Message From NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen
May is an extraordinarily busy time as we kick-off Older Americans Month and celebrate all of the great contributions that older adults bring to their communities. (See below for more information on what’s in store.)
The New York State Budget recently passed, and there are many items that positively impact older New Yorkers throughout many state agencies. Please read our summary online to learn more here.
In May, we will also be presenting our draft Four-Year Plan to the public and stakeholders statewide. The Four-Year Plan is required by federal law and demonstrates how NYSOFA will work to meet federal priorities. Our statewide kick-off meeting will be livestreamed on May 18 at noon. We are also planning to hold in-person community forums the following week throughout New York State to receive feedback from the public.
Please RSVP for the May 18 livestream on Facebook here or YouTube here and be on the lookout soon for the full slate of in-person sessions. We’ll be looking for you to help publicize these events.
Also, preliminary results are in for our first-ever Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA). With more than 26,400 respondents from every county of New York State, across the age and income spectrum, the preliminary data tells us what older adults think about themselves, their needs, and their communities. Check out the preliminary data here. We’ll be talking about these findings at our upcoming Four-Year Plan forums.
Finally, the Master Plan for Aging subcommittees are meeting and there was $1 million in additional funding passed in this year’s budget to support the development of the plan. Learn more about the MPA at https://www.ny.gov/mpa.
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'Aging Unbound': Celebrating Older Americans Month
Older Americans Month in May is a time to celebrate the many contributions of older adults, their wisdom, experience, value, and contributions to all generations.
This year's theme is “Aging Unbound,” as established by the U.S. Administration for Community Living to remind us that older adults are a diverse population with wide-ranging experiences and limitless potential.
NYSOFA will be celebrating in many ways.
Please watch and share special remarks from NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen. Also, be sure to catch Greg during a week of programming called "Aging Together" on PBS, starting May 15. During the week of May 15, Greg will be a guest on the statewide program New York NOW, as well as a featured speaker at a community forum in Plattsburgh to air on Mountain Lake PBS in the North Country.
WPBS in Watertown is also expected to present an interview with Greg on the issue of social isolation. Lastly, Greg was in the studios at WAMC public radio for its Vox Pop call-in program on May 4, taking callers' questions about aging services. You can listen to the broadcast here.
Look for more information throughout the month of May on NYSOFA's social media channels.
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NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen speaks with WAMC's Ray Graf on the Vox Pop call-in program.
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NYSOFA Joins Senator Gillibrand to Announce Federal Master Plan on Aging
In April, NYSOFA joined Senator Gillibrand to support her federal Master Plan on Aging aimed at protecting and expanding Social Security and Medicare and helping to ensure that older adults can afford food, housing, and health care.
"NYSOFA applauds Senator Gillibrand’s leadership at the federal level to establish a visionary nationwide roadmap of opportunities and supports for all people as they age,” said NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen. “This nationwide plan demands coordination at all levels of government. I encourage other states across the country to endorse Senator Gillibrand’s plan and follow New York’s example by likewise developing a state Master Plan for Aging with complementary goals, objectives, and commitments as we collectively fulfill our shared responsibility in making the United States a truly age-friendly nation.”
NYSOFA has been working closely with Senator Gillibrand's office on shared priorities, joining the Senator in calling for more funds for Older Americans Act (OAA) nutritional programs. NYSOFA has also been working with the Senator's office on an OAA modernization effort to update antiquated parts of the Act, address lessons learned from the pandemic, and expand and innovate service delivery.
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Hear Greg Olsen and Other Experts at Upcoming Elder Law Forum
Join NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen, a featured speaker, at the 28th Annual Elder Law Forum on May 11 in Albany or by Zoom. The Forum is a statewide conference presenting challenges, policies, and solutions to caring for New York’s aging population and people with disabilities. There is no fee to attend this conference, which is designed for professionals in elder care, law, government, advocacy, and finance.
28th Annual Elder Law Forum
May 11 (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Desmond Hotel in Albany or on Zoom
Register for the In-Person Program in Albany
Register for the Livestream
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Applications for HEAP cooling assistance are open starting May 1 through August 31, or until funding runs out. The program can provide an air conditioner to eligible households.
Assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. To qualify, applicants must meet HEAP eligibility criteria and income thresholds, which vary by household size, and include at least one member of the household that suffers from a medical condition worsened by extreme heat, or is under age 6, or over age 60.
For example, a household of four can earn up to $65,829 a year, or $5,485 per month, and still qualify for assistance.
Residents outside of New York City may apply by contacting their local departments of social services by phone or in person. New York City residents may apply in person at a local HRA Benefit Access Center, by phone, or online at access.nyc.gov.
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Resources to Help Medicare Beneficiaries Get Financial Assistance
The Medicare Savings Program can save income-eligible beneficiaries up to $7,000 annually – funds that can be used to pay for other important needs, like housing costs or utilities.
Thanks to newly increased income limits, an estimated 300,000 beneficiaries are eligible for the MSP in 2023. You can help spread the word and connect beneficiaries with application assistance through the Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP).
NYSOFA has created a webpage with numerous tools and resources that you can share directly with the public on social media, as well as print flyers for your congregate sites, senior centers, meal-delivery routes, tabling events or other venues for public engagement.
Visit our website to find:
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Unpaid Caregivers Could Use Support. Here’s a Fast Way to Deliver It!
NYSOFA’s Any Care Counts-NY pilot with ARCHANGELS has already reached over 7,000 unpaid caregivers, and 20% of them immediately navigated to resources available in their area to help. With your support, we can strengthen this connection between your services and those who need them the most.
