Model Elderly Care: Mayor Bloomberg Touts Kinder, Gentler Senior Programs

By Adam Lisberg, Daily News

August 26, 2009

Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced plans to make senior centers "model centers of wellness."

New York's growing elderly population will get better services and a new focus on its needs, city officials said Tuesday as they unveiled a series of changes to help the aging.

The plan includes sweeping changes to 50 senior centers around the city, making them "model centers of wellness" with more activities and innovative programs, Mayor Bloomberg said. 

"There are going to be an awful lot more people of my age and older in this city in the future, and we have to make sure that this city is ready for them," said Bloomberg, who is 67. 

An earlier plan to close and consolidate some centers failed after City Council members said it would hurt the elderly. Bloomberg compared the new $25 million proposal to charter schools, saying it would allow centers to try new ideas. 

"Like charter schools," Bloomberg said, "these centers will be held responsible for producing results in the form of vibrant programs, high participation rates and also better health outcomes for the older New Yorkers who frequent them." 

City planners expect the number of New Yorkers 65 and older to reach 1.35million by 2030, a 47% increase in 25 years, while confronting problems like finding affordable housing, getting around safely and staying healthy. 

Bloomberg's office, the City Council and the New York Academy of Medicine studied those challenges and developed 59 recommendations to make elderly life better. 

"The ideas that are in the 59 goals and initiatives today come directly from what seniors told us about transportation, civic engagement, housing and health care," said Council Speaker Christine Quinn. "We're going to make these ideas and suggestions a reality." 

Some ideas are relatively small but meaningful, like offering health club discounts and giving free air conditioners to seniors in poor health. 

Some are creative, like using idle school buses to drive seniors to grocery stores on weekdays, a program that will be rolled out citywide this fall. 

Some are more difficult, however, like changing zoning rules to encourage more senior housing, or pressuring the MTA to fix broken subway elevators and escalators. 

One idea would let able-bodied seniors use yellow taxis and black cars instead of often-unreliable Access-A-Ride vans, paying a discount rate with a special card - which would drastically cut costs for senior transport. 

"We'll create a card that they just swipe," Bloomberg said. "You'll just swipe your card, and that's how we'll know who you are. And we have exactly the same vetting and selection for Access-A-Ride that we would have for that."

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