The Brandman Centers for Senior Care: Measuring Success

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The Brandman Centers for Senior Care: Measuring Success

Jan 10, 2019


Since the opening of the Jewish Home’s Brandman Centers for Senior Care, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), participating seniors and their families have experienced a broad range of benefits. Now those benefits have been measured, thanks to the first national caregiver survey conducted by the National PACE Association (NPA). The results are clear: The Brandman Centers are making an important difference in their members’ everyday lives.

PACE provides high-quality, comprehensive medical and social services to seniors aged 55 and older, promoting their independence in the comfort of their own homes, even when health challenges make them eligible for nursing home care. The Brandman Centers offers a full continuum of services including primary medical care on-site, preventive health services, rehabilitation, social work services, nutritional counseling, medications, supplies, Adult Day Health Care, and transportation to and from the Center.

The NPA survey included 20 PACE programs across the United States, gauging a metric known as “caregiver burden” — essentially, the level of stress experienced by the men and women (often adult children or other loved ones) who assist seniors in meeting their day-to-day needs. Across the board, the Brandman Centers outshined its peers.

“Our caregiver burden score was nearly 50 percent less after participant enrollment, meaning caregivers were healthier, happier, and had more time for themselves,” says Susie Fishenfeld, the Brandman Centers’ Executive Director. “This was a higher reduction when compared to the national results. And one hundred percent of respondents reported our program helped them to be better caregivers, which ultimately positively impacts the many seniors we serve.”

The survey provided detailed feedback about what makes the Brandman Centers such a positive force in the community. Respondents praised the “wonderful support system,” the “excellent attention” given to seniors, and the convenience of having doctors and other medical services in one location. With assistance from the Brandman Centers, notes one typical comment, “I had a few hours to work without interruption and without worrying that my mother is unsafe or lonely. PACE is a blessing to our family!”

Jewish Home CEO-President Molly Forrest noted these responses which reinforce how vital the Home and its programs are for seniors and their caregivers throughout Los Angeles. “Helping to care for a senior is a great privilege, but also a huge responsibility,” she says. “The Brandman Centers is a critical ally caregivers can rely on for compassion, understanding, and resources.”

The NPA survey was administered by Vital Research, in conjunction with the Brandman Centers, in fall 2018.

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