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Brooklyn will become more convenient for the elderly: city hall announced new programs

'20.03.2023'

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Free tablets, drawing classes, social taxis - Brooklyn came up with a plan to improve the lives of retirees. It includes everything - from increasing the number of preferential housing - to repairing sidewalks.

Brooklyn is one of the oldest boroughs in New York. Most of the elderly people in the state live here. At the same time, experts predict that in a few years there will be about 20% more old people in the district. That is why a special plan was created here - how to make the area more attractive for the elderly.

To understand what pensioners are complaining about, they conducted a survey in which 2000 people over 65 took part. The roadmap was created by specialists who work directly with older people - a total of 29 such organizations, plus city officials and representatives of the New York Medical Academy, took part in the development. Recently, the plan, together with its creators, was presented by the mayor of Brooklyn, Antonio Reynoso. It consists of only 10 points, but they include literally all areas of life.

Photo: Lydia Kalinina

So, how do officials want to improve the lives of Brooklyn retirees.

  1. Increase the amount of affordable housing

The working group plans to create a shared directory of information on affordable housing for seniors in Brooklyn. The following accommodation options are covered by the program:

  • supportive housing - older people with very low incomes or people with disabilities can count on these types of housing, according to the program they will receive not only a roof over their heads, but also help with cleaning, cooking, transportation, etc.;
  • grandparent housing - affordable housing for seniors aged 62 and over with low incomes
  • home sharing - sharing housing if at least one housemate is 60 years old or older.

Officials also promise to incentivize developers to build more affordable housing and develop programs that won't deter rent increases for seniors. In addition, experts note many more potential changes in the industry: “We will probably need to change the whole philosophy of attitude towards affordable housing. For example, to the houses that the elderly share among themselves. Now there are many more older women than older men, so this should be taken into account when settling people” said Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez, Commissioner for the Department of Senior Citizens.

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  1. Improve sidewalks and pedestrian crossings

Many older people walk with canes and have poor vision, so the task force's plans include ensuring safe, clean, and well-maintained sidewalks and well-lit intersections throughout Brooklyn.

"Sidewalk repairs aren't just for older Brooklyn residents. It will also make life more comfortable for people with small children, as they carry them around in strollers every day. And by the way, many grandparents take their children to kindergartens. That is, at the same time we will help both the elderly and people with children.”, - said the president of the New York Academy of Medicine, Ann Kurt.

  1. Make transport more accessible

Many representatives of Brooklyn neighborhoods have complained about the lack of personal transportation for people who cannot get around on their own. So, Selma Jackson, president of the Brooklyn Senior Citizens Foundation Advisory Board in Bedford Stuyvesant, said: “In our area, pensioners often have to order transport much in advance or wait a long time for its arrival, which is inconvenient if, for example, they go to a doctor's appointment. And I know it's a common problem". So one of the plans of the new program is to expand the number of programs that transport the elderly. In addition, the group plans to work with the MTA company, which is responsible for subways and buses in New York. The plans include training bus drivers to work with older passengers and people with disabilities.

  1. Giving more information

Despite the fact that we live in the age of the Internet, many older people still find it difficult to navigate the Internet. Therefore, they plan to expand access to non-digital sources of information for them. Retirement homes, senior centers and day care centers will have special kiosks where you can get brochures with news about medical services and announcements of events in the area. The same kiosks will appear just on the streets in areas where there is a higher concentration of elderly people.

  1. Improve computer literacy

In parallel with this, specialists will continue to teach pensioners how to use computers. The city already has a NYC Free Tablet program that gives older people free tablets. In addition, the expert group proposes the creation of Wi-Fi-enabled media rooms equipped with computers in affordable nursing homes. It is also planned to attract volunteers and create a voluntary technical support group to train retirees in digital skills.

The Bay Ridge Senior Center is already doing this. “In our center, we decided to create a computer class. It will be huge, with many computers, it can be said to be a dream. We are also creating an electronic library there - that is, people can come, use their tablets in our classroom, we will have free Wi-Fi, and we will also conduct various computer literacy classes.”, Todd Flidner, executive director of the Bay Ridge Center, said at the meeting.

Photo: Lydia Kalinina
  1. Expand the number of multilingual staff

Doctors regularly work with pensioners, who monitor not only their physical, but also their mental health. Among the plans is to expand the list of specialists who could speak with patients in their native language.

  1. Create opportunities for patrons

The expert group plans to invite local businesses to become sponsors of various organizations for the elderly. The program will be called "Adopt an Older Adult Center".

  1. Expand the number of jobs for retirees

Public organizations will support the elderly who continue to work in every possible way, as well as help them with employment.

"Many older people continue to work because they want to continue to contribute to society. And many just have to work, because living in New York is expensive. This is a good chance for the city, state and private agencies to work together and organize training for retirees who want to start a new career.” said Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez, Commissioner for the Department of Senior Citizens.

  1. Allow cultural development

The area already has several cultural programs for retirees - seniors can listen to famous performers (Sing for Your Seniors), go to art classes (NYC-ARTS), enjoy art through the Su-Casa program, in which artists host their exhibitions in nursing homes throughout New York. The number and funding of such programs will continue to expand.

  1. Promote opportunities for volunteering

Many older people need to feel needed in order to stay afloat. A great way is to become a volunteer. The task force will encourage various volunteer organizations that are ready to accept pensioners into their ranks and train them in everything.

Officials are sure that they created a roadmap for the development of the area in time, because very soon Brooklyn, and the whole of New York, is expecting an unprecedented replenishment of pensioners. In the prosperous 60s, there was a baby boom in the country, and now these children have begun to age.

"When I went to school, we studied in two shifts, because there were a lot of children. And we all understand that these children, born in that unprecedented birth outbreak, are now just about 65 years old. In those years, 10 children were born a day. Now we must remember that these 10 people are retiring every day. And we must be prepared for the fact that we will soon have to serve many more older people.,” said Selma Jackson, president of the advisory board for the Brooklyn Senior Citizens Foundation in the Bedford area of ​​Stuyvesant.

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