e-Newsletter - July 2020

Association News | NYS News | Regional News | Members News

Trouble viewing this email? View as Webpage Connect With Us ‌ ‌ ‌ Visit our website From the Director's Desk The previous several months have brought many challenges as New Yorkers faced the COVID-19 pandemic. Our members rose to the challenge and continued to serve not only their regular customers but also a significant increase as shelter in place orders became the new normal. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York, this network instantly adapted their delivery model, and absorbed a 90% increase in demand for services. Additionally, as congregate sites, social adult day programs, and administrative offices closed, Area Agencies on Aging, and their contractors were nimble, and ensured services would continue. Individuals whom did not have access to food, prescriptions, transportation etc were served without interruption. Stories from across the state show the dedication and resilience of staff, volunteers, and community members. Partnerships were leveraged, staff stayed late and came in early, and older residents were protected. Many of you participated in the animatronic pet project, as you acknowledged the impact of social isolation on the older population. People were protected from financial exploitation, as they had a trusted source of information to turn to. The phone calls to isolated individuals are the highlight of the day to many, and provide a vital health and safety check. These services continue to be paramount in ensuring the well-being of the individuals and families you serve. It is satisfying to know that we have the support of local government, staff, and our communities in acquiring the necessary resources to reach our goals. This collective support enables us to continue to launch new strategies and establish new partnerships as we continue to provide services to older adults in New York. I would like to extend my heartfelt thank you, and admiration for your work and dedication for the residents of New York. Your stories and successes are the blueprint for states that are going to be facing an increase in infections over the next few months. It has been said many times, that crisis shows the best and worst of society. As always, our network continues to be an example of the best. Becky Preve Executive Director, AgingNY AgingNY 2020 Board of Directors: Ann Marie Maglione, President (Orange) Tina Cardoza-Izquierdo, Vice President (Rockland) Andrea Fettinger, Treasurer (Fulton) Irene Coveny, Secretary (Ontario) Holly Rhodes Teague, Legislative Committee Chair (Suffolk) MaryAnn Spanos, Bylaws and Nominating Committee Chair (Chautauqua) Patricia Baroody, (Steuben) Cathy Bern-Smith, (Schenectady) Gina Cantanucci-Mitchell, (Washington) Sue Carlock , (Livingston) Darlene DiCarlo, (Niagara) Nancy Dingee, (Schoharie) David Jordan, (Montgomery) Cathy Mackay, (Cattaraugus) Terry McGee Ward, (Greene) Kim Salisbury , (Chemung) In this Issue: From the Director's Desk Thank You to Governor Andrew Cuomo for $15 Million to Address Unmet Needs #PublicHealthIsHere4U Hand Sanitizer Deliveries Services & Stories Honoring Volunteers Make Sure Your Wishes are Known Aging-NY Website Changes Calendar  For AAA Directors Thank you Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Legislators for $15 Million  Governor Andrew Cuomo included in his 2020-2021 Executive budget $15 million to address the unmet needs of older adults who are on waiting for services. Thank you for hearing requests for support and responding to the needs of our family members, neighbors, and friends. These funds and will directly benefit 9,000 New Yorkers! Working Together to Realize Positive Outcomes #PublicHealthIsHere4U - Office for the Aging MEDIA SERIES DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS New City, NY, - Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announce the latest update to the #PublicHealthIsHere4U media series,... Read more www.agingny.org Hand Sanitizer Deliveries In June, Greg Olsen from  New York State Office for the Aging  and Aging-NY's Becky Preve delivered 300 cases of hand sanitizer to county Offices for the Aging. Stops included Albany County Office for the Aging, Columbia County Office for the Aging,  Delaware County Office for the Aging and New York Connects , Fulton County Office for the Aging, Greene County Office for the Aging,  Montgomery County Office for Aging, Inc. , Rensselaer County Office for the Aging,  Saratoga County Office for the Aging , Schenectady County Office for the Aging, and  Schoharie County Office for the Aging . Many thanks to all the friendly faces and helpful hands. In Schoharie county, a local art studio donated supplies for some older adults to paint their own coffee cups! Schoharie County Office of Aging sent out the cups and paints, they returned them painted, the studio fired them and these are the final products, ready to be sent out to the clients.Using art to combat  #socialisolation  ! News from Cattaraugus County Department of Aging COVID-19 has presented many challenges with delivering service to communities throughout the country. The counties in New York State recognized early on that forming partnerships within their... Read more www.agingny.org Honoring Volunteers - Recognizing Unselfish Acts of Kindness This is Frank Arpino, one of the volunteers with the North Seneca County Home Delivered Meals program. Frank retired a couple years ago from a 40+ year career as a professional truck driver. About a year and a half ago he joined the program and delivers a route in the north west corner of Seneca County on Mondays. During the quarantine Frank has stepped up to the plate and packed the meals for delivery four of five weekdays since March as well as an additional route. When not delivering meals he is running errands for other local homebound individuals. Frank was, and will be again, a tour driver for the White Deer tours in Romulus. He and a group of friends maintain a collection of military vehicles for parades and shows in the area. Make Sure Your Wishes are Known There is no better time to assure you have your wishes known at the end of life should you be unable to make decisions for yourself. During the COVID-19 emergency, the immense value of thoughtful end-of-life discussions and documentation of medical orders was recognized by health systems in all settings across our state.  Advance directives such as the New York Health Care Proxy and Living Will and medical orders documented on the Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST), when appropriate, are key tools to assure your wishes are honored. Start your conversation today! Over the next few weeks we will provide links and tools to help you make sure your wishes are honored. ​Please see  https://compassionandsupport.org/advance-care-planning/cccc/advance-directives/ Training for AAA's Business Acumen Training HIICAP Certification Case Management  Leadership Aging-NY Calendar of Events Field Resources NY State Office for the Aging Administration for Community Living (ACL)  National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) Suggestions for the Aging-NY website? We know our visitors access our website on both computers and smart devices. Maintaining a modern, responsive platform ensures that all of our visitors have a positive experience. We also know that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that accurate communication needs to be accessible, and shareable, in a variety of ways. Visit the site, then tell us what you think. Are there other changes you'd like to see? Can we combine information and make fewer pages? Send an email to Evelyn Stilson-Ouderkirk with your comments and suggestions. For AAA Directors: Log in on our website to view exclusive members-only content! New topics available now include: Members Only Grant Funding resources 2020 Board of Directors Meeting Schedule (Board Only) 2020 AAA Directors Call Schedule 2020 Leadership Institute (AAA Directors only) For assistance signing on to the Members Only page, contact evelyn@agingny.org . Do you have news? Is there something exciting happening at your organization? Do you have interesting aging news you would like to share? Is there something important we didn't mention? Email Becky Preve for consideration in our next newsletter! Aging NY | 518.449.7080 | advocacy@agingny.org | agingny.org Trouble viewing this email? View as Webpage Connect with us ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