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December 2008 December 2008 Newsletter In This
Issue:
These are rough economic times for everyone. But despite a challenging budget climate, the City’s commitment to aging services remains strong. All City agencies including DFTA have been called upon to make difficult choices through budget reductions while at the same time maintaining their high quality of service. To decide where to undertake reductions, DFTA engaged in a careful strategic planning process that resulted in a commitment to sustain the agency services that serve the greatest number of seniors – the Department’s three core programs of home-delivered meals, case management and senior centers. In choosing to preserve its core services and implement reductions in programs with more limited impact, DFTA made a deliberate decision not to implement an across-the-board cut because we believe that this option would seriously threaten the ability of our community partners to continue to offer quality core services. We are also very pleased that, with the restoration of $29.4 million, no senior center closures are currently anticipated. While we cannot make guarantees about the future, we will continue to protect core services as we endure the next few years of fiscal challenges. I also want to remind seniors living on limited incomes that benefits and entitlements available from DFTA and other government agencies may be essential lifelines. The Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemption Program (SCRIE), for example, exempts eligible low-income seniors from future rent increases. Another program that might just mean a senior doesn’t have to choose between letting unpaid heating bills mount up or enduring freezing home temperatures this winter is the federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), which provides assistance with fuel costs. Applications for both programs are available by calling 311 or they can be downloaded from www.nyc.gov/aging. A list of additional government benefits and entitlements for New Yorkers of all ages can be accessed at www.nyc.gov/ACCESSNYC. This online resource not only describes major benefit programs, it screens for eligibility and allows applications to be printed. Please email or write to me any time. I look forward to hearing from you. Also, call 311 to learn about the Department's services for seniors or read more at nyc.gov/aging.
Home Energy Assistance Program Applications Available Thousands of low-income older homeowners and renters will be able to defray some of the cost of heating their homes this winter, thanks to the Regular and Emergency 2008-2009 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP is a federally funded program that issues heating benefits to supplement a household's annual energy cost. HEAP also offers an emergency benefit for households in a heat or heat related energy emergency. Additionally, HEAP offers a furnace repair and/or replacement benefit for households with inoperable heating equipment. HEAP may help pay for: electricity, propane, natural gas, wood, oil, kerosene, coal, or any other heating fuel. Eligible apartment dwellers can receive $40 to $50; eligible households that pay for fuel can receive up to $800. This year's HEAP season opened on Monday, November 3rd. DFTA works with the Human Resources Administration to encourage HEAP applications from seniors. Through outreach and training, the DFTA HEAP Unit has brought approximately 9,500 new persons into the system annually. This year DFTA will once again collaborate with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection to include a notice about HEAP with the water bills sent to more than 875,000 homeowners. DFTA also administers the federal Weatherization, Referral and Packaging Program. This program helps low-income (HEAP eligible) older persons living in one to four family homes improve the cost efficiency and comfort of their homes through weatherization measures, such as insulation, replacement of doors and windows and repairs to furnaces and roofs. This past summer, with additional funding from the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, DFTA provided more than 2,500 air conditioners to low-income elderly who did not have working air conditioners and whose health was at risk from summer heat.
2,300 Older Adults Walk Their Way to Health at Senior Stroll
This annual event, DFTA's Senior Stroll to promote health and wellness, highlighted the accomplishments of the Department's more than 120 Big Apple Senior Strollers Walking Clubs. This year, clubs were given a choice of three goals, each having a targeted number of steps. They were "Walk Around Your Neighborhood", under 25,000 steps; "Walk Around Your Borough", 25,000 steps; or "Walk Around New York City", 125,000 steps and over. Each club chose a goal that best suited their membership. The Department awarded four of its walking clubs with a certificate recognizing their level of achievement. They were:
A "Wild Card" Award was also presented to the Club coming closest to 50,000 steps. CWA Local 1180-Retireee Division was the Wild Card winner with 49,731 steps (approximately 25 miles). Big Apple Strollers walk a minimum of twice a week for 30 minutes to achieve a targeted number of steps, anywhere from 25,000 to 125,000 steps, or equivalent 12.5 to 62.5 miles. Each club member uses a pedometer to count his or her number of steps. This year the clubs walked a total of over 70,000,000 steps, which is equivalent to 35,000 miles or one and a half times around the equator. Commissioner Méndez-Santiago kicked-off this year's Annual Senior Stroll by introducing Staten Island's Todt Hill Tap Dancers. Seniors from the Staten Island YMCA Aerobics class warmed up the attendees for their 2-mile stroll.
