flushing, bringing our services to the Chinese and Korean communities in Queens.

DID YOU KNOW?
Our parent organization was originally founded in 1920 to serve the needs of the Jewish population in the Bronx. Paying homage to this heritage, the name “CenterLight” came from the center light in the menorah, which lights all the other candles. Decades later, the significance of “CenterLight” has evolved to putting our participants at the center of everything we do, and the fact that our participants are the lights of our PACE centers.

A Focus on All-Inclusive Care

In 2017, CenterLight evolved once again to meet the changing needs of older adults and demands of the healthcare industry, separating from the other entities within our parent organization’s umbrella and setting our more focused efforts on PACE, with a renewed mission of helping participants live safely and independently in their own homes.

2023 saw the birth of our new visual identity (see video), further strengthening our commitment to our mission and reflecting our values. In the same year, we opened our Jamaica South Asian Alternative Care Setting (ACS), with programs designed for South Asian participants, including prayer and wudu rooms, cultural programming, meditation rooms, and South Asian food.

Looking Ahead

Looking back at our history, the many changes our organization has been through, and the challenges we’ve faced and triumphed over, I feel proud to be part of a compassionate team whose dedication helping enrich the lives of those we serve remains steadfast. Decades have passed since our story begun, but we are all still working towards the same goal of making a difference and serving the underserved. Our track record in continuing to innovate and finding in-home solutions for our participants make me very enthusiastic about our future. With our unwavering focus on our participants’ unique needs, it is my hope that we can continue to expand our care to more individuals who need it most for more decades to come.

To the CenterLight team, thank you for sharing your heart and talents for a larger purpose. To our participants, we are grateful that you continue to trust us with your care.

As we celebrate our 40^th anniversary, look out for events across our 12 locations—including a participant art exhibit, a centenarian celebration, and other cultural and special celebrations.

H3329 40Years Approved 01232025
Updated December 24, 2024

This blog post is written by Tara Buonocore-Rut, President and Chief Executive Officer at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

Bridging Worlds through Language at CenterLight’s Day Health Centers

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At CenterLight Healthcare PACE, our participants come from diverse cultures and speak different languages. Across our service area, our participants speak over 25+ different languages and dialects. More than half of them speak Chinese, Bengali, and Spanish. To ensure every participant feels supported, our staff members reflect the cultures of those we serve.

We have access to interpreters who can help facilitate effective communication. We also offer materials and resources in the primary languages most often spoken by our participants. Our Day Health Center (DHC) becomes a friendly, welcoming place where our participants' unique worlds collide. They get to socialize and connect with one another, making it the perfect place to learn a new language!

Learning a new language opens doors to social interaction and is also a way to keep the mind engaged, which helps maintain cognitive health in older adults.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes at the Day Health Center

At CenterLight PACE, ESL classes are offered at our Westchester, Rockaway, and Flushing PACE centers, as well as our Jamaica South Asian Cultural Alternative Care Setting.

Lessons are taught by an ESL teacher or a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (TRS). These classes meet up to four times a month and are open to any participant who wants to learn or strengthen their English. The lessons consist of first learning common phrases the participants regularly use at home, during social interactions, or any phrases they would use when coming to the site. Once these phrases are learned, the participants will play personalized and fun games/activities such as role-playing, multilingual Bingo, and Pictionary to review what they learned. The lessons also encompass language and phrases the participants may encounter during their medical visits.

Building Confidence

At CenterLight Healthcare PACE, our staff mirrors the cultural makeup of those we serve. We are able to communicate with participants in their own language. But we have seen that learning common phrases in English to use for medical care makes participants feel more comfortable communicating their needs to other providers, specialists, and medical professionals, such as when they have outside appointments. It also gives them the confidence to speak with individuals they may encounter in the community.

Making New Friends

TRS also notice that participants who have taken the language classes are more likely to come out of their comfort zone and interact with their peers and staff who may not speak their language. At the CenterLight PACE Westchester site, for example, our Chinese participants are learning Spanish while our Spanish participants are in turn learning Chinese and both Chinese and Spanish participants are learning English.

In addition to the social aspects, the development of language is another way for our participants to maintain cognitive health. It allows the participants to make new friends and avoid social isolation. Participants who wouldn't have met otherwise now get to learn about each other's cultures and embrace diversity. Even those whose primary language is English have grown an interest in learning a new language to communicate better with their non-English speaking friends. It's all about bringing participants together and making them feel excited to be part of a community. Besides, learning a new language here at CenterLight PACE is never too late!

