It is my great pleasure to provide you the first edition of Senior Connection. This newsletter will keep you informed of important state policies, available local community resources, and other issues that affect our senior residents.
As your state representative, I remain committed to ensuring our seniors know their rights and have access to needed services. I have found that many of our seniors are very independent but need some in-home services such as minor home repairs, financial planning, home health care services, transportation, recreation, and socialization to help maintain their independence. In our district, we continue to connect individuals and their families with such services and supports.
Please join us in the upcoming months when I will host Senior Law Day and the 31st Assembly District Symposium on Aging in Place. These events bring all senior services together to one location and allow residents to access the information they need for themselves or a loved one. As always feel free to call or stop by my district office if I can be of assistance.
My warmest wishes,
Assemblywoman Michele Titus
Assemblywoman Michele Titus
718-327-1845
NYC Citizen Service Center
311
NYS Senior Citizen Hotline
800-342-9871
EPIC Hotline
800-332-3741
Social Security Administration
800-772-1213
Medicaid
800-541-2831
Medicare
800-772-1213
Ocean Bay CDC
718-945-8640
South Ozone Park CDC
718-738-9200
JCCRP
(Jewish Community Council of the
Rockaway Peninsula)
718-327-7755
Margaret Community Corp.
718-471-3724
WRAP Program
(Weatherization Referral and Packaging)
718-337-2454
Health Stat
(NYC Insurance Access Program)
888-692-6116
HEAP
(Home Energy Assistance Program)
800-342-3009
City Meals-on-Wheels
212-687-1234
Consumer Fraud
212-416-8000
NYC Human Resources Administration
877-472-8411
Legal Aid Society
718-286-2450
NYS Veteran’s Affairs
888-838-7697
Attain Lab (Advanced Technology Training and Information Network)
718-725-3385
Elderly Crime Victims Resource Center
311
Wakefield Senior Center
718-641-0454
Jamaica Service for Older Adults
718-657-6500
JSPOA Rockaway Blvd. Center
718-657-6468
Victims of Elder Abuse
800-621-HOPE
United Hindu Cultural Council Senior Center
718-323-8900
Robert Couche Senior Citizen Center
718-978-8352
JASA- Rockaway Park Senior Center
718-471-3200
JASA-Brookdale Village Senior Center
718-945-0400
Delivering improved transportation was the promise Assemblywoman Michele Titus kept for her seniors in the district. Too often seniors remain at home. Now residents can make a telephone call and receive door to door transportation free of charge throughout the Peninsula. This spring, Ocean Bay Community Development Corp. unveiled the new senior van that was funded by Assemblywoman Titus. The van is available to seniors 60 years and older and is handicapped accessible. The positive community feedback lets us know that we are responding to the needs of our residents.
Every summer, Assemblywoman Titus travels the district hosting coffee hours at our local senior centers and senior clubs. Assemblywoman Titus utilizes such visits to listen to her constituents, address concerns, and discuss senior resources in the community. “Our seniors have worked all their lives and have stood in the front line in protecting and nurturing our community. That is why my office is your link to all services, resources and organizations to alleviate the unnecessary stress that can occur,” stated Titus.
For making this year’s Senior Coffee Hour a success we want to thank:
Ocean Bay CDC
St. Gertrude’s 60 Plus Club
Ocean Village Seniors
Beach 41st Senior Club
Carlton Manor TA
United Hindu Cultural Council Senior Center
Robert Couche Senior Citizen Center
Brooks Seniors
Hammels TA
Rockaway/Peninsula Civic Association
Redfern TA
Macedonia Resident Council
Stay Warm with HEAP
During the cold winter months, it’s critical that every home has heat. Severe winter weather and a poor economy pose serious risks to working families struggling to make ends meet and the elderly on fixed incomes. To help those vulnerable households meet their home-heating needs this winter, I strongly encourage eligible residents to sign up for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). Families should not have to choose between paying for necessary medicines, putting food on the table or heating their homes.
Once again I am happy to announce that every Wednesday, beginning December 16, 2009; you can stop by my office to speak to a HEAP Representative. The HEAP official will offer consultation in filling out the applications and answering all the questions that you might have about the programs and benefits that HEAP offers.
Eliminate the Worry of Long-Term Care
The New York State Partnership for Long-Term Care brings private insurance providers and
Medicaid together to assist individuals in preparing for needing a nursing home or other
long-term health care. If seniors’ income qualifies them while on Medicaid and the duration
of the care exceeds their private insurance coverage, their assets will be protected and they
will be able to maintain their financial independence. More information can be found at
www.ins.state.ny.us or by calling 800-342-3736.
Have Trusted Family or Friends Make Decisions on Your
Medical Treatment
The New York Health Care Proxy allows you to select a trusted adult family member or friend
to make medical decisions in the event that you are unable to do so, including whether or not
to provide life-sustaining treatment. By selecting a Health Care Agent, you determine how much
authority they have over your medical decisions. Information about living wills and health care proxy
forms are available by calling my office.
Get the Info You Need When Seriously ILL
When you or a family member are diagnosed with a serious illness, learn your health care rights
and how to make sure your insurance coverage is adequate by calling the New York State Insurance
Department at 866-694-6743 or logging on to www.insurancehelpny.com.
At the Beginning June 1, 2009 the federal law changed to require most U.S. citizens to present a valid passport or other approved document to enter the United States at all land and sea border crossings between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
If you are planning to travel to any of these destinations by land or sea, an enhanced driver license (EDL) or enhanced non-driver photo ID card (ENDID) will be an acceptable form of identification to enter the U.S. The fee for the enhanced card is $30.00.
You can obtain the new license at any New York State Department of Motor Vehicles office (DMV). You must apply in person. You can wait to get an EDL or ENDID when your current License or ID expires, or you may apply for an EDL as part of an early renewal that extends the expiration date of your current license.
Another option for land and sea border travel is the U.S. passport card. The wallet size passport card is convenient and less expensive than the passport book, and cost $45.00 for the first time adult applicant. A new U.S. passport can cost more than $100.00. It is important to note that a U.S. passport card, EDL or ENDID will not take the place of a passport book for international travel by air.
Reports have shown that many individuals aged 50 to 64 are more likely than any other group to be uninsured. This group tends to be uninsured because they are not yet eligible to receive Medicaid and are at a higher risk for employment layoffs. This card will assist those individuals as well as those individuals of any age that are disabled.