The 34th Annual Conference on Aging, held in Manhattan, led by Live On NYmeeting at more than 200 community organizations that agreed to loudly demand that the governor Kathy Hochul, to double the investment aimed at programs for older adults in the next 2025 state budget.
The ambition of these advocates is to include Additional $250 million in vital programs, for a population over 65 years of age, which between 2011 and 2021 it increased by 21%. This account highlights that this demographic increase, It is concentrated in immigrant communities, which are also those that are most affected by poverty.
New York senior advocacy organizations in a grand coalition, will mobilize more than a hundred groups in the coming weeks to lobby against what they describe as “unprecedented cuts to services for older people,” including $9.3 million for home care and $2.5 million for long-term care.
On February 15, a large demonstration will be held in Albany to put pressure on legislators and the state president, to reverse what they consider a “cruel policy” of ignoring one of the most vulnerable groups in New York.
“As we face an anti-age budget in Albany, this year’s Conference on Aging could not be more urgent or important,” he said Allison Nickerson, CEO of LiveON NY.
Millions harmed
The balance shown in several analysis tables was that 5 million seniors and 4 million caregivers in New York They will be harmed by the state president’s latest budget project.
“The truth is we are not going to rest until we see a plan that addresses their needs, instead of putting them aside”Nickerson warned.
In the case of the Big Apple, the fastest growing demographic group is older adults, but more than 42% face poverty.
Given these discouraging prospects, Ryan A. Murray, program director of the New York City Office on Aging (NYC Aging) complained at this annual conference that the municipality continues to invest both in home services and in communities, but the “Funding from the federal and state governments has not increased, it has remained flat.”
Advocates will demand prioritizing funding for programs designed to allow New Yorkers to age at home. This means reinforcing investment in plans such as home-delivered meals, case management, home support services, benefits counseling and transportation.
The other great drama is that a large part of the elderly are on endless waiting lists, because investment in different programs tends to deflate.
Government: “We strengthen the programs”
For its part, Royer Noyesa spokesperson for the New York State Office on Aging (NYSOFA) indicated to The newspaper Governor Hochul’s fiscal year 2025 executive budget, “expands and strengthens” basic services for this population.
Noyes, cited as an example, a $2.9 million proposal to expand efforts to combat isolation, close the digital divide, improve overall health and well-being, support patients with depression and otherwise address the risk of elder abuse.
“We added $23 million in historic investments for older New Yorkers across the state who expect services, which brings the amount invested to $122 million when compared to 2018,” he added.
The state government spokesperson valued the efforts that will eliminate insulin co-payments for diabetic patients in the coming months and the increase in the affordable housing stock.
He added that they are adding Additional $3.4 million in funds of Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for providers.
Immigrants age:
- 713,000 older immigrants They lived in New York City in the year 2022 according to the data analysis platform Social Explorer cited by The New York Times.
- 57% has been the increase in this population compared to 2010. During that same period, the number of older residents born in the United States increased by 25 percent, which means 678,000 people.
- 6 are the countries from which the majority of immigrants come who grew old in NYC: Dominican Republic, China, Jamaica, Haiti, Ecuador and Colombia
2024-02-01 11:00:00
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