Inside NYS Aging Issue 9

Issue #9 - November 2022

A Message from NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen

November is National Family Caregiver Month. NYSOFA is launching some exciting new initiatives and resources to continue helping the 4.1 million individuals who provide unpaid help to a loved one.

To learn more, please join me on November 10 for a Facebook livestream where my guests will be two individuals working very closely with NYSOFA on these important initiatives.

One of these guests is Alexandra Drane, co-founder and CEO of ARCHANGELS, a movement and platform to support caregivers. NYSOFA has already urged New Yorkers to find their caregiver intensity score using the ARCHANGELS caregiver intensity index (CII). Building on this effort, we've partnered with ARCHANGELS on any Any Care Counts NY campaign to promote this platform and gain critical data in the process. On November 10, Alexandra will talk about this initiative and the data collected to date.

I'll also be joined by Leda Rosenthal of Trualta who will show how Trualta's Caregiver Education and Training Portal – available free of charge to any caregiver in New York – is helping New Yorkers gain the skills and confidence necessary to support the caregiving needs of a loved one, thanks to a partnership with NYSOFA.

Upcoming: New Caregivers Guide Video

NYSOFA has been working with the public and private sectors to help caregivers – especially working caregivers – recognize their role and connect with resources to help.

Coming soon, we will be unveiling a new caregivers guide video. Using visuals, it will succinctly help people self-identify as caregivers, offering some scenarios that people might not otherwise associate with caregiving, along with resources to help.

Look for this video in November, and share it through your digital channels. You'll find it soon on our Caring for a Loved One webpage and our Help for Working Caregivers webpage.

Older New Yorkers' Day 2022:"Age My Way"

“Volunteering expands you.” It “brings such joy to the people you serve” and “is a gift.” These are the wise words of Lydia Sexton, one of 94 individuals being recognized during NYSOFA’s Older New Yorkers’ Day program next week. Join us in celebrating the many gifts provided by New York’s most exceptional older adult volunteers during this flagship annual program, streaming live on Facebook and on YouTube at 1 p.m. on November 4.

Older New Yorkers’ Day includes remarks from NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen, elected officials, Association on Aging in New York Executive Director Becky Preve, NYSOFA's presentation of the Governor's Exemplary Service Award, and a celebration of all 94 nominees.

When: November 4, 2022 at 1 p.m.
Where: Facebook and YouTube
Read about our 2021 nominees here

5 Questions about Caregiving with Deana Prest

In this month's installment of our 5 Questions series, we asked NYSOFA's policy expert on caregiving, Deana Prest, about what’s new with the agency’s caregiving programs. She also talks about how YOU can complete a survey that is helping the agency garner information to bolster caregiver supports statewide.

Read 5 Questions w/ NYSOFA's Deana Prest: Caring for Loved Ones.

Medicare Open Enrollment Period Update

NYSOFA recently sent a news release announcing Medicare open enrollment (October 15 to December 7). In it, we encouraged older adults to contact the Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) for help during the enrollment period. HIICAP served 248,000 New Yorkers in 2021.

"Your insurance coverage changes from year to year," says NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen. "So do your individual needs as a Medicare beneficiary ... HIICAP counselors are a trusted resource to review your current needs and help you make informed decisions, especially at this critical time during open enrollment."

Facebook Live on Medicare Open Enrollment

Director Olsen also recently hosted a Facebook Live with NYSOFA’s Heather Leddick, principal administrator of New York’s HIICAP program, and Frederic Riccardi, President of the Medicare Rights Center. They discussed what HIICAP does, who it helps, and some of the changes in Medicare coverage this year.

Please watch a replay of the livestream and share this important information through your digital channels to help older adults in your community navigate their coverage needs.

Regular HEAP Benefit Opens November 1

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) benefit application opens on November 1 to help income-eligible individuals pay for heating their home.

HEAP Emergency Benefit

Applicants may also be eligible for emergency HEAP benefits if they are in danger of running out of fuel or having their utility service shut off. The HEAP emergency benefit is scheduled to open on January 3, 2023.

