CAREGIVER SERVICES AND ELDER CARE PLANNING
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
New York City Department for the Aging
If you are a New Yorker, 60 and over, important areas of your life can be enhanced by services offered through the Department for the Aging. There are choices that provide more independence and challenges for greater productivity. For example, you may need a home-delivered meal or home care services; or you may seek employment that is rewarding. You may want to volunteer your services to others, join a local senior center or participate in a department event. The Department for the Aging website lists programs and services tailored to a variety of needs of older adults.
Healthy Aging for Older Adults State of Aging & Health Report
Healthy Brain Initiative
- Care giving
- Statistics and Research
- End of life Preparedness
- Important Links
The Healthy Aging Program (HAP) serves as the focal point for older adult health at the National Center for Disease Control (CDC), and establishes programs, develops innovative tools, and provides a comprehensive approach to helping older adults live longer, high-quality, productive, and independent lives. Through health promotion and disease prevention, CDC aims to improve the health and quality of life for older adults.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
National Mental Health Information Center
Telephone 800-789-2647
- Managing Anxiety
- Consumer/Survivor
- Mental Health Dictionary
- Mental Health Links
- Español
The National Mental Health Information Center was developed for users of mental health services and their families, the general public, policy makers, providers, and the media. Information Center staff members are skilled at listening and responding to questions and directing callers to federal, state, and local organizations dedicated to treating and preventing mental illness. The Information Center also has information on federal grants, conferences, and other events.
Understanding Heart Disease
Part of the family of Understanding Health sites, a network of topic specific Web sites bringing you the latest in news, updates and research on a wide variety of health topics. Content is provided by its staff of expert health editors.
WebMD
Provides valuable health information, tools for managing your health and support to those who seek information. The site does not provide medical advice.
American Chronic Pain Association
ACPA believes that that people with chronic pain can benefit by being well informed about their ailments and treatment options. It aims to facilitate peer support and education for individuals with chronic pain and their families so that these individuals may live more fully, and to raise awareness among the health care community, policy makers, and the public at large about issues of living with chronic pain.
Vibrant Emotional Health
The mission of the organization is to help all people achieve mental and emotional well-being through groundbreaking solutions that deliver high-quality support, when, where, and how they need it.
Visiting Nurse Service of New York Hospice Care
The largest hospice program in the New York metropolitan area, VNSNY Hospice Care patients and their families receive services from a team of professionals who have training and expertise in managing the symptoms of an illness and enhancing the quality of life—known as palliative care.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer- The irrepressible Voice on Human Sexuality
Sexuality Encyclopedia, Discussion forum, and Reviews by Dr. Ruth.
CAREGIVER SERVICES AND ELDER CARE PLANNING
Next Step in Care
The mother of all websites targeted to issues specifically affecting older adults. Next Step in Care is designed to help family caregivers and health care professionals work together to make the transition from one patient care setting or level of care to another. The website covers transitions into and out of hospitals, rehab units in nursing homes, and home care agency services.
National Care Givers Library
A one stop source for information on a broad range of care giving issues.
Hundreds of articles, forms, checklists and links to topic-specific external resources are organized into logical categories on the side of each page, such as:
- Caregiving basics
- Caring for yourself
- Care facilities
- Government resources
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities
The United Hospital Fund developed this site to provide human services professionals, community leaders, public and private funders, and older adults with information to help transform naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) into good places to grow older.
National Care Planning Council
A comprehensive resource for long-term care planning, covering a vast array of services touching on every aspect of eldercare planning. The National Care Planning Council is a nationwide alliance of care providers and advisors who promote planning for long term care.
Elder Care Locator
Telephone 800-677-1116
A public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging, the Eldercare Locator is your first step for finding local agencies, in every U.S. community, that can help older persons and their families access home and community-based services like transportation, meals, home care, and caregiver support services. The Eldercare search engine can help identify useful links, such as:
- Aging Organizations
- Assessment tools
- Elder Rights
- End of Life Care
- General Health Resources
- National Health Organizations
- Housing and Living Options
- Mental Health
WEST SIDE COMMUNITY SERVICES
Service Program for Older People (SPOP), Inc.
302 West 91 Street, New York, NY 10024
Telephone 212-787-7120
SPOP’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of older adults and to foster their independent living through the delivery of comprehensive mental health and supportive services, advocacy and education.
Counseling, adult day care, bereavement support, government entitlements, education, volunteer opportunities, psychiatric professionals, home visits and much more
One Stop-Senior Services
747 Amsterdam Avenue, 3rd floor at 96th Street, New York, NY 10025
Telephone 212-864-7900
A unique walk-in agency where older persons can get professional help on a range of issues – all in one place. One Stop Senior Services helps seniors live safely and independently in their own homes by providing legal, housing, elder abuse, and general assistance services.In addition to its core Case Assistance Program, One Stop has developed two unique programs: One Stop Support Program (an elder abuse prevention and intervention program) and Care Management (individualized care management plans plus home visitations for clients who need intensive services). The organization provides social services in English, Spanish, and French/Creole.
Goddard Riverside Community Center
593 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024
Telephone 212-873-6600
Goddard Riverside’s programs for older adults offer a lifeline and a chance to have fun and be part of a caring family. Through its Senior Center and NORC (naturally occurring retirement community), seniors enjoy breakfast and lunch with friends, stay fit, learn new skills, and express their creativity and get help with questions relating to health care, housing, legal issues and money management – as well as crisis management, if necessary.
