Page images
PDF
EPUB

female and 90 percent were older adults. Ten percent of these people were referred appropriately for glaucoma, 15 percent have above acceptable cholesterol levels and were referred to their physicians for further testing. All clients were followed up, and as a result of these findings, a special workshop for weight loss and cholesterol reduction was instituted. 20 percent of those tested had elevated glucose levels and were referred to our special diabetes education.

Also, the Guttman Institute spent a day at the Y testing 50 women. Six were called back for repeated mammographies; one had to have a radical mastectomy. She was aged 75. Two had lumpectomies; one was 66 and the other was 68. The other three had to go back in six months. Referrals were given for Pap smears and mammography to women who had never had either one of these tests. People who had no family physicians were offered a list from which they might choose one.

Prevention education and early detection should be the cornerstone of modern medicine. Early detection and prevention are cost effective. It's amazing to me that in the fiscal year's budget that I've seen in the Older Americans Act there is no money for health education and promotion. It seems to me something should be done to remedy this situation.

I appreciate the value of the Older Americans Act and hope that its original purposes and ideals will be preserved. I highly oppose any new provision for disclosure of income or any semblance of a means test. I feel any of these suggestions would be an invasion of privacy and inflict unnecessary indignities on older adults. I think voluntary contributions have proven satisfactory and in the long run will spare all of us unneeded bureaucratic complications.

I would like to tell you about another program that is not in my testimony, but we are in jeopardy of losing our adult day care program. This program is for a special group of people who are transported to our site each day. They are given all kinds of recreation, all kinds of fun, and information. It's a very important program and it bridges the gap from the well elderly to those people who may have to stay in their homes. These people come with wheelchairs, with walkers, with canes. They get a hot nutrition meal, they are not living alone. They are with people and they are socially stimulated and it's really very sad to think that this program will not be able to be continued.

I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity of expressing my views. I hope they will be of help to you in your deliberations. I'm sure you will give them your sincerest consideration. Thank

you.

[The prepared statement of Marilyn Perlman follows:]

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

TESTIMONY FOR SUBCOMMITTEE FOR OLDER AMERICANS ACT

Monday, April 29, 1991 - City Hall, New Rochelle, NY

MARILYN PERLMAN, Site Manager, Nutrition Program
YM-YWHA of Southern Westchester, Mount Vernon, NY

This is a proud moment for me. I appear before this Committee eager to add my support to the battle to which I have already devoted seventeen years of front line service. This is a continuing struggle to achieve and maintain the high quality of life for our deserving older Americans.

Now, in an era of shrinking budgets and reduced funding, merely maintaining the status quo will require renewed efforts. From my personal experience I know how necessary our services are, and what a calamity it would be to fail those who turn to us for help. For example, I supervise a program that provides a hot nutritious kosher meal for 150 people who otherwise would suffer dietary deficiencies. Moreover, I have seen up close the hopelessness of the lonely, the sick and the deprived. What price tag can we put on a few hours of sociability enjoyed by the frail elderly and the visually impaired transported to our facility, and thus spared endless days at home alone? I, personally, have taken heart at the change of mood and brighten spirits brought about by an afternoon of clatter and chatter and just plain human contact.

We need more; we most certainly should not lose what we have! We provide vital services and we refer our clients to sources of information. We educate our clients as to their entitlements, food stamps, HEAP, EPIC, Medicare and Medicaid, etc. We are also complying with the Federal requirements (01der Americans Act) and offer Nutrition education each month. We provide psychological counseling, and perhaps most important just the simple comfort of a one-on-one relationship like that which I offer to Mr. J. Every morning the ritual is the same; the same anxiety-filled questions are repeated. The same assurances are given, that he will not lose his Section 8 apartment and his Social Security will not be reduced. This lost soul's cry for help has been heard and he is revived to survive another day.

We have lost funding for our exercise program, a vital factor in the health maintenance for arthritic older adults. We have lost our arts and crafts teacher so necessary for the preservation of manual dexterity and the stimulation of a sense of creativity.

We, the YM-YWHA of Southern Westchester, have been offering a unique health screening program, in a non-threatening atmosphere. Now, this year (1991-92), funding for this excellent service has been discontinued and it will be sorely missed by the older adults. The benefits of this program include

Celebrating Over 80 Years of Service

A member of Associated YM-YWHA's of Greater New York; an agency of UJA-Federation,
a beneficiary of the United Way of Westchester; an affiliate of the JCC Association

forty-five minutes of personalized attention, and an evaluation by a nurse using a lifestyle questionnaire. The nurse performs tests which include blood pressure, diabetes (finger stick), an oral examination, hearing test, lung function, weight, urine, stool (accult blood), skin survey and foot examination. The nurse is soliciting health information and also compiling a psycho-social profile.

We are able to identify and refer clients at an earlier stage of illness, thereby reducing health care costs as well as reducing pain and suffering. Clients are followed up to insure compliance.

The older adults in the Nutrition site have found this service to be invaluable. They have been able to see the nurse for blood pressure monitoring, as well as checking their glucose levels at least once a week.