"Building Bridges" Focus of Alzheimer's Disease Conference 
At the 14th Annual Conference on Alzheimer's Disease on October 31st, the Department for the Aging released a new DVD called "Understanding Alzheimer's Disease" for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease. The DVD focuses on the myriad challenges caregivers face in managing the various stages of Alzheimer's disease. Its four segments are available not only in English but also in Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Bengali and Korean. Issuance of the DVD was a highlight of the Conference, which this year emphasized the importance of partnerships between healthcare providers and the families of individuals with Alzheimer's disease to ensure quality, person-centered care. Morning workshops focused on practical applications of the theme of "building bridges" in such arenas as pain management and facility-to-community discharge. Preceding an afternoon plenary session, Actress Kate Mulgrew, of "Star Trek Voyager" and "Equus" fame, shared her experience as caregiver for her mother who has Alzheimer's disease. Commissioner Mendez-Santiago presented innovation awards to Emma Shulman and Gertrude Steinberg, both in their mid-90s, who have spent decades improving the lives of people caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease. He also presented an award to Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company for their "Strength for Caring" website. The plenary session that concluded the Conference also addressed the conference theme of building bridges. From their different perspectives as a physician, a nurse, a social worker and an administrator, plenary panel members stressed that person-centered care in cases of Alzheimer's disease requires communication, consultation, shared decision-making and teamwork among all parties involved, including family members. Dr. Gary Kennedy of Montefiore Medical Center, Alexander Alvarez of the Latino Alzheimer's Coalition, Ariella Peist of the United Hospital Fund and Karen Harper, Community Director of Isabella Geriatric Center, participated in the panel. The Conference was presented by the New York City Department for the Aging, The Fischer Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation and DFTA's non-profit arm, the Aging in New York Fund in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association, New York City chapter.
Medicare Part D Opens Enrollment DFTA once again has opened community phone-and-walk-in sites around the City to counsel seniors on their Medicare prescription plan options during the Annual Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Part D, November 15 through December 31st. Trained counselors with capability in 17 languages are available at these sites to meet with seniors in person or provide assistance over the phone. A counseling center at 2 Lafayette Street on the 6th floor is open to walk-ins and telephone callers, Monday through Friday, 9 to 4pm. There are fifty-one private stand-alone plans to choose from this year. "Premiums across the board are higher," says Amy Bernstein, Director of DFTA's Health Insurance Information and Counseling Program (HIICAP), which administers the counseling sites. Bernstein urges seniors currently enrolled in a plan and expecting to stay in it for 2009 to read through their plan to make sure they're informed about the new premiums, co-pays and changes to the formulary list. "If they need help because they're new to Medicare or want to compare plans based on the medications they are currently taking, we can help them at our DFTA center or they can call 311 for a site closer to home," she adds. HIICAP provides information and counseling services year-round on a range of topics including Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare Savings Program, "Medigap" insurance, long-term care insurance and Part D. "A complete Guide to Health Care Coverage for Older New Yorkers," prepared by HIICAP, is currently available on DFTA's website.
