Expanded hours at Hope Haven a blessing to residents

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans (CCANO) hosted a celebration Dec. 6, to celebrate a decade of services to the elderly with its PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) GNO Centers, its supporters of PACE as well as the expansion to full-time services at Hope Haven at St. John Bosco PACE Center, at 1101 Barataria Blvd., in Marrero. PACE GNO is an affiliated ministry of CCANO.

The St. John Bosco PACE Center had been operating three days a week – Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. – since its inception in 2014 as an adult health center for the elderly. A $1.6 million renovation had been completed at that time to the former Hope Haven site, originally established by Msgr. Peter Wynhoven in 1925 to shelter and educate orphans and children in need.

Extra two days each week

Now, the West Bank PACE center is open five days a week, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is one of two PACE Centers in New Orleans. The other is the Shirley Landry Benson PACE Center at St. Cecilia, which opened in September 2007 at 4201 North Rampart St., in the Bywater neighborhood. These are the only PACE Centers nationwide to be housed in renovated spaces that were formerly churches. 

“We’re thrilled that PACE GNO has reached many milestones over the course of the last year,” said Antonio Dias, executive director of PACE Greater New Orleans. “In addition to extending our services, I’m especially proud of the compassion and hard work our team of professionals has consistently delivered to participants and caregivers over the past decade in the Greater New Orleans area.” 

PACE GNO is an alternative to nursing home care for clients. It provides adult day health care, which allows seniors 55 and older, who are certified by the state and need nursing home care, to live at home. 

Transportation to and from the center and medical appointments and activities is among the key services that PACE provides. So are medication management, rehabilitation and restorative therapies, medical care, pastoral care, senior nutritional counseling, social services, activities and recreation that promote socialization and caregiver support. Hospitalization and nursing home care are available, when needed, as well as other specialty services tailored to each individual.

“Extending the hours at Hope Haven PACE (on the West Bank) has allowed Catholic Charities to continue to provide hope, help and loving care for the most vulnerable in our community,” said Marianite Sister Marjorie Hebert, CCANO president and CEO. “PACE’s new presence will further our mission of enhancing the quality of life and autonomy for older adults while maximizing their dignity and respect.”

PACE GNO provides a comprehensive network of social services that connects clients to resources and acts as a springboard to self-sufficiency for those struggling in the eight civil parishes of the archdiocese. Through its ministries, programs and community partnerships, CCANO offers support that empowers individuals, families and communities to grow and thrive.

For details, call 835-0006 or visit www.pacegno.org.

Christine Bordelon can be reached at [email protected].