The Health Promotion/Early Detection program sponsored two Health Fairs per year open to all in the community. This was done in cooperation with the Mount Vernon Hospital and outside agencies such as The American Cancer Society, The American Health Foundation, etc. Over 300 people attended, 60% were female and 90% were older adults. Ten percent of these people were referred appropriately for glaucoma. Fifteen percent had above acceptable cholesterol levels and were referred to their physicians for further testing. All clients were followed up and as a result of these findings, a special workshop for weight loss and cholesterol reduction was instituted. Twenty percent of those tested had elevated glucose levels and were referred to our diabetes education unit.

The Guttman Institute spent a day at the V testing 50 women. Six were called back for repeat mammographies; one had to have a radical mastectomy (age 75), two had lumpectomies (ages 66 & 68); the other three were told to re-check in six months.

Referrals were given for Pap smears and mammography to women who had never had either test. People who had no family physician were offered a list from which they might choose.

Prevention education and early detection should be the corner stone of modern medicine. Early detection and prevention are cost effective. It's amazing that in the fiscal year's budget in the Older Americans Act, there is no money for Health Education and Promotion. It seems to me that something should be done to remedy this situation.

I appreciate the value of the Older Americans Act and hope that its original purposes and ideals will be preserved. I heartily oppose any new provision for disclosure of income or any semblance of a means test. I feel that any of these suggestions would be an invasion of privacy and inflict unnecessary indignities on older adults. I think voluntary contributions have been proven satisfactory, and in the long run would spare all of us unneeded bureaucratic complications.

I am grateful for having been given this opportunity to express my views. I hope they will be of help to you in your deliberations. I am sure you will give them your sincerest consideration.

4/25/91

Chairman MARTINEZ. Thank you, Ms. Perlman.

Sister Miriam?

STATEMENT OF SISTER MIRIAM THERESE PEPPIN, DOYLE SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK

Sr. PEPPIN. Thank you Chairman Martinez and Congresswoman Lowey for inviting me to speak out in support of the Older Americans Health Promotion and Prevention of Disease Act for 1991. I presently am in my 20th year at working at aging programs in the community, 14 of which has been with the office of aging in the City of New Rochelle.

New Rochelle was one of the first cities in the county to have such an office which receives funding from various grants from the Older Americans Act. It is my opinion that the passage of the Older Americans Act by Congress in 1965 is one of the programs that has had the greatest impact on the quality of life for senior citizens. Many of the objectives of the Older Americans Act have or will be discussed by those who testify today.

I, for one, know firsthand what many of these services mean to those older people with the greatest social and economic needs. Through many of these access programs, older people have been able to stay in their familiar surroundings reducing the need for costly and premature institutionalization.

For many of these services, senior centers have become the focal point for a wide variety of social, recreational, educational and advocacy needs. The Older Americans Act under Title V had been instrumental in providing funds for acquisition and renovation of senior centers, and in 1973 amendments, a new name, Multipurpose Centers, came into fruition.

Programming in senior centers depends on staff and available resources. Under Title III of the Older Americans Act, a wide spectrum of essential services has been made possible, that is, information and referral, nutrition, protective services, entitlement counselling and transportation programs.

Today, I speak of the tremendous value of coordinating all of these services in one location. For the past ten years, the Office for the Aging has been located in the large senior center. Over 3000 seniors utilize one or other services annually. The seniors themselves testified that the center is a home away from home. New Rochelle has been on the vanguard in promoting a whole and comprehensive array of advocacy and support services as well as innovative recreational and educational opportunities for the older adults. New Rochelle boasts of two other senior centers. More funds are desperately needed under the Older Americans Act to maintain and promote creative programs to meet the needs of a population that is rapidly increasing in numbers and in age. Older people are one of the greatest resources in our society. The wisdom of the old coupled with the enthusiasm of the young can work together to make the American dream a reality for all.

I commend the leadership of our members of Congress in introducing the Older Americans Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Act of 1991. One of the goals of the Older Americans Act of 1965 was to provide older people with the best possible physical

and mental health programs. Until recently, most of the money spent has been on treatment with minimal emphasis on prevention and wellness. Most older people have one or more chronic conditions and some of which are untreated until there becomes an acute condition. The reason may vary from attitudes of the elderly to lack of finances to meet the escalating costs of health care.

Older people consume the largest part of our health care budget and yet they receive less medical attention than their younger counterparts.

Preventive health services, such as health assessments, routine health screening, nutritional and drug counselling, exercise programs and education for the at-risk population should be provided in existing senior centers and complexes. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

It is my opinion that the Older Americans Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Act will insure quality health and cost effectiveness for today's elderly with the expectation of providing the same benefits for the increasing number of senior citizens in the 21st century.

One of our former presidents, John F. Kennedy, stated, "It is not enough to add years to our life. We must add quality to our years," and I am very pleased today to have this opportunity to speak of the importance of the Older Americans Act and what it means to a large constituent of Ms. Lowey's domain.

[The prepared statement of Sister Miriam Therese Peppin follows:]

« PreviousContinue »