4-16-10
Editor’s Note: Mike Burgess, director, state Office on Aging, gave this assessment of how older New Yorkers are faring in this address to the General Assembly’s joint budget committee.
These are difficult economic times across the country and here in New York State.
Older New Yorkers, their families and their caregivers are feeling the impact of the economic downturn, as it affects their income (since this year there is no federal cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients), their investments, and their standard of living.
The impact on standard of living is particularly problematic for those who are already living close to poverty levels; many older New Yorkers rely on the services funded through the state, federal and local budgets for assistance with food, shelter, and tasks of daily living.
Counties continue to report escalating costs and diminishing revenue while needs are growing, in part due to the State’s changing demographics.
From 2000 to 2015, all but four counties in New York will experience increases in the proportion of their residents who are over age 65.
Governor Paterson’s budget ensures that the state Office for the Aging will be able to preserve the local infrastructure of the service network for older adults and the home and community-based services they and their families need to support independent living.
This is a network that has been very successful in leveraging local dollars, including significant contributions from the program participants themselves.
The network of Area Agencies on Aging and community-based service providers are the first line of support when an older adult needs assistance following an illness or hospitalization.
... The Governor’s budget will allow the agency to continue to support the independence of older New Yorkers.
It is important for all to continue to work collaboratively with local agencies and the nonprofit sector in our common effort to improve the quality of life for older adults.
At the state level, it is the Office on Aging’s role to support local partners and strengthen them as much as possible, while providing technical assistance and identifying grants and other alternative funding sources for new initiatives.
Across the state, many programs are available that maintain older adults’ independence and improve their quality of life. These include meals programs; the Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program; caregiver, respite and adult day services; transportation services; and economic security programs such as the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Access to objective information through resources such as the Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program and the state-wide Senior Citizens Help Line has helped hundreds of thousands of people. The NY Connects program is also helping older adults, people of all ages with disabilities and their families obtain and use information about long term care options and services.
...For many years, federal funding for our agency’s core services was relatively flat, but with the investment of American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds in meals (totaling $6,191,164) and in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (totaling $7,698,772), our Office on Aging has been able to weather the recent economic storm. I am pleased to note that President Obama has included an increase in his proposed budget for senior meals programs and other services such as transportation and adult day care, and the President has a new initiative to support family caregivers.
New York State would expect to receive an additional $6-7 million as a result of these federal budget proposals, if enacted.
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