DOROT
171 West 81st Street
New York, NY 10024
Telephone 212-769-2850
DOROT’s mission is to enhance the lives of Jewish and other elders in the greater New York metropolitan area through a dynamic partnership of volunteers, professionals, and elders; to foster mutually beneficial interaction between the generations; and to provide education, guidance, and leadership in developing volunteer-based programs for the elderly. Its programs aim to:
- address basic needs of the elderly, such as food and housing, health and wellness services, and life management skills;
- provide social, cultural, religious, and educational activities to alleviate isolation and to bring the generations together;
- promote an ethic of volunteerism; and
- foster respect for human dignity among people of all ages.
Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center NORC Program
250 West 65th Street, New York, 10023
Telephone 212-874-0860
The Senior Connections Program is designed to promote independent seniors. LSNC serves meals in a congregate setting and provides friendly visits and telephone reassurance as well as mental health interventions. There is a nurse on site five days a week as well as three full-time social workers. A psychiatrist is available to the members one day a week. On-site social workers offer counseling in both English and Spanish. In keeping with its mission of breaking down isolation, LSNC offers dance, yoga, aerobics, and strength training and Tai Chi, as well as frequent trips to museums and cultural events. Classes which are free of charge to people who are 55 or older.
JASA
Jewish Association for Services for the Aged
132 West 31st Street, New York, NY 10001
Telephone 212-273-5272
JASA's mission is to sustain and enrich the lives of the aging in the New York metropolitan area so that they can remain in the community with dignity and autonomy. Programs run the gamut from meals, classes, and legal assistance to home care and housing.
Encore Community Services
239 West 49th Street, New York, NY 10019
Telephone 212-581-2910
Encore Community Services offers nutritional, social service, recreational, and educational programs that promote the vitality of Hell’s Kitchen seniors. Encore’s staff helps with benefits and entitlements, provides volunteers for friendly visiting, shopping and escort, and gives assistance with wills and health care proxies. Meals are served at the senior center seven days a week. For those who cannot come to the senior center, Encore delivers a hot lunch.
Hartley House
413 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036
Telephone 212-246-9885
A 112 year-old settlement house serving all ages. Services for seniors include art therapy, weekly bingo, and the Home Outreach Program for Elders (HOPE). HOPE helps seniors access home care, medical care and benefits, and provides ongoing support to enable them to remain in their homes.
Housing Conservation Coordinators
777 Tenth Avenue (between 52nd and 53rd Streets), New York, NY 10019
Telephone 212-541-5996
A community-based, not-for-profit organization anchored in the Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan's West Side, Housing Conservation Coordinators is dedicated to advancing social and economic justice and fighting for the rights of poor, low-income and working individuals and families. HCC provides free legal representation, tenant advocacy, assistance in applying for rent subsidies, and help with housing-related matters.
William Ryan Community Health Center
110 West 97th Street, New York, NY 10025
Telephone 212-749-1820
Three locations in Manhattan make up the Ryan Network, which provides support for culturally diverse communities that are most in need of medical assistance. Part of the Community Health Center movement, the Ryan Network strives to provide affordable, high quality medical services at low cost. Services include comprehensive preventative, primary, and specialized health care, including dental, allergy, optometry, podiatry, radiology, and bone densitometry. Staff can assist seniors in accessing benefits and entitlements. The Wellness Center also offers free, multi-level yoga and meditation classes.
OTHER HELPFUL LINKS
New York State EPIC (Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage)
P.O. Box 15018, Albany, NY 12212-5018
Telephone 800-332-3742 (TTY 800-290-9138)
Email [email protected]
The place to go for information on how you might qualify for financial assistance for prescription drug purchases or concerning Medicare Part D insurance premiums. EPIC operates a toll-free Helpline which is available from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
100 Gold St
New York, NY 10038
212-863-6240
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) protects the existing housing stock and expands housing options for New Yorkers as it strives to improve the availability, affordability, and quality of housing in New York City. Its website provides information on current apartment lotteries, Mitchell-Lama apartments, as well as other affordable housing opportunities and resources.
American Association for Retired Persons
Telephone 888-687-2277, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight
Website provides information on a wide variety of topics: >health, money, travel, financial planning, medical and life insurance, long term care, and more. Founded in 1958, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives. AARP has grown to 40 million members and has offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Council of Senior Centers and Services of New York
49 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036
Telephone 212-398-6565
Serving New York City’s Senior service providers and senior citizens with advocacy, technical assistance, and access to benefits. Services also include a free money management program.
New York Legal Assistance Group
Telephone 212-613-5000
New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) is a nonprofit law office dedicated to providing free legal services in civil law matters to low-income New Yorkers.
The American Geriatrics Society
350 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10118
Telephone 212-308-1414
The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a not-for-profit organization of over 6,700 health professionals focussed on improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policy makers and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy.
MORE ON HEALTHY AGING
A number of Project FIND’s instructors have their own websites, and the following are links to those sites as well as to other sites that they have highly recommended.
Donatas Nacajus, Salsa and Ballroom Dancing
http://www.dancetohappiness.com
Eberly Mareci, Yoga
Circus Yoga
http://www.CircusMinimus.com
School for Body-Mind Centering
http://www.bodymindcentering.com
Gwenn Fried, Gardening
The Rusk Institute’s Glass Garden
Ken Gray, Qi Gong
The Qi Gong Institute
http://www.qigonginstitute.org
National Qi Gong Association
http://www.nqa.org
Rachel Eisenman, Strength Training
http://www.livebetterfitness.com
http://tblof.wordpress.com
Miriam Nelson’s Strong Women Website
http://www.strongwomen.com
David Sheeger, Martial Arts
http://www.sfmai.org
Tom Campo, Yoga
Better Health Better Living
http://www.webspawner.com/users/tcampo/index.html