TRU

Caring For Our Community Since 1976.

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TRU PACE Hosts Art Show

November 16, 2021 by TRU Community Care

Copyright 2021 Mary Beckman.

TRU PACE was thrilled to host an exhibit of paintings by Boulder artist and TRU PACE participant, Mary Beckman, earlier this week. Mary curated ART RECALL exclusively for TRU PACE, and the selections for the show convey the depth and breadth of work in Mary’s fine art background both as an illustrator and a painter.

“I paint what I see—both in my imagination and in my community. I have my own vision,” said Mary. “I’m most proud of the work I did for Caravan International—an original collection of artwork for notecards and journals. The paintings for that series were about powerful women. The Native American images in this body of work were sanctioned by the Chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.” Mary’s landscapes lean towards abstraction, and her still life compositions can be whimsical and bold, influenced by folk art and traditional fabric and quilting patterns.

Now in her 70’s, Mary has painted and created for most of her life. She enrolled in the TRU PACE program in April of 2020, in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mary’s daughter, Jessica, shared that PACE saved her mom and their entire family. Mary’s healthcare needs and expenses were increasing, and the financial burden was becoming too much. Jessica learned about PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) and thought it sounded too good to be true. One program that would coordinate all of her mom’s healthcare needs – physical, social, and emotional – at no cost to their family? How could that be?

A signature feature of PACE is an interdisciplinary team (IDT) representing every aspect of a participant’s well-being. From physical therapy, medical disciplines, social work, recreational therapy, nutrition, transportation, and more, PACE takes care of the whole person. In Mary’s case, the IDT knew how much art means to Mary. She has thrived at PACE and has enjoyed participating in the Purple Art program, an expressive art program for seniors. She spoke often of her work and how it motivated her throughout the pandemic to look toward the future. Her care team discussed the idea of hosting an art show for Mary as part of her plan of care. They knew that sharing her talent with her caregivers, friends, and family would do her a world of good. Jill Bilek, PACE Recreational Therapist, took the idea and ran with it.

When asked about their favorite things about Mary, members of her care team shared, “her openness and sense of humor, her honesty and spunk, the great energy she has about her, that she doesn’t let anyone or anything get in her way.” When asked how they think PACE impacted Mary and her family they shared, “it alleviated Mary’s need to lean on her kids and helped them return to being a family. PACE has helped her stay as healthy as possible and helped her psychosocial well-being. We’ve helped her daughter feel supported in caring for her mom, and we’ve helped Mary to feel that she has healthcare advocates.”

In addition to having worked in commercial illustration and toy design, Mary holds a Masters of Divinity in Practical Theology, Art, and Spirituality and has spent more than 15 years in the ministry, working with diverse inner-city populations and the Native American community. Currently, Mary spends her time on private commissions and connecting with the community, through art workshops and gluten free baking.

Works here are © 2021 Mary Beckman.

Filed Under: TRU PACE

The Community of TRU PACE

October 23, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

TRU Community Care’s PACE program is devoted to providing medical, communal, and preventative support to PACE participants, enabling them to live as independently as possible. PACE’s day program is filled with daily meals, activities, and laughter, building a community for an often overlooked demographic in the greater Boulder community. We are proud to provide the services to fill the needs of individuals 55 and older and their families. Our staff and participants often form friendships that are mutually beneficial.

Nataly is a Day Center CNA at TRU PACE. She, along with all of the staff, is very warm, kind, and caring with the PACE Participants. She loves working for TRU PACE, saying, “it is like a family” and “the best job I have ever had”. Nataly also enjoys creating bonds with the participants. The feeling of family is tangible in the PACE Day Center. Nataly states, “TRU cares about you, how you’re feeling, and what you’re doing” in life and professionally.  Staff and PACE Participants are often learning and growing from each other. Nataly, pictured with PACE Participant, Bobbie, is honored to serve TRU PACE with her expertise and generous heart of service. Her relationship with Bobbie has grown over time and often feels like family.

