The Department for the Aging (DFTA) promotes the independence, health and well-being of older New Yorkers through a broad range of services and initiatives. From the inception of the Bloomberg Administration, DFTA has undertaken a variety of initiatives to better serve the City's senior citizens.

Recent accomplishments include:

Creating an Infrastructure that Supports a Growing Senior Population

• Home-Delivered Meals: DFTA streamlined the manner in which home-delivered meals are delivered to homebound seniors, while also promoting greater consumer meal choice and flexibility. Modeling the system after the best practices of nationally-recognized initiatives, the new system is more efficient, cost-effective and better prepared to meet future increases in demand as the population ages.
  
  
• DFTA re-envisioned the manner in which at-risk homebound senior citizens can access City, State, and Federal human service benefit programs, including home-delivered meals and homecare. Clients are paired with a case management agency that holistically assesses their needs and strengths, helping these New Yorkers to maintain their independence and residence, and also circumventing the need for costly nursing home or alternative care settings.

Promoting Healthy Aging through Collaboration

• DFTA collaborated with sister agencies and community partners to promote healthy aging, including:
  
  
  • A four-year mental health initiative with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York City Mental Health Association to educate seniors about depression and provide depression screening and referral services at senior centers.
  • A program that refers Health and Hospitals Corporation patients with uncontrolled diabetes to wellness programs at local senior centers. This program monitors the impact of regular physical activity, peer support and sensible diets on diabetes indicators.
  • Leading the New York City Task Force on Hispanic Elders' Health Disparities, which addressed health disparities among Latinos in 2007-2008.
  • Implementation of an evidence-based program targeted to seniors with chronic illnesses. The program teaches self-management of diet and exercise in a supportive peer group. Partners on this project include the New York State Office of Aging and five Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) programs that serve as project sites.
  • Participation in a broad collaboration spearheaded by the Harlem Chamber of Commerce to promote healthy eating and living (HEAL) in Harlem and to reduce health disparities.

Employing Peer-to-Peer Models for Healthy Outcomes

• Recruitment and facilitation of 900 senior volunteers who lead their peers in health promotion activities at senior centers and other congregate venues. Health promotion activities include exercise programs, blood pressure monitoring, group discussions, peer-to-peer “friendly listening,” and health talks.

Expanding Opportunity for Civic Engagement

• Through contract with ReServe Elder Services, Inc., DFTA places retirees in time-limited positions at City agencies. Agencies benefit from the seniors' professional skills and participants receive a small stipend and the satisfaction of contributing to the common good. DFTA also offers volunteer/stipend opportunities through its Foster Grandparent Program and its Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP).

Creating a Network of employment Opportunities for Seniors

• DFTA's Employer Bank now numbers almost 600 organizations, giving trainees enrolled in DFTA's Senior Employment Services program a link to vital occupational resources.

Connecting Seniors to Vital Medicare Part D Information

• Since 2006, DFTA has been operating 33 centers that counsel and assist seniors on Medicare Part D and other health insurance issues. These centers provide assistance in multiple languages, addressing the varied needs of the City's immigrant community.

Providing Support Mechanisms to Socially Isolated Seniors

• The United States Postal Service program Carrier Alert trains letter carriers to “monitor” senior participants. In an arrangement with DFTA, postal carriers are trained to monitor for a participant's well-being, including observing signs of accumulating mail. Operators at 311 contact DFTA, which maintains emergency contact information on participants.
  
  
• DFTA partnered with the Hebrew Home for the Aging and Union 32BJ-the building service workers-to train doormen and porters on how to identify seniors that are socially isolated and in need of social services. The Agency continues to train members of Union 32BJ to recognize the signs and symptoms of isolation.

Launching Model-defining Housing Court System

• Operating in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, the Assigned Counsel Project provides legal representation and social work assistance to senior citizens at risk of eviction.

DFTA has been Recognized with Various National Awards

• The 2005 award from the federal Administration on Aging for developing Naturally Occurring Retirement Community as “livable communities.”
  
  
  
• The 2007 award for “Leadership as Innovator” from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging for leadership in developing innovative aging programs.
  
  
  
• Two 2007 “Aging Innovations” awards from National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
  
  
• One award was for DFTA's Alzheimer's disease Educational Outreach Initiative in collaboration with the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). This initiative educates NYCHA residents about Alzheimer's disease and resources for caregivers.
• DFTA received an Innovation Award for its Depression Education, Screening and Referral Initiative conducted in partnership with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York City Mental Health Association.
  
  
• Six 2007 “Aging Achievements” awards from National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, recognizing:
  
  
• The Chinese American Alzheimer's Coalition;
• The Elder Abuse Prevention Network in New York City;
• A training program on Alzheimer's disease for Home Care Aide trainees;
• A blood pressure monitoring program administered by senior volunteers;
• A pilot program of DFTA's home-delivered meals modernization; and
• DFTA's Young Gerontologist Program.
  
  
• The 2007 American Society on Aging/Pfizer “Health and Aging Award” for the Depression Education, Screening and Referral Initiative.
  
  
• The 2007 Award to DFTA's Foster Grandparent Program for “Achievement in Older Volunteer Management” from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and the Met Life Foundation.
  
  
• Two 2008 “Aging Achievements” awards from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, recognizing:
  
  
• DFTA's Grandparent Resource Center's curriculum and training to improve City agencies' customer service to grandparent caregivers that seek their services; and
• DFTA and NYPD's Missing Persons Bureau collaboration that provides outreach to families of older persons reported missing about services and resources for persons with Alzheimer's disease.