TOPICS OF THE DAY
Wide array of senior issues discussed at Spa City forum
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Healthcare, housing and even ride-sharing services were among the issues discussed Monday at a forum with local, state and federal officials.
The Senior Advisory Committee created by Mayor Joanne Yepsen hosted the gathering at Empire State College.
“I think it was important to call attention to the fact that there are issues that seniors have and that they are resources for a lot of them that people just really don’t know about and they don’t know how to find out what they need, when they need it,” said committee Chairwoman Barbara Thomas. “We’re trying to provide some of those answers in advance of when they need it.”
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, Adam Kramer (representing state Sen. James Tedisco), Mark Luciano (representing Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner), supervisors Peter Martin and Matt Veitch, Yepsen and Commissioner of Public Safety Chris Mathiesen made up the panel, answering various questions about senior issues.
“We do need coordination between all of those levels of government, and all of them have an impact on the citizen at the local level,” Thomas said. “It was really important, I think, for people to have a chance to meet with their elected officials in a way that is focused on a particular problem.”
The room was filled with senior citizens and senior citizen caretakers. The biggest topics discussed were healthcare, housing and transportation.
The forum not only allowed senior citizens an opportunity to ask various questions about the number of handicapped parking spots located near the farmer’s market, or about ride-sharing services, but the forum provided seniors with plenty of information on the services located in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County.
Seniors were encouraged to volunteer at places like Community Connections at the city’s Senior Center.
“The whole purpose of [Community Connections] is to help people age in place,” Martin said, “and that is really key. What we’ve found through studies, and this
is nation wide, is that people are happier if they can age place. They really do much better. There are times where things get out of hand, and people can no longer age in place, but Community Connections is one of those organizations that is set up so that people can age in place.”
Martin and Veitch explained the number of organizations throughout the county that help with assisted home care.
Yepsen mentioned two proposals that have passed planning boards, but still need federal funding, that provide affordable workforce housing. Some of the units will specifically be for senior citizens.
The old Saratoga Diner on South Broadway plans to provide 110 units and West Avenue south of the train station plans to provide 158 units.
The Senior Advisory Committee plans to continue conversations about issues surrounding seniors in the community.
“We want to work more on the affordable housing and the accessibility and also just on [where seniors can get more] information,” said Thomas. “We had a questionnaire we asked everybody to fill out to just kind of see where people are and what their needs currently are, whether they are living in their own homes, whether they are living some place else.”
The entire forum will be available to view on the city’s website.