We could not have asked for a better day to have an outdoor press conference than Thursday, April 10th. The weather was warm and sunny as 300 seniors gathered on the steps of City Hall to tell their elected officials to slow down the “modernization” of senior services. We were joined by Comptroller Bill Thompson, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, Assemblymember Jeff Dinowitz and many other city and state elected officials who were there to drive home the point that it is more important to get it right, not fast. Our pictures will be posted very soon on our website http://www.cscs-ny.org/. Check it out and while you’re there, click on "Assembly Bill for Impact Statement on Aging Services” under CSCS News for information on legislation and April 18th state hearing.
While Speaker Quinn and Deputy Mayor Gibbs have announced a three-month delay in the release of the RFP on senior center modernization, the meals-on-wheels RFP is still due out on May 1st. Here’s why CSCS has serious concerns. As of this writing, the Department for the Aging (DFTA) has lost track of almost 3000 homebound elderly currently receiving case management services. Frail, elderly clients are at serious risk of falling through the cracks for case management services. Agencies that have signed contracts on the basis of the DFTA’s numbers can find themselves with soaring caseloads or waiting lists as the clients are recovered. The meals-on-wheels RFP needs to be delayed until all seniors are accounted for.
Every city council district is impacted. Stay tuned for more information as this situation continues to unfold.
I would love to hear your opinion on how you think the city is doing, ala Mayor Koch’s famous question, “How am I doing?” Post a comment.
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