Celebrating 50 Years of Service for Westchester’s Older Adults

A few days remain until the Dec. 31 Medicare enrollment deadline for seniors who want to change their Medicare health plan and Part D coverage for prescription drugs for 2011.

During this period, individuals with Medicare can move in and or out of any type of Medicare coverage they choose. For example you can enroll in a new health or drug plan, change your health or drug plan, or even drop your health plan and return to original Medicare with what is known as a stand-alone prescription drug plan. All changes made would take effect on January 1, 2011.

Even if you are satisfied with your current plan, it is important to look for a mailing from your insurance company with information about your current coverage and any changes to your plan for 2011. 

Comparing your plan options for 2011 against other plans is the best way to decide whether you should stay with your current plan or make a change. Before you choose your plan for 2011, you need to check your plan’s new monthly premium, new deductible, co-payments for all health practitioner visits and the co-payments for each drug you take. Also check to see if your plan covers all your current medications, and that the plan will continue to work with your pharmacy next year.

The plan you are enrolled in on Dec. 31 is the coverage you will have on January 1st, 2011. For the first 45 days of 2011 you will have one chance to drop a health plan, drug plan or both but you cannot change plans during this time. If you keep the coverage you have, you will be locked into this coverage for all of 2011 unless you have ”Extra Help” (also known as LIS or low income subsidy), or are in a Medicare Savings Program, have Medicaid and Medicare or qualify for a special enrollment period.

For Free Help

• Call the Medicare Help Line at the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services at (914) 813-6100.
• Call a Senior Benefits Information Center that the Westchester Library System presents in partnership with the Medicare Rights Center and the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services at local libraries:
  • Mount Kisco Public Library, 100 Main St., counselors available Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. From Nov. 23 through Dec. 28, counselors available Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., call (914) 269-7764.
  • Warner Library, 121 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, counselors available Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., call (914) 269-7765.
  • Grinton I. Will Library, 1500 Central Ave., Yonkers, counselors available Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursdays , 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., call (914) 269-7138.
  • John C. Hart Memorial Library, 1130 Main St., Shrub Oak, counselors available Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. From Nov. 17 through Dec. 29, counselors will also be available Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., call (914) 269-7137.
• For more information on upcoming Medicare programs or other Senior Benefits Information Center offerings, contact Robin Osborne, director of the Westchester Library System’s Office of Community Connections, at (914) 231-3237.
• Visit the federal government’s Medicare Web site, which has a Plan Finder or Formulary Finder, or call the federal government’s Medicare Line at (800) 633-4227.

Program to take place Nov. 13 at the Westchester County Center

A conference on “A Team of Partners in Palliative Care: Challenges and Choices in Ethics of Care at the End of Life” will take place on Nov. 13 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. 

The Collaborative for End of Life Care of Westchester and the NYS Southern Region, a consortium of more than 40 organizations and agencies committed to education on end-of-life care, is presenting the annual event, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The collaborative is affiliated with the Fordham University Ravazzin Center on Aging and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services.

The conference is free, but registration is requested. To sign up, visit the Westchester End of Life Coalition Web site.

The keynote speaker will be ethicist Joseph J. Fins, MD, from New York Presbyterian Hospital. Following Fins’ address, attorney Kathleen Burke and Frederick J. Wertz, Ph.D. from Fordham University, will discuss issues he raised. Burke is vice president and legal counsel at New York Presbyterian and Wertz is a professor of psychology, a psychotherapist and a researcher.

Kenneth J. Doka, PhD., professor of gerontology at the Graduate School of the College of New Rochelle will focus on spirituality in the afternoon keynote address.

Experts in the fields of social work, nursing, psychology, law, medicine and the ministry will address issues in their fields that involve family caregiving, children’s bereavement, young adults with cancer, health care costs and geriatrics, among other topics.

The Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services is a member of the regional Collaborative for End of Life Care.

For more information, contact Cornelia Schimert at the Visiting Nurse Association of Hudson Valley at (914) 666-7616, Ext.  235, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or William Dawe at Hospice of Westchester at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dr. Olivia J. Hooker of White Plains, a civil rights and women’s rights advocate for most of her 96 years, received the top honors at the 29th Annual Westchester Senior Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon on Dec. 2 at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown.

Dr. Hooker is one of the 43 Westchester residents from the “Class of 2011” who were inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame at the luncheon and candle-lighting ceremony in the hotel’s Main Ballroom from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Senior Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS), Westchester County Parks and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services. It is co-sponsored by Visiting Nurse Services in Westchester and Putnam (VNSWP), a not-for-profit Medicare-certified home heath care agency, which began in 1901 and serves people of all ages.

DSPS established the Senior Hall of Fame in 1982, and since that time more than 900 seniors have been inducted. “The Hall of Fame gives Westchester County a chance to showcase the achievements of individuals who have made enduring contributions to enhance the quality of life of our county and in their home communities,” said County Executive Rob Astorino. “The county has benefited greatly from their years of service and they continue to inspire us.”

