Join us for the Senior Forum for the Area Plan and Annual Update

Friday, Oct. 1, 2021
10:00 a.m. to noon

This is a virtual meeting to increase awareness in the community among older adults, caregivers, and service providers, as well as local decision makers and organizations to sustain local support for Area Agency on Aging (AAA) programs and services.

Participants will have an opportunity to have input on the Department of Senior Programs and Services programs and services for the 2022 budget cycle.

Join the meeting.
Join by meeting number
Meeting number (access code): 1618 42 0650
Meeting password: spTAHMya834
Join by phone: 1-844-621-3956, 1618420650#

Comments will be accepted through Oct. 15,2021

For a copy of the Area Plan please contact Andrew Crawford at (914) 813-6408 or email

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Dear Friend of the Aging Network:

This year is the 41st Annual Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, one of the Department of Senior Programs and Services' most empowering events, with over 500 people who attend! It's a wonderful tribute to older adults who have generously given their time and energy to improve the quality of life in our community. Honorees will be inducted at a festive luncheon on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Westchester Marriott Hotel in Tarrytown, New York.

Thank you for helping us raise awareness and celebrate the many ways Westchester's older adults are working and volunteering to meet the needs of our community. Westchester Senior Citizens Hall of Fame will be hosted by the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services, Westchester Parks, Recreation and Conservation, and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services. Sponsorship opportunities and congratulatory ads for the commemorative journal are available here.

Please visit www.westchesterpartnership.org for details. We hope you will consider partnering with us to celebrate the incredible honorees.

Sincerely,
Mae Carpenter

Geoffrey AndersonWestchester Residential Opportunities (WRO), Inc., a not-for-profit housing counseling agency certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Renewal that serves more than 7,000 individuals and families a year, will receive the 8th annual Stanley Schear Leadership Award on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Geoffrey Anderson, WRO’s executive director, will accept the award at the Westchester Senior Housing and Services Collaborative’s breakfast and recognition ceremony at the White Plains Public Library, 100 Martine Ave., White Plains at 9 a.m.

“The Schear Award recognizes organizations that have made meaningful contributions to improve people’s lives through fair and affordable housing and services,” said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. “I thank WRO for its continued partnership, working alongside county government to make sure people continue to live and prosper in Westchester.”

Event reservations are requested, but walk-ins are welcome. To sign up, contact Lisa Buck at or (914) 949-8146.

Commissioner Mae Carpenter of Westchester County’s Department of Senor Programs and Services (DSPS) will present Anderson with a $3,500 check from Atlantic Philanthropies, which is a sponsor of the program along with DSPS, the White Plains Library and Wartburg, an adult care services community in Mount Vernon.

“Especially during difficult times, it is imperative that society make every effort to inform older people about housing options to meet their needs,” Carpenter said. “WRO has done just that.”

Under Anderson’s leadership WRO has:

  • Expanded the capacity and expertise of its Senior Housing Counseling Program
  • Developed and administered a leading comprehensive tax foreclosure counseling program for Westchester residents
  • Held training sessions for more than 500 real-estate professionals over the past two years in collaboration with the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors.

Anderson has served as WRO’s executive director since 2007.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Concordia College in Bronxville, and has taught at Concordia as an adjunct professor since 1995.  He has a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University.

Earlier in his career, Anderson worked for Westhab Inc. for more than 11 years, including service as vice president of housing programs.

Schear worked tirelessly for many years to help people with housing needs in the county.  Upon his death in 2006, the award was established to honor him and his many achievements.

While falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injury for people 65 years of age and older, they are not an inevitable part of aging.

Studies show that a combination of behavior changes can significantly reduce falls among older adults.

Starting in September and into October, educational programs may be found county-wide in recognition of Fall Prevention Awareness Day. The registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) at Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services will present a variety of nutrition related fall prevention topics at senior centers and nutrition sites during the months of September and October. Don’t miss out. Review the list below for further details.

Seniors do not have to live in a community to attend its program, but reservations are required.

Experts recommend:

  • Participating in a physical activity regimen with balance, strength training, and flexibility components.
  • Consulting with a health professional about getting a fall risk assessment.
  • Having medications reviewed periodically.
  • Getting eyes and ears checked annually.
  • Making sure the home environment is safe and supportive.

The recent United States of Aging Survey polled older adults to find out about how they are preparing for their later years. It found that more than half of seniors questioned said they would be interested in the expansion of community-based health promotion programs, including falls prevention classes.

At senior centers and other community-based organizations across Westchester County, programs like A Matter of Balance, Tai Chi, Yoga and other fall prevention strength building exercise classes help older adults gain strength, improve balance and build confidence to help them live healthier lives and preserve their independence.

The Care Circles of Westchester: Step Forward and Give Back program provides family caregivers with information to coordinate help for their loved ones from volunteers, who share in caregiving tasks.

The program is part of the Livable Communities: A Vision for All Ages – Bringing People and Places Together initiative. It is sponsored by Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services.

A care circle is a group of volunteers who assist an individual – perhaps a very elderly person – with the basic needs of daily living that cannot be met with public funds. These needs may include pitching in to do the laundry, giving rides to the doctor’s office, walking the dog or simply providing companionship.

Fewer and fewer caregivers are available to help care for Westchester’s growing senior population, and care circles are a way to recreate the physical and emotional support families traditionally provide.

A key goal of the Livable Communities initiative is to enable seniors to continue to age in their homes and communities. Care Circles of Westchester volunteers directly advance that goal.

“We’re delighted to start our Care Circles of Westchester initiative, which we know will grow over the years,” said DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter. “Care circles make communities stronger.”

For more information about the Care Circles of Westchester program, contact Colette Phipps at (914) 813-6441 or .