As the tide of seniors aging in place continues to rise in a phenomenon called the “silver tsunami,” grassroots organizations in Westchester are finding ways to connect adults age 65 and older with businesses and services that keep the elderly active, healthy and aging comfortably at home.
In 2009, Lois Steinberg and Robert Waldman founded The Center for Aging in Place, the first nonprofit in Westchester focused on connecting volunteers and professionals with seniors aging in place. The idea was to provide a network of resources seniors can consistently rely on for home care services and then to spread the word about their aging-in-place model.
In New York state, there will be a nearly 40 percent increase in the number of adults age 65 and older by 2040, according to U.S. Census data. The population of adults age 85 and older will grow by 48 percent from 2010 to 2050.
New Rochelle is projected to lead the state with 70 percent more adults age 85 and older by 2040, according to LeadingAge, a nonprofit focused on education, advocacy and applied research. The national population of adults age 65 and older will increase by more than one-third within the next 10 years and by 2030 the ratio of children to seniors will be almost even for the first time in U.S. history.
As a sociologist, Steinberg grew interested in peer networks for older adults while working at the Medicare Rights Center. She created an organization called Seniors Speaking Out Medicare and mobilized older adult volunteers in Westchester to provide health care counseling and information about health rights to middle- and lower-income older adults in senior centers, clubs and religious organizations.
After the outreach, Steinberg took the next step to develop The Center for Aging in Place in Tarrytown, providing further training for her volunteer staff, who are mostly adults age 65 and older, and giving advocacy tools to older adults and their adult children.
“The initial sparks of the whole concept grew out of an article in The New York Times,” Steinberg said. “I read about a program in Beacon Hill in Boston that started a volunteer organization for seniors aging in place. It was entirely operated by seniors and it took them six years before they got the program going.”
The Center for Aging in Place was a startup funded through the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation, which distributes $10,000 annually to a handful of age-friendly business initiatives in Westchester. Shortly after, the founders reached out to 50 individuals in Westchester and encouraged them to start their own grassroots organizations in their communities. Since the first resource center for seniors aging in place opened in 2009, Westchester has expanded to eight organizations including groups that serve the elderly in Yonkers, Bronxville, Scarsdale, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Ossining, Briarcliff, Bedford, Rye, Port Chester, Harrison and White Plains. Four of these organizations have hired either full- or part-time executive directors, while the other four are operated by volunteers. Steinberg said aging-in-place organizations are gaining momentum in Westchester with two more expected to emerge in Tarrytown and New Rochelle.
The grassroots organizations serve a two-fold purpose for seniors aging in place. They provide resources for home care services and allow seniors to stay active in the community.
“When you retire from a lifelong career, then what will you do?” Steinberg said. “This model will help generate the concept of older people getting involved in programs that help older people stay healthy and productive.”
At age 87, Steinberg, executive director of the center, is an example of a senior who is staying active. She said she hopes to continue developing new strategies with her board members and working alongside consultants to find the most productive and sustainable model for aging in place programs.
Waldman, co-founder and developer at the center, even created a database that logs information gathered through his organization. This includes the number of volunteer hours provided and the types of services requested by seniors to give potential investors a resource that quantifies the impact businesses can make by building a sustainable model around seniors aging in place.
Not only are grassroots organizations noticing an influx of older adults choosing to age at home, but businesses have also begun reaching out to aging in place groups, too. Two years ago, the center started a Life+ Business Network after multiple companies requested to connect with Westchester residents who are aging in place. Businesses see the value of joining aging in place programs because it allows them to educate older adults, share their products and services and capitalize on this growing market segment, said Laura Traynor, a consultant with the center who founded the network.
“We have a rapidly growing demographic of seniors aging in place,” Traynor said. “From the county”™s perspective, you want to keep people in their homes, paying taxes and buying goods and services.”
Not only do businesses that provide in-home services join the network, but several assisted-living facilities have jumped on board with the mindset of staying connected with older adults who may need their services when those seniors aging in place transition to care centers.
The businesses that have joined the Life+ Business Network include retirement communities such as United Hebrew in New Rochelle, which provides skilled nursing, rehabilitation and assisted living complexes; and The Bristal in White Plains, a luxury assisted living residence serving 190 residents. An assisted living facility in Armonk is scheduled to open next year and has expressed an interest in joining the Life+ Business Network as well. Also, Nonnatech, a technology company based in White Plains, specializes in equipment to help monitor and care for seniors via cameras and sensors.
As more seniors age in place, businesses that provide visiting nurses will experience the most growth. Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the nation”™s largest nonprofit home-based health care agency, started expanding in Westchester in 2004. It now provides services and products to more than 4,000 residents in the county, while the number of Westchester residents receiving services through visiting nurses nearly doubled over the last three years, according to a report from Life+ Business Network.
Regional offices for visiting nurse services are in Rye Brook and White Plains and employ more than 100 Westchester residents. The newest programs in the field are transitional care and population management, which help patients move from facility to home to avoid re-hospitalization and reduce costs both to individuals and to the community.
We applaud the leadership and creativity of Lois Steinberg and Rob Waldman, both former members of the Board of The Volunteer Center of United Way. As this aging in place network continues to grow, volunteer opportunities will be included in The Volunteer Center’s database. Stay tuned!