Center for Elders’ Independence Celebrates 40 Years

The Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI) is entering its fifth decade of helping East Bay elders age independently and gracefully. More than 5,000 senior participants and their families have benefited from the dedication of CEI’s staff and leadership.

“This talented team has worked so incredibly hard, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide high-quality care for participants through a very challenging time,” CEI President and CEO María Zamora said. “We recognize that we have a great responsibility and each one of our team members continually steps up to meet that responsibility in amazing ways.”

CEI celebrates its 40th anniversary by continuing to expand operations to bring quality care to senior residents in the area. Currently, the organization serves more than 950 older adults through the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) healthcare, which allows seniors to receive the care they need, all while continuing to live at home. CEI recently opened its latest PACE center in Concord.

“I am humbled by CEI’s rich history of serving seniors over 40 years and honored to lead this organization into the future,” Zamora said. “Looking forward, I am grateful for our strong financial position as we remain committed to providing high-quality services to our participants.”

During the pandemic, CEI’s PACE program had one of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates — 11.2%, compared to 62% in nursing facilities in the state. This is a testament to the power of PACE, commonly referred to as the gold standard of long-term care.