Bobbie, like many participants, attends TRU’s “wrap-around services” with weekly events and check-ups, and enjoys the companionship that TRU Community Care provides for all PACE Participants. When asked how she feels about the staff of TRU PACE, Bobbie replied, “They are so loving and kind. There is always room for a joke.” Bobbie is a big hit in the Day Center and enjoys the welcoming feeling every day she arrives as she does a classic “Miss America” wave. Bobbie said she “feels comfortable here, like home”. That is the TRU goal and mission of the PACE program. 

TRU PACE allows the participants to live independently within the community so they are not isolated in their homes. If interested in learning more about TRU Community Care and the TRU PACE program, please visit https://www.trucare.org/our-services/tru-pace/ .

Filed Under: TRU PACE Tagged With: TRU PACE, care, compassion, service, community, tru community care

TRU PACE Time Capsule

July 5, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

TRU PACE Staff Member with TRU PACE Participant

TRU PACE (Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) serves individuals 55 and older from all walks of life. This innovative program not only supports the physical and mental health of the participants, but also provides an uplifting, fun, and broad community in which the participants find meaningful daily interactions that serve the community as a whole. Staff members continuously identify activities and events that serve the participants on a deep level.

Jill Bilek (PACE Recreational Therapist) and the TRU PACE team have been searching for an activity that encourages the participants’ outlook for the future while reflecting on their past. Ultimately, they wanted to continue with the legacy of the PACE participants. After spending some time researching, Jill arrived at the idea of a time capsule box she saw on Pinterest. The team ordered a simple box that could be decorated by a fellow participant artist and planned out the items the participants would consider using for the ceremony.

Many participants brought trinkets that held individual value and meaning, while others drew pictures and brought photographs of their loved ones. One participant brought his favorite keychain from Boston, where he had grown up. For those who needed assistance processing what to memorialize, Jill found a helpful questionnaire from which the participants could choose writing topics such as: who they are, where they are from, or a letter to their future selves. Some participants wanted more wealth in the future or better health, while others admitted they were not “grown-up” yet. 

The ceremony took place in the labyrinth near the TRU PACE building. Jill lined the box in the local newspaper on the day they buried the box, June 17th, 2019. A participant who was a pastor said a prayer of blessing for the participants, their memories, and the occasion. Many of the participants are unsure if they will have the chance to unearth the time capsule. With an acute awareness of how precious time can be, Jill made the date for retrieving the box two years hence, June 17th, 2021. 

Burying the Time Capsule

Memory and memorializing what people hold dear is important as it allows individuals to process their lives and the emotions that simple things can evoke. It is a healthy process emotionally and physically for anyone, at any stage in life. Whether you are a volunteer, staff member, family member, or supporter, the life and health of the TRU PACE community are tangible. TRU PACE reminds us how full life can be, at every stage, through these stories and memories.

Check out pace.trucare.org to learn more about TRU PACE.

View All TRU Blog Posts »

Filed Under: Community, TRU PACE Tagged With: PACE, TRU, community, TIme

TRU PACE Art Gallery Opening

May 28, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

Last week, more than 60 people joined TRU PACE to celebrate the opening of our art gallery featuring the works of PACE participants and visiting artist, Al Canner. The artwork created by PACE participants was produced through the therapeutic art program, Purple Art.

Al Canner, a fiber artist, is the chairman of the TRU Ethics Committee and our first featured community artist. We are grateful to have his intricate work featured with the works of PACE participants.

TRU PACE participants artist cards are available with a small donation in support of PACE programming by emailing LeslieMader@trucare.org.

If you were not able to come to the TRU PACE Art Opening and would like to view the pieces, showings are available by appointment only. Please make a scheduled viewing by contacting Leslie Mader at 303.665.0115.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the TRU PACE Art Gallery Opening a hit!

Stay in the loop for our next TRU PACE Art Opening and other events by signing up for our newsletter at https://bit.ly/2ZbzPdk.


Filed Under: TRU PACE Tagged With: Boulder, art, therapy, community, compassionate, care, TRU, Boulder County, TRU PACE, PACE

TRU PACE Social Worker Honors Boulder Senior Reach Program

July 6, 2017 by TRU Community Care

In honor of Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, TRU PACE social worker Leslee Hecht recognized Boulder Senior Reach employees Jenifer Fischer and Janaki LeFils for their valuable contributions and concern for the well-being of elders in our community.

