The list of challenges for older adults in the Big Apple is not short: lack of affordable housing, age discrimination in the workplace, gaps in access to technology, food insecurity, inadequate coordination of services among government agencies, inaccessible public transportation, dangerous streets, social isolation, deficiencies in the provision of care, needs for centers for the elderly and insufficiencies in home care…And a long etcetera.
But as of this week, New York City’s elected leaders have a very detailed x-ray that describes what they are. the challenges of adults over 50 years of agein the five counties, and in each electoral district.
This is the report “What older New Yorkers deserve. Action Plan 2.0” released by AARP, a non-partisan organization that advocates for the comprehensive quality of life of this population. More than a diagnosis, recommendations are offered for policymakers to move quickly with some actions in the face of the great chasms between white and colored communities. And the increase in the “symptoms” of poverty.
Some data are devastating: the average annual difference in family income between white seniors and black and Hispanic communities, is equal to or greater than $100,000 per year.
Additionally, there has been a 37% increase in older New Yorkers living below the poverty line in recent years. While the number living in the shelter system tripled.
These differences between both demographic groups become more notable in Upper Manhattan neighborhoods such as Central Harlem y Hamilton Heights y Crown Heights en Brooklyn.
In the last twelve years the presence of elderly people in the shelter system has reached peaks of 17,000 people.
“New Yorkers older than 50 years helped build our city and make it great. Today they face many limitations. “Through thoughtful policy solutions, we can help them age happily in the communities they love,” he said. Beth Finkel, AARP New York State Director.
One of the angles that this report exposes is that it draws attention that the City launched the MyCity portal to help residents easier access to benefit programs. The first phase of this digital service is available only to parents and caregivers who request child care.
“While the needs of families are important, so are 1,373,495 older adults in the city. The MyCity portal should be made available to older adults immediately,” the researchers recommend in the conclusions.
Community leaders and older adults demanded that Council leaders and the mayor pay attention to the recommendations of the AARP organization. (Photo: F. Martínez)
The trend is cuts
AARP also promotes fighting against all forms of age discrimination, in the hiring process for jobs. This includes overturning an unjust court decision that causes Discrimination based on age is more difficult to prove than discrimination based on race or sex.
Among the concrete proposals that will be fought by various activists regarding the new budget for fiscal year 2025, is that the City include a tax credit for family caregivers, which will help address financial challenges facing communities in the poorest Hispanic-majority neighborhoods.
For this reason, this Wednesday several volunteers and older adults took over the City Council headquarters in Lower Manhattan to approach councilors and distribute this report, which is a guide for local legislators to understand that Thousands and thousands of older adults face the risks of budget cuts to vital programs.
The Puerto Rican Devora Robles, Manhattan resident works closely with organizations that offer services to the Big Apple’s seniors. As an activist, she assures that in recent years, rather than increasing resources in some programs, which are a support for these communities, the trend is cuts.
“Logic tells us that with a Social Security benefit check, no one can live in this expensive city. Certain municipal and state programs are compensation so that our seniors can balance their own loads. But you always have to come up against the sad reality that there are fewer and fewer funds,” the Puerto Rican stands out.
Devora is surprised not only by the rent prices, but the high costs of the electricity bill and medicines. It also adds the slowness in the response of federal and state program officials, where support is requested to pay for a family or external caregiver, so that adults can stay in their homes.
“It is much more economical for the government and less traumatic for everyone, for our adults to be able to stay at home, and are not placed in a long-term care facility or nursing home. But what is observed is that these processes are slow, because supposedly there is no money for more personnel! This is unacceptable!” observed the Puerto Rican.
“We vote”
Likewise, the Dominican retiree, Esperanza Galván, 68 years oldsays that her Asian neighbor in Lower Manhattan, who lived alone and only had her neighbors, died waiting for six months to be assigned a home caregiver through the Medicaid programs: “It is absolutely ridiculous and sad that in the richest city in the country“We have to listen to these stories of people who contributed to our economy for years.”
Residents over 50 years old represent almost a third of the population of New York City and is growing rapidly.
According to a recent report from the Center for an Urban Future, New York City’s population aged 65 and older increased by 36%, or more than 800,000 people, during the last decade, while the rest of the population decreased by almost half a million.
Older adults continue to be the driving force of New York’s economy, cultural life and volunteer base in the Big Apple. They also represent the bloc with the highest electoral participation.
“We still have enough strength to go out into the street and complain. And we can remind our elected leaders that we do vote, we do participate, We have more civic awareness than most young people”said Esperanza.
Based on the AARP survey, two-thirds of New York City voters expect to be a caregiver for a family member in the next five years, at the same time, eight in 10 believe it is very important for the city to support family caregivers. But only one in five believes these programs work efficiently.
“We shouldn’t be fighting for funds.”
For New York City community leadership and AARP policy advocates, it is time to ensure the City injects more resources into the ‘5-Year Community Care Plan’ and ensure equitable distribution of funds to providers.
This plan, created by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, began after the pandemic, with an investment of $58 millionto begin creating a network of new centers and services for the well-being of New Yorkers who are aging in their homes, in the most vulnerable neighborhoods.
“At this time when the City invests millions and millions in newcomers, we should not be pushing and protesting in the streets for more funds for programs for those who have left leather working for decades. Here they should not take away funds from programs from those of us who have built New York. That money is not touched“claimed the Dominican retiree, Cristóbal Jimenez, 65 years old.
The research presented by AARP considers it almost a humanitarian emergency to expand two programs for older adults, which counteract the calamity of the housing problem: Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) and Senior Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE)
Likewise, an increase in funds allocated for home-delivered meal programs is required to ensure that more eligible older New Yorkers can access two meals a day, seven days a week, with culturally appropriate food options.
One calamity faced by Big Apple seniors in every survey is the lack of affordable housing. (Photo: F. Martínez)
Congress legislates for older adults
As ideas and pressure emerge for more protections for the Big Apple’s seniors, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey this week introduced the Law of the Strategic Plan for Aging, a bill that would create a new nationwide grant program under the Older Americans Act (OAA).
The draft bill would encourage states’ efforts to create their own strategic plans for aging. The ultimate goal is to guide smart investments to ensure that older adults, can live with dignity in the environment of their choice.
In the country there are more than 57 million Americans age 65 and olderand with that number expected to increase to more than 80 million by 2040, state and local governments are expected to be prepared to address the needs of this population.
“Our plan would provide millions of dollars for states develop their own strategic plans for aging, from food and housing insecurity, to skyrocketing health care costs, insufficient retirement savings, and senior illnesses,” Senator Gillibrand concluded.
Discriminated and isolated:
- 78 percent of respondents ages 40 to 65 reported seeing or experiencing age discrimination according to an AARP survey.
- 1 in ten NYC seniors suffers from food insecurity.
- 42% of older adults They do not have any access to technology because they do not have an internet connection.
2024-02-29 19:24:52
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