Celebrating 50 Years of Service for Westchester’s Older Adults

Below are current press releases issued by the Department of Senior Programs and Services.

Medical experts from Westchester and Rockland counties will discuss how to prevent osteoporosis and falls and give the latest information on osteoporosis treatment at the annual free Community Health Forum on Nov. 16 at the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester, 515 North St., White Plains.

The program will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the deadline for reservations is Nov. 8. To sign up contact Antonella Caggiano at (914) 813-6380 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or send a fax to (914) 813-6399. For more information, call Patty Szeliga at (914) 813-6432.

The theme for this year’s event is “Steady and Healthy on Your Feet: Preventing Osteoporosis and Falls” A Community Health Forum and it is being presented by the Health and Wellness Coalition and the Caregiver Coalition of Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS).

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jeri Nieves, PhD., an associate professor of clinical epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and director of bone density testing at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw. Nieves is also a principal investigator for the New York State Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program and an expert on the role of Vitamin D in fall and fracture prevention.

Other speakers will be Michelle Mosner, RD, CDN, project coordinator of the state’s Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program; Grace Kulinski, PT, director of physical therapy at Lawrence Hospital Center in Bronxville, and Bridget Gallagher, GNP, MSN, senior vice president for community services at Jewish Home Lifecare.

Seniors can also watch and take part in an exercise demonstration. A light breakfast will be served.

“No senior should miss this important event,” said DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter. “When seniors take care of their health they can often remain independent for many more years. The combination of good nutrition and appropriate exercise enable seniors to be active in their communities and have an overall better quality of life.”

Ann Darcy, a registered dietitian and coordinator of DSPS’ Nutrition, Health and Wellness Unit, will introduce the speakers.

Program sponsors are the New York State Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program, the Jewish Home Lifecare/Sarah Neuman Center, Lawrence Hospital Center, the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester, the WESTMED Medical Group and Philips Lifeline.

Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services - in partnership with two organizations that are leading advocates for older Americans - received two prestigious awards in a 2010 global competition for best practices to improve the quality of life for all people through its Livable Communities initiative.

Its partners were the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services and AARP New York.

“Livable Communities: A Vision for All Ages - Bringing People and Places Together” won a Silver Award in the competition’s “Socio-Economic Programs” category and a Bronze Award in the “Whole Cities” category. “Whole Cities” entries are determined by a region’s population so in some cases it includes counties.

The United Nations-endorsed International Livable Communities Awards are presented by LivCom, which sponsors the world’s only international competition for Livable Community projects. Its goal is to recognize international best practices to manage the local environment such as heritage management, environmentally sensitive practices, community sustainability, healthy lifestyles and planning for the future.

The multiaward-winning Livable Communities: A Vision for All Ages – Bringing People and Places Together initiative is the signature project of the county’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS), and is spearheaded by department Commissioner Mae Carpenter. Carpenter said the department collaborated with the county’s Department of Planning and Geographic Information Systems in the Department of Information Technology to develop parts of the project.

At the LivCom conference in Chicago, Carpenter joined Lois Wagh Aronstein, AARP’s state director, and Will Stoner, associate state director, in giving half-hour presentations before a panel of international judges to show how AARP’s tools and resources added value to the Westchester project. Their presentation, which was streamed live on the Web to countries around the world via satellite, also showed how this model can be replicated throughout New York State and globally. Fifty countries competed in the annual event. 

Because of the difficult global economy, contest organizers say there is renewed interest in sharing best international practices on ways to improve living standards.

AARP New York considers Westchester County to be a national “laboratory” for the project since it began in 2007. DSPS had built networks of nine regional Livable Community Connection sites throughout the county as well as Livable Community Villages where “neighbors helping neighbors” is a way of life. Villages are groups of volunteers such as civic organizations, houses of worship and neighborhood associations united by a common goal. Today there are 150 villages in the county with 15,000 members.

This infrastructure is used by community volunteers and “stakeholders” to enhance and promote the livable communities concept.  Stakeholders include elected officials, members of the business community and groups from houses of worship and nonprofit organizations. 
AARP supplemented this work with educational and advocacy tools to expand and strengthen its development.