Source:

National Institute on Aging (2024). Cognitive health and older adults | National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults

H3329 LanguagesBlog Approved 12192024
Updated November 19, 2024

Holidays and Celebrations at CenterLight Healthcare PACE

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CenterLight Healthcare’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) offers activities and socialization for our participants 55 and over. Our Day Health Centers (DHCs) are always buzzing with activities. On any given day, you will hear music and laughter at our PACE sites across New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. Holidays and cultural celebrations our participants enjoy include:

Cinco de Mayo
Christmas
Diwali
Eid
Hannukah
Holi
Kwanza
Lunar New Year

Mid-Autumn Festival
Thanksgiving
Valentine’s Day
Hispanic Heritage Month
African American History Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Month
Jewish Heritage Month

We always find reasons to celebrate, like National Donut Day, Pasta Day, and Pancake Day, or simply having an Elvis impersonator at a party just because!

As Diverse and Unique as our Participants

CenterLight PACE participants come from many cultural backgrounds. Our diverse staff, who speak 25+ languages and dialects, are proud to foster an environment where the heritage of those we serve is celebrated, and their unique needs and preferences are valued.

The Therapeutic Recreation team works hard to ensure that our participants have an enjoyable time at our DHCs. They plan months in advance to ensure that our daily activities and events are representative of our participants’ cultures, passions, and traditions.

Beyond Holidays

In addition to cultural and religious holidays, celebrations at CenterLight PACE also include special occasions.

We host monthly birthday parties and celebrate wedding anniversaries with our participants and their families. During the summer, we hold a special carnival complete with games and prizes, and even a dunk tank! In the fall, participants and staff from our different sites get competitive with a pumpkin decorating contest. Visit our sites during Halloween to see their spooky and fun costumes. One of my personal favorites is the “Senior” Prom where we crown a Prom King and Queen!

Bringing Everyone Together

Our celebrations are fun for our participants and staff, but more importantly, they bring everyone closer together. Commemorating holidays with special cultural and personal significancecan sometimes bring homesickness to participants whose family may be hundreds of miles away. Being able to celebrate these occasions with our staff and their peers makes CenterLight PACE a home away from home, where they can share their traditions with their CenterLight PACE family.

Looking Ahead, and a Personal Note…

We are excited to see what fun and meaningful events we will come up with in 2025. I hope you will check back soon to see photos and stories of our participants and what our DHC activities mean to them. Personally, seeing their smiles at and after every celebration is the most fulfilling part of my job, and I hope you can visit us and witness these yourself one of these days.

Visit our Life at CenterLight page for recent happenings at our PACE Centers. You may also visit our Facebook page to view more pictures from our Therapeutic Recreation events and activities.

This blog post is written by Kristy Bermudez, Recreation Services Assistant Manager at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

H3329 HolidaysBlog Approved 10242024
Updated October 14, 2024

What is Therapeutic Recreation?

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When sickness hits, it may become difficult for an older adult to have the energy, focus, or even the ability to go back to the things they once loved to do. That is where Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (TRS) come in—they design activities with our participants’ needs in mind. Therapeutic Recreation and socialization can lead to emotional, cognitive, and physical benefits. At CenterLight Healthcare PACE, our TRS assess participants’ leisure interests—what they’ve always liked to do, what they like to do now—and develop programs, activities, and events that can help them discover hidden talents, reconnect with hobbies and passions, learn new things, and share new experiences with their fellow participants.

CenterLight Healthcare PACE Therapeutic Recreation Specialists work with other members of the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) to bring together different perspectives that ultimately allow us to provide holistic and complete care* to each of our participants.

Having a care team working together to help our participants remain living independently in their own homes helps us prevent any condition from worsening and provide high quality care in all aspects of their life. Let’s say a social worker brings up that a participant is particularly lonely. Therapeutic recreation can reach out and engage that participant and encourage them to come to the center, introduce them to peers that they have similar interests with, and engage them in activities that they would enjoy and can have an impact on their emotional health.

In terms of medical conditions, a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist may collaborate with the nurse as well as physical and occupational therapists by encouraging participants to engage daily in physical activities such as fun group exercise programs to get their weight down, or to increase their ability to work on their own.

What services does the therapeutic recreation department provide to participants?

At CenterLight Healthcare PACE Centers, the Therapeutic Recreation Department offers the following services to our participants, among others:

Art Therapy
Music Therapy
Dance & Movement Therapy
Pet Therapy
Games & Cognitive Challenges
Trips
Cultural Events and Celebrations

Our TRS love planning fun activities for participants to enjoy. For example, participants are encouraged to showcase their creative sides by letting out their inner artists in our fun and interactive art programs.

Art has several benefits for older adults, including positive effects on mental health, reduced stress, increased memory skills, enhanced self-esteem, better cognitive memory, and more.

Additionally, art is a great way for our participants to express themselves and connect with others. At times, participants may even discover a talent they didn’t know they have!

