TESTIMONY
Sofiya Pidzyraylo on Funding and Service Needs for Older Adults in NYC
2:52:09
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139 sec
Sofiya Pidzyraylo discusses the essential funding and service needs for older adults in New York City, advocating for substantial support.
- Sofiya Pidzyraylo, as director at Village View NORC University Settlement, calls for increased funding for older adults' programming and services due to a rapidly growing older adult population.
- She stresses the importance of adapting older adult centers to offer online, hybrid, and in-person services, and suggests redefining success metrics for these centers.
- Pidzyraylo urges an increase in the reimbursement rate for home-delivered meals and the reversal of home-delivered meals restrictions on MLTC clients.
- She highlights the necessity of accessible and affordable Internet for low-income older adults and enhanced nursing services at older adult centers.
- Advocates for a cost of living adjustment for human service workers and the creation of a prevailing wage schedule for these workers.
Sofiya Pidzyraylo
2:52:09
Chair Hudson, thank you for the opportunity to testify.
2:52:13
My name is Sophie Fitzgerald.
2:52:14
I'm the director at Village Villanorka University Settlement.
2:52:18
Every year university settlement partners with 40,000 new workers in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn through programming for all ages.
2:52:26
Overall, we call for more funding for older adults.
2:52:30
New York City agents budget is the smallest even while the older adults is growing rapidly.
2:52:36
We need to invest further in older adults programming and services.
2:52:40
As we know, COVID has changed many of our expectations and preferences.
2:52:45
Our older adult center and programs have needed to continue online or hybrid offerings in addition to in person services.
2:52:53
We may need different metrics to assess the success of older adult centers.
2:52:58
For home delivered meals, the reimbursement rate for home based meals, needs to be increased to at least $15 31 per meal in the FY 25 budget.
2:53:09
This would better reflect the average true cost of providing services, including the impact of inflation.
2:53:16
Additionally, we urge New York City Aging to reverse the home delivered meals restriction on MLTC clients.
2:53:23
Not everyone on Medicaid has a home health aid and those who want a home health aid face difficulty applying for help and retaining aids.
2:53:31
We need to make sure there are enough hours available to meet the need.
2:53:36
For those participants with home health scared they reported hours reduced this year.
2:53:40
Additionally, our older adults need free affordable access to the Internet.
2:53:44
Almost all of our low income older adults depend on the ACP program, which is ending in April 2024.
2:53:52
The loss of free Internet means they will no longer be able to connect with friends, family, and support online.
2:53:58
We would also like to see older adult centers offer the same nursing services as the services provided at Norx.
2:54:05
Finally, we need to support the staff working with older adults.
2:54:09
We must include a multiyear cost of living adjustment or COVID for human service workers with 5% and FY 2053% for the following fiscal years.
2:54:21
Pass and fully fund legislation to create a prevailing wage schedule for human service workers.
2:54:27
Thank you for your time.