Three major projects of Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services have been nationally recognized with four awards for showing how government can be smarter and more efficient.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) presented a 2011 Achievement Award and a “Best of Category in the Volunteers Category” award to the Livable Communities Caregiver Coaching Program.

Achievement Awards also went to the Livable Communities Living Well: Put Life Back in Your Life – Chronic Disease Self-Management Program and to the Senior Benefits Information Centers.

In making the awards NACo said it is “extremely pleased with the high caliber of county programs and projects” and recognizes the “hard work to promote quality, efficient and responsive management and administration.”

Here are what the award-winning programs do:

Livable Communities Caregiver Coaching Program 
As part of Westchester’s effort to make communities as senior friendly as possible, volunteers are trained by professionals to provide one-on-one support to family caregivers and help them understand their options. As a result, the caregivers are better able to make informed decisions to meet the challenges and responsibilities of caring for an older or disabled person. DSPS developed the program in conjunction with Fordham University’s Ravazzin Center on Aging. In addition to the Achievement Award, this program was also designated “Best of Category” in the Volunteers category.

Livable Communities Living Well: Put Life Back in Your Life – Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
Westchester has been leading a federal initiative in the Mid-Hudson Valley where seniors are taught to manage their chronic health conditions, such as arthritis, high-blood pressure and diabetes, among others. They learn how to better address their health issues, improve the quality of their lives and lower health care costs from trained peer leader volunteers who follow a model program developed by the Division of Family and Community Medicine at Stanford University’s School of Medicine.

Senior Benefits Information Centers
Trained counselors at the centers, located at four libraries in the county, meet with older adults and their caregivers to help find information about government benefits that they may stretch their budgets. These benefits include nutrition assistance, tax relief programs, weatherization and minor home repairs and paying for prescription drugs. SBIC is a partnership of DSPS, the Westchester Library System and the Medicare Rights Center.