Conference Targets Looming Workforce Crisis in Elder Care
That question was the focus of a September 18th regional conference in New York City for over 300 service providers, caregivers and volunteers from throughout the Northeast on "Cutting Edge Approaches" to ensuring a workforce for the elderboom. Participants in the day-long event heard from nationally and internationally recognized experts on workforce issues and the elderly. The need to recruit more professionals and provide them with comprehensive geriatric training was a major theme. The day-long event was presented by the New York Southern Area Aging Network (NY-SAAN), a consortium created in 2006 by Commissioner Mae Carpenter of Westchester County's Department of Senior Programs and Services and Commissioner Edwin Mendez-Santiago of the New York City Department for the Aging. NY-SAAN covers New York City, Long Island and the five counties of the Lower Hudson Valley: Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Duchess and Ulster. A report by the Fordham University Ravazzin Center on Aging documenting the shortage of workers was also released at the Conference. The report highlights the bleak workforce outlook for various professions including physicians and surgeons, chiropractors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, direct care workers, vision and hearing specialists and physical, occupational and respiratory therapists.
Senior Prowess Showcased at Staten Island Olympics So you thought the Beijing Olympics were spectacular? You should have seen the Olympics held on Staten Island the week of September 14th. Nineteen events in which participants competed for gold, silver and bronze medals, a concluding ceremony capped by a parade of torch-led winners and dance and athletic performances - this year's Staten Island Senior Olympics matched its official counterpart in enthusiasm, fun and dedication to excellence. To be sure, the Staten Island event did something that other Olympics didn't do: it celebrated the talents, skills and victories of men and women from 50 to over 100 years of age. In activities that ranged from basketball to swimming and kayaking, to bocce ball, to golf, to pocket billiards, checkers, shuffleboard and even chess, more than 400 participants competed in age-based divisions, including age 90 and older. No one expressed the animating spirit of the event better than Hank Bergeron of Mariners Harbor, who, at 86 years young, won 10 medals in events that included swimming, shuffleboard, horseshoes, miniature golf and croquet. "We have too may couch potatoes, today," Bergeron said. "I have ailments too, but I try to circumvent them with exercise… I'm not running on fumes yet. I'm on a full tank." The Staten Island Olympics was the brainchild of Bea Victor, who stepped down in November after serving for 20 years as chairperson. During her tenure, Ms. Victor, an advocate and activist all her life, put her belief in senior empowerment into practice, insisting that senior volunteers run every aspect, from serving on the board and deciding which events to feature to distributing applications, stuffing envelopes, preparing lunches and organizing pick-ups. "The important thing about these Olympics has always been seniors' having control and responsibility," she said. On September 19th, the last day of the event traditionally devoted to ceremony and celebration, the Staten Island Olympics were officially renamed the Bea Victor Staten Island Olympics. The Department for the Aging presented Ms. Victor with a New York City Apple in recognition of her ongoing commitment to the seniors of Staten Island. The Olympics were sponsored by the Department for the Aging, the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, the YMCA, the Staten Island Advance and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
Portrait Gallery Pays Tribute to Grandparent Raising Grandchildren At the breakfast unveiling, each grandparent who participated in the project received a copy of their portrait. Commissioner Mendez-Santiago greeted the guests and DFTA staff attending the breakfast. He told the grandparents, "You have not had the luxury most grandparents enjoy of being able to love your grandchildren while living your own lives, secure in the knowledge that your adult children are tending to their own children's needs. Taking responsibility for your grandchildren's care, you have had to face problems and difficulties you never bargained for and yet you forge on." The Department for the Aging has been committed to serving older people raising young kin since 1993. The commitment began with a Mayoral Conference in September 1993 called "Unplanned Parenthood: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren." This was followed a year later by the launching of DFTA's Grandparent Resource Center to address the growing phenomenon. Today the GRC is an essential resource for grandparent caregivers in NewYork City. It offers information, referral and advocacy assistance to grandparents transitioning into their new role or experiencing difficulty as they navigate the school or welfare systems or deal with legal, housing or medical issues. The GRC also connects grandparents to a growing network of support groups and works with City agencies to ensure that grandparent caregivers have their needs addressed. Visit the Portrait Page.
