As you have seen on the front page of this newsletter, the New York State Office for the Aging is leading a new state effort in the coming year to develop a strategic plan for tapping older volunteers and workers as resources. The state was one of six selected by the National Governors Association (NGA) to participate in a "policy academy" in which the NGA staff will assist us to develop policies and programs to better enlist the involvement of older workers and volunteers in addressing social needs.
Our office is seeking to retain and reintroduce older workers in the public and private work force. We are also promoting volunteer ideas such as a healthcare navigator program, which would pair volunteers with persons being released from the hospital to ensure continuity of care and social connection. ReServe, a nonprofit organization in New York City, is successfully operating such a program now. SUNY Albany operates a health navigator program in a low income neighborhood in Albany. A key goal is to reduce repeat hospitalizations for older residents. Meanwhile, Mercy Care for the Adirondacks is using volunteers from faith based organizations to reach out to isolated rural seniors. Sometimes, government and private institutions underestimate the value of "social capital" to help address problems in health care or other public needs. Our office is paying particular attention to the role older persons are playing and how they can contribute in the future as we move forward with our planning. We recognize that a centralized approach to health care is not meeting all our needs, particularly when it comes to the role of caregivers and home and community based care. By harnessing the assets of our residents, we think that we can unleash other ways to address social problems. I am looking forward to this project with the National Governors Association and I will keep you posted on our work.
