Community LIFE is proud to announce that Fatemeh Hashtroudi, President, has been elected to a three-year term on the National PACE Association’s Board of Directors. Fatemeh brings an exceptional breadth of knowledge in healthcare, long-term care, and the PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) model to her new role. Fatemeh’s extensive background and leadership will be instrumental in advancing the mission of the National PACE Association, which seeks to provide comprehensive healthcare to older adults with chronic care needs while allowing them to live independently in their communities

Community LIFE Invites Public and Media to Visit During National PACE Month
Celebration

PITTSBURGH, PA, August 23, 2024 — Community LIFE announced today that it is opening its doors in
September for a series of Senior Health Fairs in celebration of National PACE Month. Community LIFE
welcomes the public and media to visit and see firsthand why the Community LIFE Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is the ideal option to help seniors maintain their independence while continuing to live in their own homes. This year, the theme for National PACE Month is “Simplify Your Life: At Your PACE.”

Community LIFE PACE events will be held at the following locations, dates, and times:

• Homestead, Sept. 5, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Mon Valley, Sept. 12, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Bedford, Sept. 17, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Somerset, Sept. 19, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• McKeesport, Sept. 23, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tarentum, Sept. 24, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Logans Ferry, Sept. 26, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• East End, Sept. 30, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Community LIFE is an all-inclusive program for body and spirit that empowers older adults by offering services that preserve dignity, independence, and quality of life. Community LIFE betters the lives of seniors at eight centers across five counties in the region and simplifies care by identifying, organizing, and providing all necessary services.

The PACE care model allows older adults to live their best lives at home. Care is provided by teams comprised of primary care professionals, registered nurses, home care coordinators, personal care attendants, dietitians, social workers, drivers, PACE center managers, and physical, occupational and recreational therapists.

To learn more about Community LIFE’s fully integrated and coordinated health and social services, visit
commlife.org. To learn more about Community LIFE’s Senior Health Fairs in celebration of National PACE
Month, call Staci Brockway toll-free at 866-419-1693.

The National PACE Association (NPA) works to advance the efforts of PACE programs, which coordinate and provide preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services so older individuals can continue living in the community. The PACE model of care is centered on the belief that it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in the community whenever possible. For more information, visit www.npaonline.org and follow @TweetNPA.

Community LIFE’s Medical Director, Randy Hebert, MD and our East End Provider, Karen Cammarata, CRNP spoke to the Post Gazette to discuss Osteoporosis, which leads to bone loss and weak bones, contributes heavily to such fractures and how we navigate such diagnosis’s.

Community LIFE’s Dementia Care program that helps older adults live at home safely was recently featured in Guide To Good Health. The article includes interviews from Lisa Jenkins, Behavioral Health Coordinator, and Tina Opina, Dementia Care Coordinator. They discuss the benefits of the program for both participants and their families, Community LIFE’s philosophy for patient-centered care through teamwork, and their unique Operation STOP elopement risk management program.

Learn more about this compassionate program in the article here.

Established in 1963, Older Americans Month (OAM) is celebrated every May. Led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM is a time for us to acknowledge the contributions and achievements of older Americans, highlight important trends, and strengthen our commitment to honoring our older citizens.

This year’s theme, Aging Unbound, offers an opportunity to explore a wide range of aging experiences and to promote the importance of enjoying independence and fulfillment by paving our own paths as we age.

This May, join us as we recognize the 60^th anniversary of OAM and challenge the narrative on aging. Here are some ways we can all participate in Aging Unbound:

• Embrace the opportunity to change. Find a new passion, go on an adventure, and push boundaries by not letting age define your limits. Invite creativity and purpose into your life by trying new activities in your community to bring in more growth, joy, and energy. 
• Explore the rewards of growing older. With age comes knowledge, which provides insight and confidence to understand and experience the world more deeply. Continue to grow that knowledge through reading, listening, classes, and creative activities.
• Stay engaged in your community. Everyone benefits when everyone is connected and involved. Stay active by volunteering, working, mentoring, participating in social clubs, and taking part in activities at your local senior center or elsewhere in the community.
• Form relationships. As an essential ingredient of well-being, relationships can enhance your quality of life by introducing new ideas and unique perspectives. Invest time with people to discover deeper connections with family, friends, and community members.

For more information, visit the official OAM website, follow ACL on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #OlderAmericansMonth.

Community LIFE’s Operation STOP, an elopement management initiative, won the UPMC Senior Services and CPS Quality Fair Clinical Quality Improvement Award.

Community LIFE is committed to ensuring our participants are receiving the best quality care and are safe while living independently in the community.

Congratulations to the project leads Lisa Jenkins, Tina Opina, Amy Chaffo and Terri Averi for being the catalyst of an intervention that has yielded positive outcomes for our participants.

Community LIFE announced today that Richard DiTommaso, the organization’s president, will be retiring after more than 20 years of service. Fatemeh Hashtroudi, current director, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Community LIFE, has been chosen to succeed DiTommaso effective August 1, 2022.

DiTommaso joined Community LIFE in 2001 as the director of operations. Throughout his tenure, DiTommaso has been integral to the organization’s ongoing development, growth, and strategy. Today, largely as a result of his commitment and leadership, there are eight Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) centers in six counties throughout the region. 

Hashtroudi, DiTommaso’s successor, joined Community LIFE in May 2012, bringing more than 20 years of hospital and long-term care management experience. She grew the quality program by embedding Perfecting Patient Care®/LEAN, motivational interviewing, and rounding into the organizational culture. Hashtroudi has chaired Community LIFE’s emergency operations planning committee since its inception and been a key collaborator and leader of the infection control program and implementation of Electronic Health Records. She’s also served for many years as co-chair of the National PACE Association Quality Committee. DiTommaso will work with Hashtroudi to facilitate a seamless transition into her new role.