Senior Reach and TRU PACE

Boulder Senior Reach social workers Janaki LeFils and Jenifer Fischer receive their awards from TRU PACE social worker Leslee Hecht on
Elder Abuse Awareness Day June 15.

Here is Leslee’s story.

I nominated the Boulder Senior Reach Program because I learned about this tiny gem when I worked alongside their dynamic staff for a year at Mental Health Partners. I met with them again when I moved to TRU PACE and invited them to tour our center for a new resource for their clients, and more recently, when they referred a prospective participant to TRU PACE. 

Senior Reach is a home-based support service that reaches out to our county’s most vulnerable elderly residents, including those in isolated mountain communities and those in rural areas, downtown Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette, and other urban areas.

Often, these folks have the added challenges of behavioral health concerns as well as fixed income and lack of resources. Senior Reach offers home visits to provide brief counseling, support services and referral to resources to assist seniors to remain in the community and improve their lives and psychological functioning. 

At a training last year I learned about their role in helping to expose a financial exploitation scheme targeting vulnerable adults and their work with the District Attorney to prosecute the perpetrators who preyed on these trusting elders.

In my work at PACE, they referred a struggling couple who were isolated with only meager in-home support to combat their medical challenges and increasing depression. 

Senior Reach meets these clients where they are, accepting their choices about how they want to live but offering many resources and supports they may be unaware of to improve their lives and help them function in the challenging world they face now. 

Many of these folks have no family, or no one close by, and have outlived their friends and loved ones, which make them vulnerable to those who could take advantage of their situation. The Senior Reach staff are often called angels, and I would agree their work is heroic and often stems the tide of abuse and neglect in the home. 

Filed Under: Community, News, TRU PACE

Paige Foundation Steps Forward to Support Seniors and New TRU PACE Center

April 14, 2017 by TRU Community Care

For Immediate Release: April 14, 2017
Contact: Annette Mainland, VP of Philanthropy
303.604.5261 or annettemainland@trucare.org

(Lafayette, CO) – The Herbert & Judy Paige Family Foundation is impacting senior care in Boulder County and beyond through funding and lending to TRU Community Care. Through a shared Board Member, Timothy Schafer, a local attorney specializing in estate planning and a native of Broomfield, TRU has benefited from the Paige Foundation through a low-cost loan of $1.5 million to help with program start-up costs associated with TRU PACE and a capital grant of $40,000 to help offset construction costs.

TRU PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) launched on March 1, 2017 and serves frail elders who are nursing-home eligible, allowing them to remain safely in their community. PACE is a model of care that provides an 11-member interdisciplinary team approach to create individualized care plans. PACE participants visit the center two, three, or five days each week to receive care. In-home care is provided to round out the TRU PACE spectrum of services.

PACE is a Medicare/Medicaid funded program, but start-up costs, along with costs to provide the PACE center are not reimbursed by these government insurance programs. Therefore, TRU Community Care has been raising funds through a capital campaign to help to offset costs associated with their construction of the PACE center. The Paige Foundation made a grant of $40,000 to assist with the capital campaign.

PACE requirements dictate that program staff must be in place before any seniors can join the program. When the Paige Foundation learned about the need to front the program costs, Schafer put the foundation and the organization together to discuss possible loan arrangements. The very favorable loan rate the foundation offered to TRU enabled TRU PACE to borrow $1.5 million.

TRU Community Care is grateful for the significant support offered by The Paige Foundation at this time of important growth in service to our community of frail seniors and their families.


About TRU Community Care
TRU Community Care provides end-of-life hospice and palliative care as well as grief services to those residing in Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and southwest Weld counties. TRU now offers TRU PACE, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly serving Boulder and southwest Weld Counties. TRU Hospice of Northern Colorado serves Greeley and extends to Weld and Larimer counties. Additional services include grief support groups, which are available to anyone in the community free of charge. It is a privilege for us to help those who are grieving regain their balance and resume healthy living. Grief groups include adult, teen, and child as well as equine therapy. At TRU Community Care, we add life to days, because that’s what TRUly matters. The sooner you call, the more we can help – 303.442.0961 or visit trucare.org; in Northern Colorado call 970.352.8487 or visit hospiceofnortherncolorado.org.