Some participants also enjoy playing music and joining in choral groups that entertain their peers. They perform at special events in their respective centers and enjoy the benefits of music in older adults.

Games and sports such as table tennis, floor hockey, and others bring out our participants’ competitive sides, help with their physical wellbeing, and enhance their camaraderie with their friends at our PACE Center. Just recently, our participants joined in the spirit of the Olympics with their own tournament, complete with opening and closing ceremonies.

How does Therapeutic Recreation benefit our participants?

Through Therapeutic Recreation, a participant’s overall health and mental health is improved. Just like medicine or medical treatment that they may receive from the doctors and nurses, engaging in things that we like to do and interacting with other people makes us happy, keeps our brain sharp, lowers our blood pressure, and contributes to overall mental and physical health. Participants engaging in activities benefit from the following:

Cognitive Benefits

Creative pursuits, like painting, strategic thinking, like playing cards or board games, can provide stimulation that can help improve memory, as well as cognitive and reasoning skills.

Emotional Benefits

Via stress relief, improved self-confidence and socialization.

Physical Benefits

Depending on the activity, participants may increase endurance and energy levels, range of motion of joints, eye-hand coordination, fine and gross motor skills, flexibility and strength.

Visit our Life at CenterLight page for recent happenings at our PACE Centers. You may also visit our Facebook page to view more pictures from our Therapeutic Recreation events and activities.

*Necessity of services is determined by the IDT based on participants’ unique needs.

This blog post is written by Kathleen Keegan, Director of Therapeutic Recreation Services at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

H3329 TR_Blog_2024 Approved 10292024
Updated 09052024

Keeping Up with the PACE of Aging

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At CenterLight PACE, we understand that growing older may present health challenges, and that the pace of aging can get overwhelming.

More and more, there’s a growing need for services for individuals who are aging and/or may have a form of disability. Let’s look at the numbers: Currently, New York State has more than 4.3 million older adults, ranking 4th in the nation in the number of individuals age 60 and over.* The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University previously projected that the number of older adult households in the United States in which at least one person has a disability will be at an estimated 12 million by 2035—with many of them requiring assistance with activities of daily living to be able to stay in their homes.**

It’s not easy for anyone to deal with healthcare concerns—it can be expensive, stressful, and may get confusing. For older adults, it can be especially tough, not just for them but also for their caregivers. As we age, our health issues may start to multiply, and managing multiple conditions, along with other aspects of life, can feel too much to handle even with support from family and friends.

Depending on need, there are programs that can help. I have devoted my career to the health and well-being of older adults, managing nursing homes, managed long term care, and other community-based programs. Based on my experience, I can confidently say that PACE is a great option for those who need complete care but want to remain in their homes and communities.

PACE stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. This Medicare and Medicaid program for adults 55+ provides all the services our participants need to help them stay well and living independently in their own homes. CenterLight PACE is the largest non-profit and one of the oldest such programs in the nation. Our services include, but are not limited to, medical and home care, dental, vision, hearing, rehabilitation services, access to open gym, therapeutic recreation services, prescription drugs, Over the Counter (OTC) items, transportation, and more.*** We manage and coordinate our participants’ care, so that they don’t have to.

We understand that in addition to their health, older adults also face other issues brought not only by aging but the ever-changing and fast-paced environment we live in as well. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, for example, brought with it social and economic hardships that many are still recovering from. CenterLight recognizes this, and to help with basic needs such as food and toiletries, our PACE participants get a My Needs Card with $170 a month**** to spend on eligible items.

There are aspects of aging that do not necessarily come to mind when planning for the future, or when thinking of solutions as health issues arise. Living well as one ages does not mean only worrying about health, but also keeping true to who the person is—their own unique histories and cultural traditions—so we work to ensure that care is individualized according to each of our participants’ needs and preferences. The goal is to help them make the most of each day whether doing activities they love, or even discovering new passions and making new friends at our PACE centers.

The CenterLight PACE Interdisciplinary Team (IDT)--which includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, rehab therapists, social workers, dietitians, and therapeutic recreation specialists--provides care and support that can help navigate the challenges faced by older adults and their loved ones. We believe in a holistic approach: caring for the person as a team and making sure their needs are met medically and have positive effects on their social, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Together with our growing network of providers, our participants, and their caregivers, we can keep up with the pace of agingr to provide high quality care to those we serve.

This blog post is written by Tara Buonocore-Rut, President and Chief Executive Officer at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

H3329_2022Blog_PACEofAging Approved 10122022
Last updated October 3, 2022

*From the New York State Department for the Aging
**Data from Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, 2017 Study
***Medical necessity is determined by the IDT.
****No rollover. The My Needs Card does not substitute for required or already provided Medicaid and/or Medicare covered services under the PACE standard benefit package.