Author: Jackie Gutierrez, Communications Manager, St. Paul's Senior Services

St. Paul’s Senior Services' Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) opened its new El Cajon Center in early March 2018 following a grand opening celebration on Friday, February 23, 2018.

The new St. Paul’s PACE East Center is located at 1306 Broadway in El Cajon (92021). The project broke ground in September with contractor Nielsen Construction California.

This is the third St. Paul’s PACE program location (others are in downtown San Diego and in Chula Vista). St. Paul’s Senior Services is San Diego's leader in senior care since 1960, offering nine different programs, services, and communities designed to meet the needs of San Diego seniors.

St. Paul’s Senior Services opened the first St. Paul’s PACE program in San Diego in 2008. As a managed care health plan exclusively for seniors, St. Paul’s PACE is ideal for seniors with chronic medical conditions who find it challenging to live at home independently.

“St. Paul’s PACE has cared for more than one thousand low-income and frail seniors, keeping them in their homes and out of skilled nursing,” said Kim Stratman, Center Director. “San Diego's East County has wanted St. Paul’s to open a day center here for some time because there is such a need. Research shows there are many low-income and frail seniors who will benefit from our program in this area. We are proud to finally be here.”

St. Paul's is currently conducting a capital campaign to underwrite expenses associated with the start-up of the new PACE Center.

“It takes several millions of dollars for the start-up of a new PACE facility. St. Paul's is indebted to generous supporters like Frances White and the Herbert and Judy Paige Foundation for their generous gifts,” said Todd Kaprielian, Executive Director of St. Paul's Senior Services Foundation. “It’s inspiring to see individuals and granting foundations prioritize the needs of seniors in our community. Their generosity today ensures low-income, frail seniors will receive healthcare services for years to come.”

St. Paul’s PACE provides frail seniors with a community of healthcare professionals under one roof. It is a place where seniors receive the healthcare and social services they need to stay independent, healthy, and living at home with dignity and choice. If seniors have Medi-Cal with no share of cost, they will pay nothing for these services. Theprogram supports seniors so they can continue to live independently at home by providing in-home care, transportation and personalized medical services. Seniors 55 years of age and older who have chronic medical conditions that make it difficult to live at home qualify.

St. Paul's Senior Services is a San Diego non-profit and full-service retirement provider offering Independent Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing communities, child and senior day care programs and a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

For more information on St. Paul’s Senior Services, please visit www.StPaulseniors.org or www.StPaulsPACE.org.