Dr. Hooker is an extraordinary example of those honorees. The Tulsa, Okla. native was 6 years old when she survived the Tulsa Race Riots in 1921, where many African-Americans were killed and their community was burned to the ground. That horrific memory has helped to shape her entire life. As an adult, Dr. Hooker was founder of the Tulsa Race Riot Commission, an advocacy group seeking restitution for Tulsa Race Riot survivors. She also testified about the riots before Congress, and continues to speak about the riots and civil rights issues before many organizations and houses of worship. 

Long retired, Dr. Hooker received her Ph.D. from the University of Rochester and worked as a psychologist in Yonkers schools and was a professor at Fordham University. She also has served as a board member and adviser to the NAACP Education Committee, and was a member of the board of VNSWP from 1988 to 1994. She was a pioneer in other ways as well, being  the first African-American woman to enlist and go on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. 

Today, Dr. Hooker likes taking part in senior programs at the Theodore D. Young Community Center in Greenburgh, reading and attending concerts at Carnegie Hall.

Mae Carpenter, DSPS Commissioner, said that the Hall of Fame is a special opportunity to recognize and thank the seniors for their selfless work.

“They are truly role models, whose spirit and outreach to others enhances our quality of life,” Carpenter said. “Their positive, can-do attitude and community service is an example for people of all ages.” 

Five seniors received “special recognition” at the luncheon:

Joan DiPalma, RN, of Rye is a former operating room nurse, who has always been a strong advocate for giving senior citizens access to health-related information that they can play a greater role in their own care. She launched and expanded the “Ask the Visiting Nurse Program,” a community outreach initiative that provides seniors with health screenings and one-on-one health discussions and counseling with nurses from VNSWP. The program began in 1988, and today has operations at more than 60 senior residences and community sites. DiPalma served on the VNSWP board from 1984 to the present, and was chair from 1999 to 2003. She also was a board member of Hospice and Palliative Care of Westchester from 1986 until the present day.

Armando V. Galella of Sleepy Hollow is 90 years old, and has lived in Sleepy Hollow for virtually his entire life. A long-time member of the Pocantico Hook & Ladder Co., he has held every position with that organization, including president. As fire commissioner of Sleepy Hollow, Galella developed and implemented a volunteer team, which evolved into the current volunteer ambulance corps. As a young man, he served in the military and was part of the 53rd Signal Corps at Hickam Air Base near Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He survived the Pearl Harbor attack and the invasion of Okinowa and eventually rose to become a battalion sergeant major. Over the years, Galella has spoken to students in social studies classes in many local schools about his wartime experiences and the importance of good citizenship.

Carol Greenberg of White Plains has more than 30 years of experience in nursing home administration, community based programs and proprietary home care agencies – years, which have earned her an excellent reputation in the home health area. Since 1995, she has been president and chief executive of Concept: Care Inc., a home health-care agency in White Plains. Long active in the community, Greenberg has served as president of the New York State Association of Health Care Providers and is a former chair of the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Service. The partnership honored Greenberg with its prestigious Golden Harvest Leadership Award in 2004 for her work with seniors.

Louise D. Muller of Pelham has been a community leader and volunteer for many years, and her work has centered on the education of children and young people. At various times, Muller has served as president of the Pelham Board of Education, Southern Westchester BOCES, the Westchester Putnam School Boards Association and the Westchester Children’s Association. As a young woman, Muller graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Mount Holyoke College and received a master’s degree in international affairs from the Harvard/Radcliffe Graduate School of arts and Sciences. Today, she enjoys ceramics, music and gardening.

Stephen J. Siegel of White Plains worked in the information technology industry for 40 years, and was founder and president of two national computer consulting companies. More recently, the Mount Vernon native has been a volunteer with Westchester Jewish Community Services’  “Amazing Afternoon” program. Here, he volunteers every week at Mount Vernon elementary school where many of the children qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, come from single-parent homes and may live in homeless shelters. Recently when state funding threatened to discontinue the afternoon programs, Siegel reached out to his fellow congregants at the Westchester Reform Temple and they raised almost $160,000 to sustain the program for the 2011-2012 season.

Seniors are nominated to the Hall of Fame by members of the community and the winners are selected by a screening committee composed of Hall of Fame members and the DSPS staff. 

The names of Hall of Fame winners are engraved on plaques that are permanently displayed at the DSPS office in Mount Vernon. This year’s honorees are:

BEDFORD: Dr. Marian Rose, PhD.

BEDFORD HILLS: David F. Brown

BRIARCLIFF MANOR: Douglas Paddock

BRONXVILLE: Dr. Joan O’Gorman, PhD.

