Committee on Aging meeting
April 10, 2026, 10:00 AM
The Committee on Aging held an oversight hearing on social isolation among older New Yorkers and heard two related bills: Int 0812, requiring wellness checks on older adults during extreme weather events, and Int 0821, requiring the Department for the Aging to maintain non-digital access to its forms and services. The committee also heard Res 0421, calling on the State Legislature to authorize the state Office for the Aging to operate and maintain new programs. No votes were taken.
What was discussed
- Chair opens oversight of social isolation among older New Yorkers Chairperson Susan Zhuang opened the hearing, citing that about 22% of older adults are not socializing as much as they would like and 17% report high loneliness, and previewed three measures: a non-digital access bill (Int 0821), an extreme-weather wellness-check bill (Int 0812), and a resolution
- NYC Aging testifies on its programs to combat social isolation Commissioner Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie described the agency's 300+ older adult centers, NORCs, case management, Friendly Visiting, home-delivered meals (a record 10 million meals served), geriatric mental health placement in centers, and a NYSOFA animatronic-pet partnership, and said NYC Aging aligns
- How is NYC Aging reaching LGBTQ+ and culturally diverse older adults? Commissioner Scott-McKenzie told Council Member Crystal Hudson and Chairperson Zhuang that NYC Aging has stood up an LGBTQIA+ Commission on Older Adults (mandated by Local Law 173), embeds inclusive programming across all centers, and will use an upcoming RFP to add centers where specific
- How does NYC Aging address mobility barriers that keep seniors from centers? Associate Commissioner Eileen Mullarkey and Commissioner Scott-McKenzie told Council Member Shirley Aldebol that case management assesses needs and devices, that DOT walkability tours and site environmental checklists address fall risk, and that the agency is open to mobile centers; the commissioner
- How does NYC Aging find homebound seniors not already connected to services, and in what languages? Associate Commissioner Mullarkey told Chairperson Zhuang that case management agencies conduct community outreach and rely on healthcare, social service, and faith-based referrals but do not track how many clients come through outreach or their language breakdown; Commissioner Scott-McKenzie said
- Is the interagency Cabinet for Older New Yorkers meeting often enough? Commissioner Scott-McKenzie told Chairperson Zhuang that the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers meets quarterly while agencies work continuously between meetings; Zhuang argued the lack of communication is why a wellness-check bill is needed and urged monthly meetings and a liaison contact list for
- What is NYC Aging doing on transportation and keeping centers open later? Commissioner Scott-McKenzie told Council Member Darlene Mealy that an RFP later in the year will address both center access and transportation, that the agency is exploring keeping some centers open later in summer alongside cooling centers, and that it has written three letters to the MTA
- Council Member Encarnación introduces the extreme-weather wellness-check bill Council Member Elsie Encarnación described her bill (Int 0812) as a proactive approach to protect seniors during life-threatening extreme weather by establishing regular wellness checks for older adults living alone or only with other seniors, helping NYC Aging identify and monitor those at risk of
- How does NYC Aging coordinate wellness checks and food access during extreme weather? Commissioner Scott-McKenzie and Associate Commissioner Mullarkey told Chairperson Zhuang that providers made about 16,400 wellness calls during the January–February cold snap, that the agency partners closely with NYC Emergency Management, and—pressed on long food-pantry lines—the commissioner, a
- How is mental health care and isolation screening embedded in senior services? Associate Commissioner Mullarkey told Chairperson Zhuang that the Geriatric Mental Health program served 6,594 older adults in FY25 (1,419 receiving clinical services) and that case management and Friendly Visiting both screen for loneliness and reassess after six months; Commissioner Scott-McKenzie
- Does NYC Aging support the non-digital access bill, and is anything online-only? Commissioner Scott-McKenzie told Chairperson Zhuang that NYC Aging supports the intent of Council Member Lee's bill (Int 0821), that to her knowledge no forms are online-only, and that the agency's navigators help older adults complete paper forms; she also reported Aging Connect handles about 800
- JASA: fund outreach as essential infrastructure Gayle Horowitz, CEO of JASA, testified that older adult centers, NORCs, and affordable senior housing are the city's most effective anti-isolation tools and described JASA programs like JASAChat (98% reported improved well-being) and JASACakes, urging that outreach be funded as infrastructure rather
- DOROT: build meaningful connection into every program Mark Meridy, Executive Director of DOROT, testified that social connection is an underappreciated factor in health and urged the city to create an effective strategy and dedicated resources to build a stronger social infrastructure across in-person, virtual, and telephone programming.
- VNS Health: trusted community care helps seniors age in place Teresa Lin, VP at VNS Health, described serving over 117,000 New Yorkers annually through personal care, NORC nursing, community centers, and a homebound older-adult mental health initiative, illustrating with a Chinese immigrant home health aide helped to apply for SNAP in her language.
- The Sharing Network: phone-based podcasts reach shut-in seniors Fritz Valme of The Sharing Network testified that the organization reaches non-ambulatory, isolated seniors through hour-long telephone-accessible audio programs—church services, Bible study, and discussions of African American history and politics—needing only a phone, and hopes to expand across
- What are the barriers to building more senior housing? Asked by Chairperson Zhuang, Gayle Horowitz of JASA said funding streams for senior housing are as challenging as for general housing, that the SARA program has helped place formerly homeless seniors but carries waiting lists of up to 25,000, and that drying-up Section 8 funding threatens future
- EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care: weather resilience and trusted social spaces Erin Reddan of EmblemHealth testified that its 15 Neighborhood Care sites serve all community members regardless of insurance, that over 23% of those served are older adults, and described a weather-resilience program using the city's heat vulnerability index plus lunch socials and classes that pull
- SPOP: pair aging services with mental health care Geordana Weber, Chief Program Officer at the Service Program for Older People, said SPOP is the only city agency exclusively dedicated to community-based mental health care for older adults and urged a strong NYC Aging–DOHMH partnership and joint Council hearings to fund geriatric mental health
- SAGE: LGBTQ+ elders face acute isolation Bill Gross, Chief Services Officer at SAGE, testified that LGBTQ+ elders and older adults living with HIV are often severely isolated—roughly 60% report a lack of companionship and nearly a quarter have no one to call in an emergency—and credited Council support for SAGE's welcoming centers.
- Citymeals on Wheels: fund meals, NORCs, and non-digital access Emma Lentz-Bessire of Citymeals on Wheels urged fully funding the Older Adults Mental Health Initiative at $3.45 million and investing $10 million in NORCs, and backed Int 0821 to keep service information available by phone and paper, noting a quarter of older adults surveyed lack internet.
Agenda
4 items
- T2026-1583 Oversight - Addressing Social Isolation Among Older New Yorkers. Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0812-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to wellness checks on older adults during certain weather events, and to repeal repetitions of the definition of “older adult” in subdivision a of section 21-205.1, subdivision a of section 21-210, subdivision a of Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0821-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department for the aging to maintain non-digital access to forms and services, and to repeal certain repetitions of the definition of “older adult center” in title 21 of such code Hearing Held by Committee
- Res 0421-2026 Resolution calling on the New York State Governor to sign S.8689/A.10055, authorizing the New York State Office for the Aging to establish, operate, and maintain programs for transportation services Hearing Held by Committee