• Five Wishes offers a program to support advanced care and end-of-life planning including.
• The New York Health Care Proxy Form allows you to appoint someone you trust to make healthcare decisions for you if you lose the ability to make decisions yourself. Learn more.
• New York State Medical Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) Form is a medical order form that tells others the patient's wishes for life-sustaining treatment.
• Prepare for Your Care is an advanced care planning program that helps you put your wishes in writing.
• Death Over Dinner is an interactive guide designed to facilitate discussion on end-of-life planning
• DVS's Final Honors Program ensures that all deceased NYC veterans - even if unclaimed or abandoned - are given military funerals with honors and buried at a National Cemetery once they are verified as eligible for military honors. A DVS official is present on the day of each unclaimed or abandoned veterans' National Cemetery funeral to bear witness to his or her sacrifice for our country.
• Veterans can learn in advance if they are eligible to be buried in a VA national cemetery by applying for a pre-need determination of eligibility. Visit the VA's Pre-Need Eligibility website to learn more about the eligibility requirements, application process, and what information you need to apply. After reviewing the website, please download and submit VA Form 40-10007. Please note, this application is for planning for your own burial in advance. Please do not complete this form if you're requesting a burial for someone after they have passed.

• DVS works with GetFoodNYC, Hello Fresh, the New York State Division of Veterans' Services, and local veteran organizations to provide free meals to New York veterans experiencing food insecurity. Fill out the form at VetConnectNYC and select "Food Support" as your preferred service.
• Seniors looking for delivery services can visit Meals on Wheels.

The NYC Department for the Aging's (DFTA) Senior Employment Program has placed New Yorkers over the age of 55 in jobs in data processing, administrative work, customer service, security services, airport services, home care, and more.

DVS has partnered with DFTA's Senior Employment Program to identify older New Yorkers who can assist the agency in serving New York City's veteran community. Participants will become “DVS Ambassadors.” DVS Ambassadors will perform outreach that furthers our agency's mission to connect, mobilize, and empower NYC-based US Military Service Members--past and present--in addition to their caregivers, survivors, and families. To be eligible, candidates must:

• Be 55 or older
• Live in the five boroughs
• Be unemployed
• Have a family income of no more than 125 percent of the federal poverty level
• Be willing to learn new skill

Additionally, candidates should possess the following:

• Excellent communication skills
• High-level attention to detail and organizational skills
• An outgoing, engaging personality
• Customer service and sales background preferred
• Military/veteran affiliation preferred
• A can-do spirit

If you or someone you know meets the criteria and would like to learn more, please fill out an interest form to register for an information session.

Download a document detailing our DVS Ambassadors program

The VOLS Elderly Project serves low-income New Yorkers age 60+ by partnering with pro bono attorneys to provide wills, powers of attorney, and other essential life-planning documents free of charge. Services offer:

• obtaining life planning documents that are essential to protecting their legal rights and health care decisions
• Last Will and Testament
• power of attorney
• health care proxy
• landlord-tenant issues
• access to benefits
• general civil legal advice and referrals

To request legal services, call 347-521-5725. Leave a message with your name, phone number, and the best days and times you can be reached.

• The NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) offers transportation services for New York City residents who are 60 years old and older. For transportation services enter your information in DFTA's contact form. Please note: To prevent the spread of COVID-19, transportation providers will be providing socially distanced small group transportation services at this time
• The VA Travel Reimbursement pays veterans back for travel expenses to and from health care appointments.
• Participating VA medical centers (VAMCs) offer transportation services to VA appointments and authorized non-VA appointments. Learn more about theVeteran Transportation Service (VTS).

• Assisted Living New York Caring.com provides an introductory guide to assisted living in New York covers the cost of senior care in the state and financial assistance available for assisted living, including assisted living waivers. It also provides contact information for nonprofit and government agencies that provide free or low-cost resources to seniors.
• Memory Care in New York Memory care communities are a form of dementia care that takes place in a residential setting. At a memory care community, seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia receive around-the-clock care and supervision from trained caregivers. Families exploring memory care options in New York can use this guide to compare average costs, learn about services and find local resources for care planning.