About the Paige Foundation
The Paige Foundation was founded in 2000 by Herbert and Judy Paige. The Paiges believed that all senior citizens are deserving and entitled to live out their senior years in a manner that is safe and secure, with dignity and integrity.

The mission of the Herbert and Judy Paige Family Foundation is to help low-income students gain access to high-quality education, to provide food, love and shelter for animals and to ensure low-income seniors have necessary healthcare, transportation, housing and food. If you are interested in donating to the Paige Foundation or if you’d like to learn more, please visit www.paigefdn.org.

Filed Under: Press Releases, TRU PACE

TRU PACE Partners with Other Local Nonprofits to Serve Elderly in Boulder and Southwest Weld Counties

March 20, 2017 by TRU Community Care

For Immediate Release: March 20, 2017
Contact: Maria Thomas, Communications Coordinator
mariathomas@trucare.org

(Lafayette, CO) – TRU PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly), an innovative new program of TRU Community Care, is partnering with several area nonprofit agencies to serve the frail senior population in Boulder and southwest Weld Counties. Now open, TRU PACE helps seniors navigate the complex issues associated with aging.

The program provides a safety net for frail seniors ages 55+ who would otherwise need nursing-home-level care. Participants in TRU PACE arrive at the day center (thanks to transportation from Via) to receive interdisciplinary, coordinated care from an 11-member team, including a physician, nurse, nutritionist, physical therapist, and more. Services include recreational therapy, laundry, meals, and prescription management.

“PACE participants are what I consider the most vulnerable members of our community. Via, as the county’s nonprofit transportation provider, is happy to partner with TRU PACE to serve seniors in Boulder and southwest Weld counties.” said Mary Cobb, Director of Communications at Via.

Thanks to local partner organizations Via and Meals on Wheels – Boulder, TRU PACE participants receive mobility support as well as nutritious meals both on-site and to take home. TRU strives to keep these seniors independent and living in their communities for as long as possible.

“We at Meals on Wheels of Boulder are thrilled to partner with TRU PACE! Our organizations are perfectly aligned to increase our ability to meet the senior nutrition needs of our area residents. It is a privilege to be a part of this new service.” remarked Francea Phillips, President & CEO of Meals on Wheels Boulder.

Referral sources and the community may call 303.665.0115 or email pace@trucare.org to speak with an enrollment specialist. TRU PACE is a Medicare and/or Medicaid covered benefit and also accepts private pay.


About TRU Community Care
TRU Community Care provides end-of-life hospice and palliative care as well as grief services to those residing in Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and southwest Weld counties. TRU now offers TRU PACE, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, which serves Boulder and southwest Weld Counties. TRU Hospice of Northern Colorado serves Greeley and extends to Weld and Larimer counties. Additional services include grief support groups, which are available to anyone in the community free of charge. It is a privilege for us to help those who are grieving regain their balance and resume healthy living. Grief groups include adult, teen, and child as well as equine therapy. At TRU Community Care, we add life to days, because that’s what TRUly matters. The sooner you call, the more we can help – 303.442.0961 or visit trucare.org.

Filed Under: Press Releases, TRU PACE

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About TRU

TRU Community Care (TRU) affirms life at every step of your journey with illness and loss. Our vision is to lead a healthcare transformation by engaging with our communities and offering innovative, meaningful care for those living with illness and loss.

Founded as Boulder Hospice in 1976, TRU is a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, Arapahoe, Denver, and Weld Counties and beyond. With a focus on providing a continuum of care for members of our community living with advanced illness and loss, TRU’s programs include TRU Hospice, TRU PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), TRU Palliative Care, Landmark Memory Care, and TRU Grief Services.

TRU Hospice is proudly accredited by The Joint Commission and is a five-star-level hospice in NHPCO's We Honor Veterans program created in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). TRU is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE), and the National PACE Association (NPA).

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Lafayette, CO 80026

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1950 Mountain View Avenue
4th Floor South
Longmont, CO 80501

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Boulder, CO 80303

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2593 Park Lane
Lafayette, CO 80026

TRU Memory Care
1744 S Public Road
Lafayette, CO 80026

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