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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The LIFE Geisinger Program will expand its reach to Luzerne County starting Monday, Feb. 1.</p><p>LIFE &#8212; an acronym for &#8220;Living Independently for Elders&#8221; &#8212; Geisinger is a program sponsored by federal and state monies as a way to keep elderly from going into a nursing home.</p><p>&#8220;There is a bad connotation with a nursing home,&#8221; Dr. Gerald Maloney, chief medical officer of Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, said.</p><p>LIFE Geisinger is part of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Over the past 10 years, the program in Scranton cares for 100 people annually; with the program in Kulpmont, Northumberland County, caring for 110 people.</p><p>Maloney said the site of the day room on the second floor of the Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre facility, at 25 Church St., was ideal because of the built-in benefits &#8212; urgent care center, X-ray capabilities and a same-day surgery center. With the use of TeleMed &#8212; a video service allowing doctors to teleconference their patients from the clinic at the center &#8212;and the staffed RNs or LPNs, doctors can diagnose patients on the spot.</p><p>&#8220;Their doctors can see them too, on a scheduled basis,&#8221; Maloney said.</p><p>The program is designed for people 55 years of age and older who need support. LIFE Geisinger provides services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including medical care, meals, home care, and physical, occupational and speech therapies.</p><p>&#8220;Our incentive is living well &#8212; keep (elders) happy and healthy,&#8221; said Robert McQuillan, associate vice president of Geisinger&#8217;s Care Continuum.</p><p>McQuillan stressed that those who use the facility aren&#8217;t permanently locked into the facility.</p><p>&#8220;People can choose to opt out,&#8221; McQuillan said.</p><p>For individuals enrolled in Medicaid, services are fully covered. According to McQuillan, if they are living at home &#8220;there is no copay or Part D (Medicare) doughnut hole.&#8221; Those who are not enrolled in Medicaid or Medicare will have a premium.</p><p>People like Theola Coles, 86, of the B&#8217;Nai B&#8217;rith Apartments in Wilkes-Barre, will be able to use the day room facilities, including the showers and laundry services, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. If the need arises, a change in hours is possible.</p><p>Coles takes a van to the center in Scranton every Tuesday. Now, she&#8217;ll be closer to the activities she enjoys, like exercising and bingo daily, &#8220;with the exception of Friday.&#8221; Two vans will be available for transportation to and from the center.</p><p>&#8220;It was a blessing to come to the LIFE program,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They care.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Theola Coles 86 talks with Robert McQuillan Life Geisinger in the new Day Room for senoir at the  Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre ---------------Fred Adams|for Times Leader 1-28-16</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_Geisinger-Tour.jpg</photo0><caption0>Theola Coles 86 talks with Robert McQuillan Life Geisinger in the new Day Room for senoir at the  Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre ---------------Fred Adams|for Times Leader 1-28-16</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Services at LIFE Geisinger include:</p><p>&#8226; medical clinic</p><p>&#8226; activity room</p><p>&#8226; showers</p><p>&#8226; laundry services</p><p>&#8226; daily meals</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

LIFE Geisinger program comes to Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre