As New York State approves its budget, advocates and older New Yorkers are astounded by a complete and total disregard for the needs of thousands of older New Yorkers and their families.
Gov. Hochul announced in 2022 a master plan for aging that “shall coordinate existing and new state policy and programs creating a blueprint of strategies to be implemented to ensure older New Yorkers can live fulfilling lives, in good health, with freedom, dignity, and independence to age in place for as long as possible.” Yet the state budget shows the hypocrisy between an executive order and the actuality of a budget that is ageist.
For years, services via local Offices for the Aging, and the community-based network that they work with have shown low-cost, high-yield interventions. Services such as home-delivered meals, transportation, and home care services are among those provided via OFA, and they predominantly serve non-Medicaid eligible individuals who absent the services would be forced to impoverish themselves to Medicaid or be forced into institutional care.
These services cost a fraction of the cost of Medicaid or skilled nursing facility placement, and yet the government continues to allow tens of thousands of older residents to languish and to die, on wait lists. Additionally, there are only 111,101 nursing home beds in the state of New York, while the population of those over 60 is rapidly approaching the 5 million mark. It is glaringly apparent that home and community-based services are necessary, and more importantly, the choice of older residents and families.
During over 600 meetings of the Master Plan for Aging, and during the 16+ town hall meetings for the public to comment on the MPA, the issue of funding for services has been raised continually. Service providers, advocates, and older residents have repeatedly and passionately made the case for investments in aging services, as the services provided have been in existence for 50 years, and we know from our data that if an individual is placed on a waiting list for services they are forced into a nursing home, or access services via Medicaid.
The state has continually stated that there is no way to sustain the current growth in Medicaid, and the solution is abundantly apparent — invest in the non-Medicaid services that prevent Medicaid dependence. This fact has been completely ignored and instead, the Consumer Directed Personal Care Assistance Program and Medicaid eligibility for home care services have been put on the chopping block, which will negatively impact Older New Yorkers.
Additionally, older residents deserve investments, as they pay more than their fair share of taxes in NYS. Older individuals pay $72 billion per year in state and local taxes, provide uncompensated care worth $39 billion per year, and their volunteerism is worth $14 billion per year. However, the New York State Office for the Aging budget is less than 8/10ths of 1% of the state budget, and this year even though we are highlighting an MPA, the budget only reflects a $700,000 increase for a waiting list that deserves over $40 million. This increase is less than $40 for each individual who is waiting for a vital service for the entire year, less than a tank of gas.
It is time for New York State to do better.
Becky Preve is the executive director of the Association on Aging in New York.
GUEST APPEARANCE: NYS budget a massive failure for aging
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04.05.2024
As New York State approves its budget, advocates and older New Yorkers are astounded by a complete and total disregard for the needs of thousands of older New Yorkers and their families.
Gov. Hochul announced in 2022 a master plan for aging that “shall coordinate existing and new state policy and programs creating a blueprint of strategies to be implemented to ensure older New Yorkers can live fulfilling lives, in good health, with freedom, dignity, and independence to age in place for as long as possible.” Yet the state budget shows the hypocrisy between an executive order and the actuality of a budget that is ageist.
For years, services via local Offices for the Aging, and the community-based network that they work with have shown low-cost, high-yield interventions. Services such as home-delivered meals, transportation, and........
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