Q&A
Promotion of universal access to community services
1:32:42
·
6 min
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez explains NYC Aging's approach to promoting universal access to community services for older adults. The department aims to make services available regardless of income, ethnicity, or status.
- Universal access means services are available to all older adults, with few exceptions
- Home-delivered meals have more specific eligibility criteria
- Services such as older adult centers, case management, and most other NYC Aging programs are universally accessible
- The commissioner emphasizes that this broad definition of universal access is a key aspect of their service delivery model
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:32:42
And and to to tell you which and which ones have gone to the 2nd iteration.
1:32:47
Yeah.
1:32:47
Right?
1:32:47
So they started here, and now they're in the second iteration.
Crystal Hudson
1:32:50
Okay.
1:32:50
That would be great.
1:32:52
With regard to promoting universal access to community services, what percentage of older New Yorkers now have greater access to services and programming compared to before the plan's implementation?
1:33:05
Or what what are you sort of aiming for?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:33:07
So universal access is, in our definition, is pretty broad in the sense that regardless of income, older adult services are available to you.
1:33:20
Right?
1:33:22
Regardless of ethnicity and regardless of status.
1:33:27
So all of those services are available to you, with the exception of home delivered meals, that that is a very prescribed program.
1:33:34
Alright.
1:33:35
So when we talk about universal access, all older adults with the exception of home delivered meals have access to all services provided by NYCAG.
Crystal Hudson
1:33:50
How many new service providers have been added to the NYC aging network?
1:33:54
And if you can provide examples, that would be great.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:33:57
I believe we started out with
Crystal Hudson
1:34:00
10 And I started with 10 or you've added 10.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:34:05
You you talk about the age integration programs, the intergenerational programs.
1:34:13
Is that what you're talking about the youth programs?
Crystal Hudson
1:34:16
Have any new to the overall network, the overall NYC aging network service providers.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:34:25
Is this the same 29?
Crystal Hudson
1:34:40
Just in terms of your overall footprint in adding more diverse providers and and, you know, providers meet specific needs.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:34:49
It's the same it's the same 29.
1:34:51
29 added since the plan's inception and the 8 norks.
1:34:55
It's the same number.
Crystal Hudson
1:34:56
Okay.
1:34:57
That addresses those issues.
1:34:59
Okay.
1:34:59
How does utilization rate of NYC Aging's network of service providers today compared to that of before the plan's implementation?
1:35:10
So utilization rate.
1:35:12
So since the plan has been implemented, how has the utilization rate of your service providers?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:35:22
So when we look at utilization, in the OOCs, we've seen that we've served 13,000 more individuals.
1:35:31
Alright?
1:35:32
Yep.
1:35:32
Sorry.
1:35:32
Since the plan's
Crystal Hudson
1:35:34
implementation?
1:35:35
Since the plan's implementation.
1:35:37
Yeah.
1:35:37
At OOCs.
1:35:38
Okay.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:35:38
And then we've also seen approximately 3000 older adults now receive more services in the norks that were added.
1:35:48
These were these were the additive numbers, not not the overall.
1:35:51
For the 29, we saw 13,000 more individuals.
1:35:54
Don't forget these are duplicated numbers.
1:35:57
And then we saw another 3000 additional older adults in the Norths.
1:36:02
Okay.
Crystal Hudson
1:36:11
With regard to expanding and strengthening community care services, how does the current budget for community care services compare to what it was prior to the plan's implementation?
1:36:19
Sorry, a lot of these questions are gonna be repetitive, but different topic areas.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:36:27
You have the modified budget for 24 went from the overall agency budget, went from 375,000,000 to 521000000, alright, during that time.
1:36:53
When we've been implementing the plan to 2024.
Crystal Hudson
1:37:01
Okay.
1:37:01
Thank you.
1:37:02
With regard to enhancing equity and inclusion, what is the demographic breakdown of older adults receiving services And how has it changed since the plan's implementation?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:37:12
Yes.
1:37:12
So I have I have the break the ethnic breakdown for you.
1:37:16
Just let me find it.
1:37:34
Charlie, where is it?
1:37:35
I know we have the presenter Let me just bear with me for a minute.
1:37:45
I'm looking for because I
Crystal Hudson
1:37:46
no problem.
1:37:46
Take your time.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:37:53
Thank you.
1:37:56
And this is all self reported data.
1:38:00
45% are white, who and also includes Latinos who consider themselves white.
1:38:10
19% are Asians.
1:38:12
17% are African American black.
1:38:16
23 Percent Hispanic Latino.
1:38:20
46% of our clients are under the age of seventy 5.53% are over the age of seventy five.
Crystal Hudson
1:38:30
Thank you.
1:38:30
And how many new service providers with diverse backgrounds have been added to the NYC Aging Network?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:38:37
Of the 2913.
1:38:39
Oh, great.
Crystal Hudson
1:38:42
And what specific programs have been That's
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:38:44
not to include all the ones that existed before.
Crystal Hudson
1:38:47
Right?
1:38:47
That that does or doesn't include all the ones that existed before?
1:38:49
That does not include.
1:38:50
Yes.
1:38:50
It's just Of the 29 new ones, 13 of those.
1:38:53
Got it.
1:38:54
What specific programs have been introduced to address the needs of immigrant and older adults of color?
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
1:39:02
I think those 13 programs are a big piece of that.
1:39:06
I mean, I go back to India House.
1:39:10
It's the 1st halal program we had.
1:39:12
It's the first time that halal is now a mandated service, as Kosher always was, as, you know, and as Spanish and Asian, you know, so like we've introduced that.
1:39:25
So I think that that is the kind of movement and trend that we will be seeing more of.
