TESTIMONY
Dr. Cynthia Maurer on Enhancing Senior Independence and Health with Visiting Neighbors
2:47:15
·
4 min
Dr. Cynthia Maurer discusses the role of Visiting Neighbors in supporting seniors to stay independent and healthy in their own homes.
- Visiting Neighbors targets individuals over 60, with a focus on those over 85, including centenarians, promoting aging with resilience.
- The organization offers a range of services such as health management, advocacy, wellness info, student-led health checks, and friendly visiting to keep seniors engaged and monitored.
- A shop and escort program assists seniors in managing errands and appointments, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining an active lifestyle.
- Maurer highlights the vital role of community and familial-like support provided by Visiting Neighbors and other similar nonprofits in the absence of traditional family support.
- She shares heartfelt feedback from seniors on receiving Valentine's cards from local school children, illustrating the emotional impact of such gestures.
Cynthia Maurer
2:47:15
My name is Doctor Cynthia Mauer, and I'm representing visiting neighbors We're an organization that has been determined to keep people independent, active, as safe, and healthy as possible, and in their own homes.
2:47:28
We work with the seniors who are sixteen over, but majority of our people are over the age of eighty 5.
2:47:35
We really do work with the oldest old.
2:47:37
We have, right now, 25 seniors who turned a 100, and they're going strong.
2:47:44
We're seeing a trend not only in aging, but in resiliency.
2:47:48
Even 5 years ago, when seniors would go into a hospital, there was a 5050 chance of them not ever coming home.
2:47:56
Now, or even just last week, we had our hundred year olds who fell and injured her arm and our 102 year olds who had some respiratory issues go in the hospital and they're back.
2:48:08
So they're home and they are determined to stay in their home and keep active.
2:48:13
And our volunteers connect them with the community and keep them engaged.
2:48:19
The services we provide are health management, health advocacy, student health, where the students nursing program that we have We have young people who are monitored by their professors who go in and do blood pressure checks.
2:48:33
We're on the front lines.
2:48:34
We're seeing what goes on directly in the home so that there isn't this revolving door every time they go into a hospital and only wind up all alone and then wind up going back back there.
2:48:46
And often for minor incidences.
2:48:50
We provide health and wellness information physical, mental, emotional, and friendly visiting.
2:48:56
It is not just a nicety friendly visiting.
2:48:58
It is volunteers having eyes and ears on our seniors, being able to report back to see how a senior is doing.
2:49:05
We have our shop and escort program where we enable seniors to get to and from all kinds of appointments, all kinds of errands, everything from going to the bank, to go to shop for clothes to get their hair drawn because a hundred year old who has beautiful black black hair may still wanna go, you know, go get their hair done.
2:49:25
We are so grateful to the New York City Council for being our our heroes You gotta continue this this trend of being champions for our older adults because we are living longer.
2:49:37
We are aging.
2:49:39
And if we're lucky, we'll all become one with a support system in place.
2:49:43
And if we don't have family or friends that are able to help us.
2:49:47
We better hope that there's a nonprofit like visiting neighbors or some of these other wonderful programs that are here doing the services in the community and our seniors' majority of them do not get to senior centers.
2:49:59
And when they do, we take them there.
2:50:01
Our programs are here to keep people active mind wise and also spirit and emotionally.
2:50:08
We do everything from serious stuff to getting seniors to and from their important doctor's appointments, including if they have to go to physical therapy or chemo appointments, to the little niceties, and I I'll end on this note.
2:50:24
I know that I've sent the council and some of the members some of the Valentine's cards that our local school children do, something like this, where I don't know if you can see it.
2:50:37
But, basically, in we get back responses like this.
2:50:41
Dear boys and girls, thank you for the beautiful Valentine's card.
2:50:45
It's the only one I got.
2:50:47
This made me smile.
2:50:48
Jenny, 88.
2:50:50
And then, dear students, thank you so much for the beautiful Valentine card.
2:50:55
It's the only card I received, and it makes my day a very happy one.
2:50:59
My love to all of you from this ninety five year old.
2:51:03
Lydia.
2:51:03
The reality is is that we all need some love and compassion.
2:51:08
And programs like Disney, Neighbors, provides a multitude of services.
2:51:12
We become the best friend and the companion and the family to many seniors who don't have the access to that.
2:51:19
And when we're there, we're there to also monitor all of their emotional supports and also make connections to other services like BAW calls and other programs like screen to make sure that they get access to everything they possibly could use.
2:51:35
Thank you for being there for us, and we need you to continue to fight for us.
2:51:40
And we also ask that you remember us with all of the funding because we are as cost effective as you're gonna find.
2:51:48
And, yes, we definitely keep people home and still part of our community.
2:51:53
Thank you.