Overview of NYSOFA’s work to serve older New Yorkers who are LGBTQ – Plattsburgh Press Republican
ALBANY — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated each year in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan.
The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.
The last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as “Gay Pride Day,” but the actual day was flexible.
The “day” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events in major cities across the nation.
Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants worldwide.
In addition, memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.
The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
SERVE LGBTQ SENIORS
New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) is committed to fostering the inclusion of LGBTQ older adults in person-centered programs and services that promote health and wellness.
As a part of these efforts, NYSOFA is developing a strategic work plan that seeks to enhance the ability of New York State to serve LGBTQ older adults. This plan was drafted in coordination with the Association on Aging in NYS, AARP, and SAGE (Advocacy and Services for LGBT Elders).
The plan’s end goal is to bring together stakeholders to enhance the cultural competency of the network so that LGBTQ older adults are best served.
NYSOFA’s strategic plan includes:
a) establishing a NYSOFA standing committee on LGBTQ Aging to identify challenges and barriers to service access and ways to mitigate them,
b) share best practices and develop expert recommendations to improve the quality of life of the 50+ LGBTQ older adults,
c) work to increase the involvement of racially diverse LGBTQ people representing stakeholder groups on the advisory councils and long-term care councils that local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are required to organize,
d) recommend requiring inclusion into NYSOFA’s four-year plan and AAA local planning efforts being undertaken to assist LGBTQ older adults, and doing quarterly stakeholder meetings to identify issues and best practices, and;
e) conduct regular assessments of needs of older LGBTQ adults that can be accomplished through surveys, focus groups, and collected as part of the mandatory community assessments which are required for the development of local four-year plans.
NYSOFA had already incorporated into its Comprehensive Assessment for Aging Network Community (COMPASS) questions to identify those needs. This assessment tool is NYSOFA’s primary screening instrument.
Answers to questions assist in developing client-centered planning to provide any one of the seven supportive services, including case management, home health aides, adult day care services, and home-delivered meals.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS
The new LGBTQ senior affordable housing development in Bay Shore is an important project and turning point for Long Island LGBTQ older adults.
This project, which the LGBTQ Network is leading, consists of 66 affordable apartments located within a walkable distance – one block – from Bay Shore’s Main Street retail shops, restaurants, and medical services. The property will feature Long Island’s first dedicated LGBT Senior Center, an 8,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility that will provide a full range of support, advocacy, and case management services and programs.
“The new LGBT senior affordable housing development is a very important project and a turning point for our region’s LGBT seniors,” LGBT Network President/CEO David Kilmnick said.
“We often hear that our elders are left out, discriminated against, and their relationships and lives go unrecognized and are discounted. This is all about our LGBT elders being able to age gracefully without fear of discrimination and show how their lives are valued and celebrated. I look forward to working together with the LGBTQ advisory council members as we need to take care of our elder generation who fought so hard for the rights we all have today.”
Work is also underway by SAGE to complete the Crotona Senior Residences, which will be a brand-new, LGBTQ-welcoming, affordable senior housing development in the Bronx. The building will have an on-site SAGE Center to provide health and cultural programs, meal service, and a computer lab.
This project will join the Stonewall House, which is just opening its doors in addressing the housing needs of LGBTQ older adults. The Stonewall House is the first affordable, LGBTQ-friendly senior Housing Development in the nation. It is located in the Fort Green, Brooklyn neighborhood.
It will be one of the most significant developments of its kind in the country. Plus, there will also be a 6,800 square foot community center offering programs and services for LGBTQ older adults and their allies.