By Susan Jaffe | December 21, 2010 | Kaiser Health News in collaboration with
Several mornings a week, a white van stops at Geraldine Miller’s house just east of Baltimore to pick her up for ElderPlus, a government-subsidized day-care program for adults on the campus of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
Because Miller, who is 75 and uses a walker, has trouble getting down the stairs from her second-floor apartment, the driver comes inside to help. When she feels wobbly, he lends her an arm. When she feels strong, he faces her and steps down backward on the steps so he can catch her if she falls. When it rains, he shelters her with an umbrella. This is the sort of extra care that makes ElderPlus different. ElderPlus is part of PACE, the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, which provides comprehensive medical and social services to frail, low-income seniors with serious health problems. [Continued atKaiser Health News or The Washington Post.] Video:“Picking Up The Pace”