Time to Establish an Ombudsman for the Aging by Marty Markowitz
November 13th, 2007
As a proud member of what I like to call the “maturer” set—which means I was able to join the very senior center I founded in Flatbush at age 26—I can personally attest to the vital need for our older population to have a voice in government. Yet all too often, seniors find they have no one to appeal to when they aren’t getting the services they need.
This is why I’m calling on the New York City Department for the Aging to create a “seniors ombudsman” office to advocate for our older residents. The ombudsman would serve as a liaison between seniors and city agencies and coordinate those agencies to be more responsive to the specific concerns of aging New Yorkers.
Why now? Well, New York City’s population of residents over the age of 60 is expected to exceed 1.8 million by 2030. In Brooklyn, that elderly population is projected to approach half a million—maintaining Brooklyn’s distinction of having more seniors than any other borough. As our residents grow older many of course will choose to stay in Brooklyn, because we all know there’s no better place to spend your best years. But there are many challenges we need to address so our seniors can remain safe, healthy and active.
To that end, as policymakers address the issue of affordable housing for all New Yorkers, we must build in components specific to our seniors. For example, through public-private partnerships, a certain number of units on lower floors of new developments should be set aside for seniors. Affordable housing for the elderly on fixed incomes can also be achieved through real estate tax incentives and provisions, and seniors’ housing costs can be reduced by providing such things as referral services for homeowners looking for honest contractors and low- or no-interest loans to assist with necessary maintenance.
For our aging population, getting to and from that home—even to the corner store or the doctor’s office—has long been a troublesome issue. That’s why we must reduce allowable para-transit waiting time to 15 minutes or less and increase bus service and the number of accessible subway stations in Brooklyn and throughout the city. I am also calling on the major grocery chains and transportation agencies to work together in providing shuttles for senior shoppers. It’s a win-win situation: the supermarkets increase their customer base, and seniors have access to a wider variety of nutritious foods at more affordable supermarket prices.
On the subject of nutrition, as someone who was born at the beginning of the baby boom generation and has battled health and weight issues, I know the value of routine trips to the doctor and preventive care. We need to implement more nutrition and exercise programs, including an “adopt-a-senior center” initiative in which private gyms would send instructors to regularly teach classes at senior centers. Every senior center should be outfitted with exercise equipment, and the government needs to ensure everything is being done to keep our elderly population in the best physical and mental health possible.
The mental health of seniors can often be affected by social isolation, which causes depression, anxiety and hopelessness. To combat this, we must provide plenty of volunteer opportunities and incentives to make sure our older residents remain vital to their communities and are able to help nurture the next generation of New Yorkers. We can accomplish this by offering stipends to seniors who volunteer and participate in mentoring programs, especially in Central Brooklyn, where there is a critical need for adult mentors.
We can also help our older residents by opening new senior centers in underserved neighborhoods such as Flatbush, Bensonhurst and Sheepshead Bay and areas with rapidly growing Caribbean and Asian senior populations. We can reduce the number of New Yorkers who will need services in the future by forging alliances within city government to educate younger residents on preparing for their mature years. Finally, the government should use tax credits and matching funds to make it easier for low-income adults to save for retirement.
Yes, all of these proposals will cost some money; however, we can all agree that the mature residents of New York City have paid their dues and have earned the right to get a little attention from those of us in government. It is time for all of us to be as creative as possible in meeting the needs of our burgeoning senior population. We should do this out of respect and gratitude to those who came before and who put in their time to build and nurture this great city. And of course—since we are all tomorrow’s seniors—our hard work today will benefit each and every one of us tomorrow.
Marty Markowitz (D) is the Brooklyn borough president.
This is why I’m calling on the New York City Department for the Aging to create a “seniors ombudsman” office to advocate for our older residents. The ombudsman would serve as a liaison between seniors and city agencies and coordinate those agencies to be more responsive to the specific concerns of aging New Yorkers.
Why now? Well, New York City’s population of residents over the age of 60 is expected to exceed 1.8 million by 2030. In Brooklyn, that elderly population is projected to approach half a million—maintaining Brooklyn’s distinction of having more seniors than any other borough. As our residents grow older many of course will choose to stay in Brooklyn, because we all know there’s no better place to spend your best years. But there are many challenges we need to address so our seniors can remain safe, healthy and active.
To that end, as policymakers address the issue of affordable housing for all New Yorkers, we must build in components specific to our seniors. For example, through public-private partnerships, a certain number of units on lower floors of new developments should be set aside for seniors. Affordable housing for the elderly on fixed incomes can also be achieved through real estate tax incentives and provisions, and seniors’ housing costs can be reduced by providing such things as referral services for homeowners looking for honest contractors and low- or no-interest loans to assist with necessary maintenance.
For our aging population, getting to and from that home—even to the corner store or the doctor’s office—has long been a troublesome issue. That’s why we must reduce allowable para-transit waiting time to 15 minutes or less and increase bus service and the number of accessible subway stations in Brooklyn and throughout the city. I am also calling on the major grocery chains and transportation agencies to work together in providing shuttles for senior shoppers. It’s a win-win situation: the supermarkets increase their customer base, and seniors have access to a wider variety of nutritious foods at more affordable supermarket prices.
On the subject of nutrition, as someone who was born at the beginning of the baby boom generation and has battled health and weight issues, I know the value of routine trips to the doctor and preventive care. We need to implement more nutrition and exercise programs, including an “adopt-a-senior center” initiative in which private gyms would send instructors to regularly teach classes at senior centers. Every senior center should be outfitted with exercise equipment, and the government needs to ensure everything is being done to keep our elderly population in the best physical and mental health possible.
The mental health of seniors can often be affected by social isolation, which causes depression, anxiety and hopelessness. To combat this, we must provide plenty of volunteer opportunities and incentives to make sure our older residents remain vital to their communities and are able to help nurture the next generation of New Yorkers. We can accomplish this by offering stipends to seniors who volunteer and participate in mentoring programs, especially in Central Brooklyn, where there is a critical need for adult mentors.
We can also help our older residents by opening new senior centers in underserved neighborhoods such as Flatbush, Bensonhurst and Sheepshead Bay and areas with rapidly growing Caribbean and Asian senior populations. We can reduce the number of New Yorkers who will need services in the future by forging alliances within city government to educate younger residents on preparing for their mature years. Finally, the government should use tax credits and matching funds to make it easier for low-income adults to save for retirement.
Yes, all of these proposals will cost some money; however, we can all agree that the mature residents of New York City have paid their dues and have earned the right to get a little attention from those of us in government. It is time for all of us to be as creative as possible in meeting the needs of our burgeoning senior population. We should do this out of respect and gratitude to those who came before and who put in their time to build and nurture this great city. And of course—since we are all tomorrow’s seniors—our hard work today will benefit each and every one of us tomorrow.
Marty Markowitz (D) is the Brooklyn borough president.
