QUESTION
What is NYC Aging doing to address service providers' difficulties with city agencies when seeking repairs, renovations, or acquiring new equipment for their facilities?
0:42:09
·
3 min
The Department for the Aging acknowledges issues in coordinating with city agencies and outlines efforts to improve processes, particularly with NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA).
- The Department is aware of program challenges through direct work with providers.
- A strong partnership with NYCHA is established, including bi-weekly meetings to prioritize issues.
- NYCHA is responsible for infrastructure, while the Department handles internal repairs.
- Efforts are being made to bring kitchens up to code, supporting the preference for on-site meal preparation over commercial catering.
- The Department follows through on the status of complaints issued to NYCHA to track progress.
Crystal Hudson
0:42:09
Service providers have reported to the council that they face significant difficulties navigating multiple city agencies when seeking repairs, renovations, or acquiring new equipment for their facilities.
0:42:21
This is especially true of providers housed within nitrile of these.
0:42:24
And this goes back to one of the stories that I shared during my opening remarks.
0:42:31
Is NYC Aging aware of these difficulties?
0:42:33
And if so, what efforts are NYC Aging engaged in to streamline these processes?
Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez
0:42:39
This has been a recurring issue for us, long standing, way before me, way before anybody in this room, but I can tell you what progress we've made to date.
0:42:49
Where, 1st of all, AYCA edging is always aware of the program challenges because we have program offices that work directly with the program.
0:42:58
With the providers.
0:43:00
That to be said, that doesn't mean that solutions and resolutions are as quickly as we would all want them to be.
0:43:06
What we have done, particularly because a third of our older adult clubs are in nitrile facilities, and most of these issues come up around a night shift.
0:43:16
We've established a very strong working relationship with night shift.
0:43:19
We meet every 2 weeks.
0:43:22
To discuss some of these issues and start queuing them up and putting them in priority order.
0:43:27
Some of the issues as as one of the examples you've mentioned when flushing It was a long standing structural issue.
0:43:36
And to all of our surprise, we don't know how it stopped.
0:43:39
But it stopped leaking.
0:43:42
But nevertheless, we have this long standing issue, and we have an arrangement with Nitro right now.
0:43:49
It, which is that they take care of infrastructure.
0:43:53
And as I say everything inside the wall or above the ceiling, and we take care of everything inside.
0:43:59
So we do the minor repairs.
0:44:02
We were working collaboratively and very diligently to work with NIGHCHA FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EVERYONE ELSE TO GET OUR KITCHENS UP TO CODE.
0:44:14
THAT'S A MUCH LONGER process than any of us would ever imagine, but it is.
0:44:22
But we're working very, very hard to get those kitchens up to code.
0:44:26
Why is that important to us?
0:44:28
As you mentioned, I believe in one of your cases, we are we prefer our programs to provide food to cook food, not to use commercial caters because you have less of control over the quality and the sanitary conditions of those caters.
0:44:44
Which is why we with your support last year, the year before, about 18 months ago, we developed 5 commissary kitchens as a model.
0:44:54
To have those programs provide meals and services for other older adult clubs so that we would be less dependent on commercial cadence.
0:45:05
So that's a long winded answer to say that we have a long standing and now very, very intensive relationship and partnership with Maisha to look at these issues.
0:45:18
And For those of you who know Nisha, you you have a complaint, you issue a ticket.
0:45:23
Now we really follow through on this status of that ticket.
0:45:27
And where the progress is.
Crystal Hudson
0:45:31
Thank you.
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What is the status of appointments for the commission for LGBTQIA+ older adults, and how are vacancies in the Department for the Aging's advisory council affecting this process?
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Are city agencies working with NYCHA to promptly address building violations and streamline programs?
