by Erin Garrett, Jonathan Bowles, Eli Dvorkin, and Laird Gallagher
New York’s growing older adult population is facing unprecedented barriers accessing meals, groceries, medicine, and support services, and new levels of social isolation brought on by the novel coronavirus. CUF asked nearly two dozen experts in older adult services for specific recommendations on how city and state policymakers can support older New Yorkers during this crisis. Click HERE for The Center for an Urban Future’s complete article.
Statewide Executive Director Maria Alvarez is quoted in this article:
Maria Alvarez
Executive Director
NY StateWide Senior Action Council
Include home care aides in the category of front-line workers and protect them
In NYC, many patients are concerned that their home health aides are traveling the streets and exposed unnecessarily to the possibility of COVID-19. These aides should be considered part of the front-line health care force and given testing, secure transportation, and adequate equipment to conduct their work.
Provide nonprofits with no-interest loans
We need to make sure that nonprofit organizations, especially small community-based groups, are given no-interest loans so that they can continue providing services and avoid laying off personnel or shuttering their doors while they wait for funders to reimburse and register service contracts.
Prepare to extend service contracts
If the New York State budget is not adopted by March 31, the state should extend service contracts to avoid interrupting services in place.