Livable Communities enable seniors to age in their homes with independence, dignity and civic involvement. Among their features are services provided by volunteers such as health and wellness programs, education and cultural events, accessible and adequate transportation, personal safety, consumer protection and advocacy for issues such as affordable housing.

The Complete Streets “walkability” survey  in April had the county, the Public/Private Partnership and AARP teaming up to evaluate the safety and accessibility of the county’s sidewalks, roads and traffic intersections for pedestrians. 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.

Safe Streets make communities more livable for people of all ages, but are crucial for parents holding the hands of young children or pushing infants in baby carriages, individuals who use wheelchairs and, of course, seniors.

This survey was part of AARP’s state-wide, week-long “Complete Streets” audit, and the findings were used to underscore the need for “Complete Streets” legislation, which has already been introduced in Albany.

The county’s Livable Community Connection sites have compiled findings from streets and intersections in the county in a report for elected officials.

Carpenter, who describes the Livable Communities initiative as a “grassroots empowering tool,” is recognized nationwide for her expertise on issues that affect seniors and the quality of their lives. Under her leadership, AARP has named Westchester’s Livable Communities initiative one of three such models in the United States.

“It has been a special privilege to work with AARP to develop the livable community concept in Westchester County,” Carpenter said.  “Their trailblazing work and vision are extraordinary. It is more important today than ever before to develop Livable Communities because the population is aging rapidly. It also is crucial because cuts in federal and state budgets do not cover the increasing need for services.”   
Aronstein also hailed the collaboration between DSPS and AARP New York.

“AARP New York is proud to have shared in this prestigious honor with the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services,” she said. “This unique partnership has resulted in safer streets and engaged citizens, legislators and community leaders. It has made Westchester County a more livable and accessible place to call home.”

AARP New York will lead three online seminars starting March 24 on major issues that confront Westchester County seniors: housing, transportation and “walkability,” which looks at the condition of streets and roads in various neighborhoods.

The seminars – also called “webinars” – will take place on AARP’s new interactive Web site. Their goal is to make the county as senior-friendly as possible and reduce the number of older adults moving out of Westchester to more affordable counties in New York or to other states.

The topics will be:

• March 24, “Living at Home: Can You Meet Your Needs?”
• March 31, “Getting There Without a Car: Assessing Transportation Options in Westchester”
• April 7, “Walking Safely and Comfortably: Assessing Streets and Roads for Walking in Westchester”

The webinars will start at 10 a.m. and be hosted by leading AARP experts. Commissioner Mae Carpenter of the county’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) will be a guest on the March 24 housing program.

AARP’s new site is part of its ongoing collaboration on the Livable Communities Initiative with DSPS, the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services and the Volunteer Center of United Way of Westchester and Putnam.

Registration is required to take part in one or all of the webinars, which will include a “tour” of the Web site and tips on how participants can assess their neighborhoods. Sign up now. Those who sign up will receive the telephone number to call on the day of the event.

In addition, the new Web site has surveys that participants can complete before or after the seminars. Some questions on the transportation survey, for example, ask if traffic signals are located at pedestrian crossings and if the sidewalks have resting places for pedestrians, such as benches or low walls.

Seniors can download the completed surveys and fax them to AARP at (212) 644-6390 or send them by regular mail to Will Stoner, AARP New York, 780 Third Ave., 32nd floor, New York, N.Y. 10017. AARP in turn, will share the responses with volunteers in DSPS’ Livable Communities initiative, elected officials, administrators and others, who will try to take steps to act on the concerns seniors raise.

Lois Wagh Aronstein, senior state director of AARP, said that the approach in Westchester is the first of its kind for the organization, which expects to eventually use it nationwide.

Carpenter said the online resource is an innovative way to enable seniors to remain active in their communities as well as a valuable resource for adult children caring for aging parents.

“It empowers seniors to easily let their voices be heard by the people who can bring about change,” she said. “What’s more is that they can take the surveys in the warmth and comfort of their own home. I encourage them to use this wonderful site.”

The aarplivability.org connection is part of a Web portal that AARP developed with DSPS. A Web portal offers “one-stop shopping” on a particular topic - such as livable communities - because it has many related links that users can readily access to learn more.