PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Kevin Kiprovski, Director of Public Policy at LiveOn NY, on Elder Fraud and Related Legislation
2:54:35
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134 sec
Kevin Kiprovski, representing LiveOn NY, testified on the challenges of elder fraud and the need for public guardianship and preventive measures. He emphasized the importance of early interventions and support systems to protect older New Yorkers from scams and financial exploitation.
- Supported Resolution 561 for creating a statewide public guardianship system
- Urged the council to pass Introductions 1101 and 1092 to prevent scams targeting older adults
- Recommended exploring programs to assist New Yorkers in planning for end-of-life issues, including power of attorney arrangements
Kevin Kiprovski
2:54:35
My name is Kevin Kuprowski, and I'm the director of public policy at Livon, New York.
2:54:39
Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today.
2:54:41
Livon, New York's members include more than a 110 community based nonprofits provide core services under the NYC aging portfolio and many other home and community based services in our city.
2:54:51
Aging is a complicated and unique process that we all experience in our own way.
2:54:55
Some of us will experience conditions that leave us unable to handle our affairs and our current system leaves many of us that are in that situation without adequate support.
2:55:03
While there are some public programs available through nonprofits that take on these challenges admirably and with care, many are left with inadequate or questionable care, and some are left without any support despite state law requiring it.
2:55:14
Additionally, in terms of scams, many are designed to target older adults, specifically, and this leads to a higher rate of fraud among older Americans than their younger counterparts.
2:55:23
Additionally, engaging with the police is often necessary to file complaints against the perpetrators for the fraud, and for many that may be difficult for a variety of reasons.
2:55:30
The bills proposed today would provide much needed resources to help prevent these types of scams and assist victims in pursuing justice.
2:55:37
As with many issues facing older New Yorkers, we find that supports that help a person either avoid scams entirely help them adequately prepare for situations that would otherwise require guardianship are highly preferable to dealing with issues after they occur.
2:55:48
We support a wide range of early interventions and light touch supports across all areas of aging, from housing to nutrition to communicate engagement, And we're excited to work with the council to continue exploring these types of investments that would both allow older New Yorkers to contribute and engage in our communities and save our safety nets both money and time to support the folks who truly need it.
2:56:07
First recommendation is to explore programs that would assist New Yorkers in planning for end of life issues so that we can unburden a system that is particularly burdened.
2:56:16
Those are things like, you know, helping people figure out who can be their power of attorney before we get to that situation.
2:56:22
But in terms of RESO 561, we are calling on the governor to create a statewide public guardianship in concert with everyone at this table to address the current inequities and deficits and safeguard vulnerable New Yorkers in need of protective arrangements.
2:56:36
We also are urging the council to pass intros 1101and1092 because they are wonderful ways to prevent people from getting scammed in the first place thus protecting all New Yorkers.
2:56:46
Thank you so much for the time, and thank you so much for the opportunity to testify.