One of the fastest ways to do this is by using the materials available in the Any Care Counts-NY kit. The kit is easy to use and designed to:
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Help unpaid caregivers realize they’re in this role — at least 50% of people don’t see themselves this way.
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Encourage them to get their score and find out what’s driving the intensity of their caregiving role.
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Connect them directly to resources — the kind of support that can make all the difference in someone’s ability to keep a job, manage their stress, and improve relationships with family and friends.
In the process, Any Care Counts-NY will generate even more insight on the 43% of adults serving as unpaid caregivers across New York.
Find your county & download the kit today
The NYSOFA-ARCHANGELS Any Care Counts-NY campaign is already generating important data. To learn more, and explore some of the numbers, read NYSOFA's slidedeck here.
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Hear What Case Managers are Saying about ElliQ
More than 300 ElliQ devices have been installed in the homes of older New Yorkers as part of NYSOFA’s ground-breaking partnership with Intuition Robotics. Out of all of the participating counties, 85% have already distributed at least one device to clients.
As a reminder, ElliQ is a voice-operated companion robot that supports individuals who spend most of their time alone. It proactively engages the user to conduct activities together throughout the day – providing a sense of companionship, motivating healthy behavior, and encouraging people to stay in touch with their loved ones from a distance.
In this video, hear directly from Julesa, a case manager in the Bronx, about her experience with ElliQ so far as part of the NYSOFA and Intuition Robotics partnership.
Visit info.elliq.com/ny if you are an aging services provider who would like to participate in this initiative and bring ElliQ home to an older adult. Or contact the ElliQ team directly at help@elliq.com or (855) 888-1295.
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Spectrum News Features NYSOFA and GoGo Grandparent Partnership
NYSOFA has partnered with GoGo Grandparent – a specialized ride-sharing network that responds to the unique needs of older adults – in a campaign to help bridge transportation access.
The partnership was recently featured in a segment on the Buffalo-area Spectrum News affiliate, which follows a driver and rider from Erie County.
NYSOFA and GoGo Grandparent kicked-off the pilot campaign in February, with advertising in three markets where GoGo Grandparent has an established presence: Suffolk, Erie and Monroe Counties. “Get the most out of life and have GoGoGrandparent take you there,” states the campaign, along with a toll-free number for older adults to obtain a ride at 1-855-GOGO-USA (4646-872). Check out the TV spot here.
NYSOFA and GoGo Grandparent will examine the results of the pilot and then broaden the campaign to other markets that have an established presence of drivers. The campaign also includes a driver recruitment effort in those counties where GoGo Grandparent has fewer drivers, helping to build capacity and options for older adults in those areas.
The campaign is supported in the Fiscal Year 2023 State Budget as part of a package of initiatives through NYSOFA to support caregivers and address social isolation.
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Mental Health Awareness Month: Resources to Help Older Adults
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Given the unprecedented impact of the pandemic, mental health challenges are more prevalent than ever before.
Meanwhile, older adults have unique life circumstances that can affect mental health, such as the loss of a spouse/partner or peers, the emotional challenge of coping with illness, or feeling adrift in retirement.
This month, NYSOFA Advocacy Specialist Colleen Scott delves into the warning signs, data on disparities in mental health diagnosis and treatment, and resources to help.
Read The Article
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SNAP-Ed NY: Eating Well on a Budget
NYSOFA's SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education for Older Adults provides monthly programming that we encourage you to share. Programs are led by Registered Dietitians who help people shop for and cook healthy meals on a limited budget.
In her recent Ask The Experts livestream (available here), SNAP-Ed NY Registered Dietitian Lisbeth Irish is joined by guest experts Jelisa Cabrera, Susan Hammerslag and Tamar Elkin. They discuss container gardening and provide a demo for older adults to explore this budget-friendly approach to growing fresh foods at home. See also Lisbeth's article on container gardening (available here).
Please also share the latest edition of What's Cooking with NYSOFA, our monthly cooking demo featuring SNAP-Ed NY Registered Dietitian Wendy Beckman. This month, Wendy prepares Italian Stuffed Peppers.
Bookmark our SNAP-Ed NY webpage for archives of all this great content.
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Register for ACUU Today
The upcoming Aging Concerns Unite Us (ACUU) conference is New York’s premiere professional development conference for aging service professionals. Over 480 people attended last year. The aging services industry looks to this conference to learn about a broad range of subjects: innovative programs, best practices, and policies to support healthy living for aging New Yorkers. Register now at https://agingny.org/acuu/.
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Vision Loss: Know the Signs, Get Help
May 11, 2023 at 1 p.m.
Live on Facebook (RSVP Here) or on YouTube (RSVP Here)
Blindness and vision impairment increase with age, affecting more than 20 percent of individuals who are 85 years and older. With vision loss comes increased risk of falls and associated injury as well as social isolation and depression.
In this installment of LIVE With Greg, NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen talks with Julie Hovey and Laura Murphy of New York State’s Commission for the Blind at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. They'll discuss some of the risk factors for blindness and low vision, impacts on older adults, along with warning signs and resources available to help yourself or a loved one coping with vision loss.
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About Inside NYS Aging
Inside NYS Aging is a publication of the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA). Read past issues in the newsroom on NYSOFA's website.
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Thanks for sticking it out until the end! If you found this content valuable, please share with your coworkers and colleagues in the aging services network!
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