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Health & Fitness

Displaced Delco Senior Finds Comfort, Care in Mercy LIFE

Discover how Mercy LIFE in Delco helped rekindle one Chester resident's lifelong love of music.

One Chester resident's story of rediscovering a lifelong passion for music with the help of Mercy LIFE in Delco

 Vince Gaudiello, 64, a 35-year veteran of the construction business who spent most of his career building the Schuylkill Expressway, was one of more than 50 Delaware County participants displaced after a local PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program closed.  The three-year participant of the program no longer had access to the healthcare services he needed – services the PACE program, unlike strictly social adult day centers, provided.

With no children to assist in caring for him, the last thing the Chester resident wanted was to return to a nursing home. He was placed in a nursing home previously for 18 months when he lost his foot and needed rehabilitation. When his initial rehabilitation therapy was complete, he was ready to leave the nursing home to live on his own again, but a sudden illness forced him to prolong his stay. Months later, once he stabilized, he was able to resume living on his own, with the help of a PACE program.

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“I saw a piece of literature for Mercy LIFE in the mail,” said Gaudiello. “I knew about LIFE programs and they had the medical services I needed. I knew I’d be able to stay living independently in my apartment.”

Mercy LIFE, also a PACE program, came to Gaudiello’s and the other displaced participants’ rescue. Mercy LIFE welcomed 56 displaced Delaware County seniors into its program in the fall of 2012 and was approved by the Centers of Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) to invite other Delaware County seniors to enroll in the program in May 2013. Gaudiello has attended Mercy LIFE’s Broad Street Day Center twice a week, every week since 2012.

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“Mercy LIFE is a big help with my medical needs. They offer all the services I need,” said Gaudiello.

Nurses, physicians, physical therapists, nutritionists and other healthcare providers collaborate on-site to provide quality, comprehensive care all in one place. Mercy LIFE participants benefit from immediate assistance – without the typical wait period for a medical appointment or prescription refill, or the costly co-pays that often accompany vital medical services.

Seniors also have access to spiritual counseling, dental care, vision care, mental health services and social activities, among other offerings at Mercy LIFE.

“Everyone gets included in the activities. It makes you come out of yourself,” said Gaudiello. “In other programs they may not get you involved, but Mercy LIFE is more inclusive. Every couple of weeks or so they have the animals come for pet therapy, which is nice because a lot of us can’t take care of pets.”

Gaudiello’s favorite activities involve music, which rekindled his passion for the guitar. Mercy LIFE often brings in deejays from local radio stations, singers, piano players and drummers for participants’ entertainment.

In addition to on-site services at four adult day centers, Mercy LIFE offers specialized home care to participants who need assistance getting ready in the morning and assistance at night preparing for bedtime, a beneficial service for seniors who live alone or for working caregivers who can’t always count on being home at night. Transportation to and from the adult day centers and to all outside medical appointments is also provided.

Mercy LIFE has provided care to Philadelphia seniors for more than a decade, and with the Delaware County service expansion, the program is now available to seniors in Darby, Chester, Yeadon, Prospect Park, Woodlyn, Lansdowne, Sharon Hill, Garnet Valley and Ridley Park.

“Mercy LIFE has helped me live on my own, even with my medical needs,” said Gaudiello. “Otherwise I’d have no choice but to live in a nursing home. That’s not what I want.”

More About Mercy LIFE:

Mercy LIFE is a member of the Mercy Health System. Mercy Health System is the largest Catholic healthcare system serving the DelawareValley and is comprised of more than 6,000 caring, highly skilled employees focused on creating an outstanding patient-care experience.

Since May 2013, Mercy LIFE has been available to seniors living in Delaware County, including Darby, Chester, Yeadon, Prospect Park, Wallingford, Woodlyn, Lansdowne, Sharon Hill, Garnet Valley, and Ridley Park (specific zip codes include 19013, 19014, 19015, 19018, 19022, 19023, 19032, 19033, 19036, 19050, 19060, 19061, 19074, 19076, 19078, 19081, 19079, and 19094).

To schedule a tour of one of three Mercy LIFE Day Centers, call us at 215-339-4747 or visit www.mercylife.org. To view a virtual tour of the Mercy LIFE Day Centers, please visit www.mercylife.org/virtualtour.
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