pr-nyc-aging-announces-2024-accomplishments

Department for the Aging


Press Releases

Press Releases
Commissioner Column
Newsletters
Publications
Reports

Press Releases

Commissioner Column

Newsletters

Publications

Reports


NYC Aging Announces 2024 Accomplishments

Progress builds for 2025 for the agency’s 50th Anniversary

New York, NY – The Department for the Aging (NYC Aging) is proud to announce its transformative accomplishments in 2024, reflecting a continued commitment to eliminate ageism and improving the dignity and quality of life of older New Yorkers.

“From day one, our administration has focused on creating a safer, more affordable New York City. In 2024, we continued to deliver on that vision and ‘Get Stuff Done’ for working-class New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Thanks to our extraordinary public servants, America’s safest big city got even safer this year, with overall crime down and thousands of illegal guns, mopeds, and ghost cars taken off city streets. We passed historic legislation to turn New York into a ‘City of Yes,’ shattered affordable housing records once again, and put billions of dollars back into New Yorkers’ pockets. We broke records for the most jobs and small businesses in city history and moved millions of trash bags off our sidewalks and into containers. But we know that there is even more we can do to continue to uplift working-class families. As we look to the future, our administration remains committed to keeping New Yorkers safe and making our city more affordable for the millions of New Yorkers who call our city home.”

“In 2024, NYC Aging continued to take bold steps to ensure older New Yorkers can live and thrive in the neighborhoods they’ve poured their hearts into” said Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. “From strengthening partnerships and sparking vital conversations around caregiving and ageism to putting money back into older adults’ pockets, we are moving into 2025 with a renewed sense of purpose and pride as we celebrate 50 years of serving our city’s older adults.”

As the city’s older adult population surpasses the number of school-aged children and continues to grow, NYC Aging’s programs remain essential for supporting healthy, independent lives. Through a network of more than 300 older adult centers (OAC) and 36 Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), NYC Aging provides culturally aligned programs, services, and activities that honor traditions, foster social connections, and promote overall well-being. Next year, the agency will celebrate 50 years of service to older New Yorkers.

NYC Aging’s 2024 Accomplishments:

Strengthening Partnerships Between City Agencies for Older Adults: This year saw the NYC Cabinet for Older New Yorkers (CONY), created by Mayor Adams in 2022, codified into law, making it a permanent institution within New York City government. The number of older adults living in the five boroughs is already greater than those of school-aged children, and CONY focuses on them to help ensure their needs are being met through City resources. Comprising over 30 agencies, which work directly or indirectly with older adults, CONY has eliminated silos and created joint actions and innovative policies so New York City can be a place for all ages. Some of the accomplishments coming out of CONY this past year include:

Educating approximately 1,600 frontline workers at NYC Health + Hospitals and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on health supports to help patients age in place;

The NYC Commission on Human Rights began providing training on NYC Human Rights Law and age discrimination to older adults participating in NYC Aging’s Workforce Development Program, so if they see this discrimination take place they can take action;

The Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit visited older adult centers to help members complete applications for SCRIE/DRIE, helping them afford to stay in their homes.

Reaching and Listening to More Older Adults: NYC Aging made significant progress in educating the public about its programs to help even more older adults continue living in their communities. With the growing number of older adults calling the five boroughs home, these actions will help maintain the momentum we have into 2025. Some of them include:

Partnering with Mayor Adams to host Older Adult Town Halls across the city, where, to date, there have been 17 Town Halls, offering more than 1,500 older New Yorkers opportunities to discuss community issues directly with the Mayor.

In May, NYC Aging launched a Service Needs Assessment Survey to gather crucial input from older New Yorkers and caregivers, reaching thousands to ensure their voices were heard.

Through participation in 479 events in Fiscal Year 2024, HIICAP helped 9,408 older adults complete beneficiary contact forms, to ensure the support they need is there for their health care and other long-term needs.

Confronting Ageist Stereotypes by Showcasing the Gifts and Strengths of Older Adults:

No matter the individuals culture or background, ageism affects everyone, and NYC Aging has created activities to make sure older adults were portrayed in a positive light and push back against ageist stereotypes in New York and across the country.

While the entertainment industry makes it harder for older people to be in front of the camera, Talent is Timeless 2024 gave older New Yorkers an opportunity to showcase their creative gifts. This was done with OACs and NORCs throughout the city, where there is an average of 44,000 daily participants.

Also through OACs and NORCs, over 1,000 older residents participated in Intergenerational Groove! Taking place on National Older Adult Health and Fitness Day, this event promoted physical fitness and showed it is never too late to take steps to improve your health.

To show how easy it is to access the physical and mental health programs offered in every borough, hundreds of older residents from across the city participated in the first Healthy Aging Fair. The event featured cooking and exercise classes along with health professionals who answered medical and prescription drug questions. Residents were also told they can get similar information and take part in classes across the city, at their local older adult center.

Just this month, the Boom! A Silver Dawning in American Cities conference helped build the conversations around combatting ageism and supporting older adults ability to age in place onto the national stage. With the older adult population growing across the United States and globally, this conference brought together aging sector experts to discuss how they confront ageism, support caregivers, and make sure they have the supports they need.

Helping Older New Yorkers Feel Safer in their Communities:

Through a partnership with the NYPD, the Elder Crime Victim Resource Center reached out to 4,072 older adults impacted by crime in Fiscal Year 2024, connecting them to essential services through a data-sharing agreement. Additionally, 37,481 police officers were trained to identify signs of elder abuse during patrols and refer victims to NYC Aging’s Elder Justice network.

Making New York City More Affordable for Older Residents:

With New York City’s older adult population more likely to live below the poverty line than their peers across the country, NYC Aging’s programs reduce costs on essentials such as food, health and transportation.

In Fiscal Year 2024, the Caregiver Program provided support to 5,485 family caregivers, and since the start of the Adams administration, the program has provided 125,634 hours of respite services valued at $4.3 million in savings.

With over 300 older adult centers citywide, 6,126,491 congregate meals were served, saving participants approximately $107 million in food expenses. In addition, 4,209,261 home delivered meals were served to qualified older New Yorkers.

Older adults who received help with their health insurance through the agency’s Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Program (HIICAP), not only received support making sure they were on the right plans, but also saved money. In Fiscal Year 2024 those who received assistance from HIICAP saved an estimated $95 million in Medicare premiums and prescription costs.

Finally, the 75,000 older New Yorkers who used the Transportation Program to get to important destinations, saved approximately $1.6 million in transportation costs.

###

About NYC Aging:

The NYC Department for the Aging’s (NYC Aging) mission is to eliminate ageism and empower older adults to live independently in their communities. Through a network of over 300 older adult centers and naturally occurring retirement communities, NYC Aging provides vital programs and resources to nearly 1.8 million older New Yorkers, fostering their physical and mental well-being.