Efficiency and Repairs or Replacement

Applications are also now open (starting October 3, 2022) for the HEAP Clean and Tune Benefit as well as the Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement Benefit.

Clean and Tune helps people pay for energy efficiency services, such the cleaning of primary heating equipment. The benefit may also include chimney cleaning, minor repairs and installation of carbon monoxide detectors or programmable thermostats, if needed, to allow for the safe, proper and efficient operation of the heating equipment.

For eligible homeowners, the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit can help repair or replace a furnace, boiler and other direct heating equipment necessary to keep a home's primary heating source working.

Questions regarding the HEAP program should be directed to your HEAP Local District Contact.

Important Flu and COVID-19 Booster Vaccination Information

Please share this content on your social media pages and community outreach:

The New York State Department of Health has been reminding all New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccination, as influenza is already considered widespread across the state. As influenza and COVID-19 are circulating simultaneously, those eligible should also get a COVID-19 booster.

An annual flu vaccine is recommended for almost everyone 6 months and older. It is one of the best ways to reduce flu illnesses, hospitalizations and death from flu. This fall and winter, the flu virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 are both spreading. Vaccination is the best defense against both COVID-19 and the flu. Both vaccines are necessary to help people stay healthy and to avoid added stress to our health care system.

The CDC says it’s safe to get the flu vaccine and a COVID vaccine at the same time — whether it’s your first COVID vaccine, or (for those who are eligible) your third dose or a booster shot. The body's immune response and any possible side effects are generally the same as when getting one vaccine alone. Consider getting each vaccine in a different arm to help reduce any pain and swelling that might happen.

Resources

Find Vaccine Locations Near You.

Information about the flu is available here, including fact sheets and other downloadable materials.

See the state’s COVID-19 website.

Information about vaccine efficacy and safety can be found here.

SNAP-Ed NY: Diabetes Focus

The SNAP-Ed NY nutrition program offers practical tips for buying healthy food on a budget, and for creating simple meals you can afford. This month, read Registered Dietitian Lisbeth Irish’s article on managing your risk for diabetes.

On November 18, Lisbeth is also hosting her monthly Facebook livestream Ask The Experts: Nutrition Edition. This month’s focus is Diabetes and Nutrition. She’ll be joined by special guests Clare DiSanto, a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist at the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), and Marie Occhiogrosso, a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist for Saratoga Hospital Medical Group Endocrinology. RSVP here.

Also, are you looking for a hearty fall-themed soup to warm you up on those crisp, cold weather days? Click here to watch the latest episode of NYSOFA’s SNAP-Ed NY cooking demonstration, What’s Cooking with NYSOFA. Host Wendy Beckman, a Registered Dietitian at NYSOFA, will be making Black Bean & Pumpkin Soup.

NYSOFA Expands Partnership with GetSetUp Offering Online Classes to Older Adults

During the pandemic, NYSOFA and the Association on Aging in New York began our partnership with GetSetUp to offer free online classes for older adults. The digital learning platform also offered a vital solution to combat social isolation and bridge the digital divide.

New Yorkers have since flocked to it in droves, with over 122,000 New York learners taking 169,000 classes in the first year and expanding rapidly.

NYSOFA is proud to continue our partnership, offering free online classes for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.

Please promote this resource to older adults in your community. Linked below are some graphics with testimonials you can share from real New York users who have benefited from GetSetUp.

GetSetUp Testimonial (Karen, New York City)
GetSetUp Testimonial (MaryBeth, Long Island)
GetSetUp Testimonial (Gale, Catskills)
GetSetUp Testimonial (Diane, Long Island)

1,000 subscriptions by 2023? YOU can help!

Over the past two years, NYSOFA has exponentially increased our following and subscriber base on YouTube. Be a part of our continued growth! Help us innovate and share important information — and get us to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2022. Please subscribe at the link below and share our YouTube channel on your social media!

NYSOFA on YouTube

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!