Empowering New York Communities

Welcome.We are pleased to share with you the results of a two-day conference titled Empowering Communities for Successful Aging, held in Saratoga Springs,November 12-13, 2008. The conference brought together community leaders, government agencies, housing and senior services providers and other entities serving older adults. It was designed to address the needs of the rapidly increasing aging population in New York State through innovative best practices from around the nation and within the state. Click this link to review the conference agenda and available presentations, including some best practices: http://www.empoweringnycommunities.org

The Need . . . New York’s older population is growing rapidly, and by the year 2015 adults age sixty and over will make up 20 to 29 percent of the general population. Not only will this cohort be 50% larger than the existing senior adult population, it will also be more culturally and economically diverse. Older adults express an overwhelming desire to live independently. This major population shift presents a challenge to communities, government agencies, providers of housing and senior services, and other entities involved with older adults.

NYS Office for the Aging Director Michael Burgess' Opening Session Remarks