CHAPPAQUA: Betsey Casey Metz
          
CROTON-ON-HUDSON: Annette Birnbaum

HARRISON: Paula Tarantino, Charlotte Vaughn

HARTSDALE: Alan Hochberg

IRVINGTON: Claire Mastroianni

KATONAH: Richard Salvaterra

LARCHMONT: Ruth M. Lewis, Robert Waldman

MAMARONECK: Friedhilde Milburn, Josie Santangelo

MONTROSE: Theresa McHale

MOUNT VERNON: Barbara McElveen, Henrietta Rush

NEW ROCHELLE: Betty A. Barker, Maurice Brick

PEEKSKILL: John D’Angelo, Fran Green, Tina McDermott

PELHAM: Louise D. Muller**

PLEASANTVILLE: Anthony Sardanelli, Elizabeth Sardanelli

RYE: Joan DePalma,** Lou Jaskow, Helen Roman, Thomas M. Saunders

SLEEPY HOLLOW: Armando V. Galella**

SOMERS: Fedora C. DeLucia

TARRYTOWN: Robert F. Patterson

WHITE PLAINS: Michael Chiarvalle, Carol Greenberg, ** John W. Harrington, Dr. Olivia J. Hooker, PhD.*  Mercedes Leis, Stephen J. Siegel **

YONKERS: Selma Charkin, Angela Mastromarco, Nick Mastromarco

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS: Jennie Menton Grasso

 * top honors       ** special recognition

The Department of Senior Programs and Services won Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for the “high caliber” of three of its initiatives in a nationwide competition.

The winners from DSPS were the Livable Communities Westchester Web Portal:  A Collaboration with AARP, the Westchester County Livable Communities Walkability Audit and Project Lifesaver.

“NACo greatly appreciates Westchester County’s participation in this year’s Achievement Award program,” the organization said. “In addition to giving us an opportunity to formally recognize effective and creative programs, this program enhances our awareness of county activities and allows us to share valuable information with other counties across the nation.”

Westchester won five Achievement Awards in all. The winners were recognized at NACo’s 14th annual awards ceremony on July 18, during the organization’s 2010 annual conference is Washoe County, Nevada.

Livable Communities Web Portal
Web portals, also known as links pages, present information from diverse sources in a unified format, which can be accessed from other sites. The Livable Communities Westchester Web portal is collaboration between DSPS, the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services and AARP.

It is an outgrowth of their unique partnership on the Livable Communities Initiative, which began in 2007. In the past three years, the collaboration has developed a wide range of activities and projects led by volunteers from Westchester communities, which focus on building places where people can grow up and grow old in comfort.

The DSPS site www.livablecommunitieswestchester.org and the AARP site www.aarplivability.org are connected in a way that says “Let’s create a livable Westchester together,” and they empower visitors to do just that. For example, by clicking the link to “asset maps” users can easily identify resources such as libraries, transportation and cultural sites by municipalities and zip codes. In turn, this information can be used to see what assets a municipality has and what it may need.

No taxpayer money is being used to create this Web portal, which is expected to be in operation this fall. This winning entry was led by DSPS research analyst Colette Phipps.

“Complete Streets” Walkability Audit
DSPS and AARP New York conducted a “walkability” survey to evaluate the safety and accessibility of the county’s sidewalks, roads and traffic intersections for pedestrians.

The survey was part of AARP New York’s week-long “Complete Streets” audit that took place in April. Complete Streets balance the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and public-transit users with motorists.

The project was led in Westchester by DSPS’ Livable Communities initiative, and was coordinated through its regional Livable Community Connection sites. Livable Communities benefit people of all ages and permit seniors to remain in their homes as they age with dignity, independence and civic involvement.

More than 125 volunteers surveyed 14 intersections in nine municipalities to assess conditions such as whether there are properly marked crosswalks, unbroken sidewalks and traffic lights that allow enough time for people with limited mobility to cross the road. This year’s statewide study was based on a walkability audit that DSPS and AARP conducted in Westchester in 2008.

Findings of the surveys throughout New York will be compiled in a report to underscore the need for Complete Streets legislation, which has already been introduced in Albany. The Livable Community Connection sites will compile the findings of the Westchester surveys in a separate report for county and municipal leaders.

This winning program was led by Dozene Guishard, DSPS program coordinator for Livable Communities. 

Project Lifesaver
Project Lifesaver, a free program that uses radio-frequency technology to find seniors with Alzheimer’s disease who wander from their homes, will celebrate its second anniversary in Westchester County in August.

Project Lifesaver works through bracelets with special batteries that the seniors wear on their wrists. Should the senior become lost, specially trained and equipped police officers from the county’s Department of Public Safety can locate them by tracking a radio signal the bracelets transmit. The public safety department sponsors the program with the county’s Department of Senior Programs and Services and Project Lifesaver International.

So far Project Lifesaver has located seven missing seniors and safely returned them home to their grateful and greatly relieved families. In addition, the police had been activated to search for six other missing seniors but they all were found before the police went out.

Currently, 58 seniors are enrolled in Project Lifesaver, and they are part of the 90 who have been enrolled since it began.  Meleita Jones, a DSPS program administrator, is the department liaison to Project Lifesaver.

Project Lifesaver will celebrate its second anniversary in Westchester in August. Learn more about the program.