Job Fair Focuses on Older Workers Driving home the message of national "Employ Older Workers Week," beginning September 22, the Department for the Aging hosted a Job Fair Thursday, September 25th to introduce participants in its federally funded Senior Community Service Employment Program (Title V) to local employers. More than three hundred job seekers met with representatives from 30 hiring organizations. One person was hired on the spot. Many others succeeded in scheduling interviews. Organizations participating in this first Job Fair of FY09 included Macy's, CVS, Partners in Care, CVS, Headway, Columbia University, NUY Medical, Bright Horizon Home Care, NY Foundling Hospital, the US Census Bureau, the New York Public Library, Catholic Charities, Volunteers of America and Safe Horizon. "As we continue to highlight the contribution older workers can make to the labor force and the importance of utilizing this undertapped pool to meet the employment needs of our economy, we are attracting more and more organizations to our employer roster," said Maria Serrano, director of DFTA's Senior Employment Services Unit (SESU), which operates the Title V program. Through the SESU, DFTA offers Title V-eligible older persons training for positions in data processing, electronic offices, customer services, food services, security services and the home health field. The program also assists trainees with supportive services and a Resource Center to aid in their job search. Last year, the SESU reported 200 hires. Other local area providers of the federal Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) co-hosted the event. They are AARP, Easter Seals, Partnership for the Homeless, Jamaica Services for Older Adults, Chinese American Planning Council, and Korean Community Services. The Urban League of Westchester and Rockland County is also participated.
Project Combats Stigma of Depression, other Mental Illnesses New York City's public/private initiative designed to refer seniors with symptoms of depression to appropriate treatment entered its fourth year this September. Targeted to senior center members, the project has already successfully linked more than 200 seniors to mental health services. Project partners are the Department for the Aging, the Department of Health an Mental Hygiene and the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA). The project approach has featured on-site educational workshops, free on-site depression screening, referral of seniors who screen positive for further evaluation and appropriate care, and follow-up on referrals to ensure that contact is made. This year the project is expanding to include workshops on stress and anxiety, memory loss and managing medications. "We will of course continue to focus on depression education, screening and referral," said Lisa Furst, Director of Public Education for MHA. "But we want to address other issues as well. Many adults will not seek out information about mental health conditions and there's a stigma attached to evaluation and treatment we've worked hard to overcome. We found out during our depression workshops that many seniors had questions about other conditions. We wanted to create additional workshops to address what seniors feel they need." As of June 30, 2008, close to 20% of the City's senior centers have participated in the project, many in minority and low-income communities throughout the five boroughs. All activities are conducted in English, Spanish, Russian, Korean or Chinese, depending on which language is spoken by the majority of center participants. Although materials and presentation techniques are culturally adapted, the message to each community has been the same: depression is not a normal part of aging but a highly common and treatable mental condition; free screening to detect depressive symptoms is available at the center; if you have symptoms you should seek treatment and we can refer you. More than 2,000 seniors have received this message, with close to 85% agreeing to be screened with the PhQ-9 depression assessment tool. Of the 11% who tested positive for moderate to severe depression, more than 75% connected with a doctor after referral. "It's taken great persistence sometimes," said Lisa Furst, "to overcome initial reluctance to seek evaluation and treatment. These seniors are dealing with multiple, complex stressors including caregiving for a spouse or partner and significant physical health problems of their own. It can just seem too much, sometimes, to make an additional effort to seek a mental health evaluation."
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On October 7th, 2,300 older New Yorkers, members of 120 Big Apple Senior Strollers Walking Clubs, celebrated walking a total of 35,000 miles this year by strolling along Midland Beach on Staten Island.
When it comes to taking care of our rapidly aging population, America is heading for a workforce crisis. How can we reverse the critical shortage of health care and human service workers?
To capture the spirit and dedication of the estimated 100,000 grandparent caregivers raising their grandchildren, the Department for the Aging commissioned professional portraits of grandparent-headed families served through its Grandparent Resource Center. The 20 striking black and white portraits were unveiled September 9th in recognition of September's National Grandparent Day.