From the office of the Manhattan Borough President, this "Help Guide" is filled with useful contact numbers when dialing 311 does not get you where you want.  To download the guide, click "Download File" next to the pdf icon below or simply scroll through the numbers listed in the remainder of this post.

BAiP works hard to serve its mission.  However we recognize that members may need to access other more in-depth services.  The following list is a compilation of local organizations and service providers that might be useful.

General Senior Services

DOROT
171 West 85th Street
Phone: (212) 769-2850
dorotusa.org
Whether you’re looking for friendship, exercise, volunteer opportunities, creative arts, cultural activities, frozen Kosher home delivered meals, escorts to medical appointments, referrals, or even personalized computer lessons, you may take advantage of the many programs and services offered by DOROT.

Goddard Riverside Community Center
593 Columbus Avenue
Phone: (212) 415-5630
goddard.org/grcc/programs/olderadults/
Goddard Riverside provides case management services. Their Senior Center offers social activities, exercise, outings, and nutritious reduced-price meals.  For their home meals program, see "Selfhelp Community Services" below. To learn more, visit the website above.

Jewish Home Lifecare
120 West 106th Street
Phone: (800) 544-0304
Email: [email protected]
jewishhome.org/our-services/homecare/social-adult-day-progam/
JHL offers a Social Day Program for adults living at home. It includes assistance with personal care, breakfast, lunch and snacks, along with a wide range of activities and wellness programs.

LiveOn NY
49 West 45th Street
Phone: (212) 398-6565
Email: [email protected]
liveon-ny.org/mission-history-impact/
LiveOn NY offers eligibility screening and application assistance for benefits and entitlements for New Yorkers over 60.  LiveOn can assist ou with SNAP, NY Rent Freeze, Medicaid, Medicare Savings Program, HEAP and Low Income Subsidy.  LiveOn also participates in New York's Senior Medicare Patrol program to help detect mistakes or potential fraud in Medicare payments.

Met Council
Phone: (212) 453-9500
metcouncil.org
Met Council provides help with emergency financial assistance, food and clothing, as well as eviction prevention, advocacy and other legal issues.  It operates several affordable housing sites for low- and middle-income seniors throughout New York City.  And its Project Metropair makes free home visits to seniors for minor home repairs. Services include installation of grab bars and locks, moving peepholes, and reinforcing window gates. Met Council serves all people in need, regardless of ethnicity or background.

Morningside Village
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (347) 688-6599
lifeforce-in-later-years.org
Morningside Village offers volunteer help to seniors living in the area bordered by West 108th and 118th Streets from Riverside to Morningside Drives.

One Stop at JASA
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1846
New York, NY 10015
Phone: (212) 864-7900
onestopseniorservices.org
One Stop helps seniors live safely and independently in their own homes by providing legal, housing, elder abuse, and general assistance services. One Stop at JASA is a unique walk-in agency where compassionate professionals go the extra mile to help older adults solve their problems--all in one place. Services are free and available in English, Spanish & French/Creole.  One Stop counselors are on-site in our neighborhood on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Franciscan Community Center at 214 W. 97th Street.

NYC Council District 6 Office
Helen Rosenthal, Councilmember
563 Columbus Avenue at W. 87th Street
Phone: (212) 873-0280, Ext. 202
The Councilmember's office is a good resource for information on senior housing and services.

SAGE - Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders
305 Seventh Ave, 15th Floor
sageusa.org
Dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults, SAGE offers a full-time center where you will find a comprehensive array of services, support groups, and programs related to arts and culture, fitness, food and nutrition, health and wellness, and lifelong education for LGBT elders.

Selfhelp Community Services - Meals-on-Wheels & Case Management Program
520 Eighth Avenue, 5th Floor
Phone: (212) 787-8106
Selfhelf Community Services (SCS) case management can assist with referrals and entitlements.  SCS social workers do intake for home-delivered meal services provided through Encore Community Service's and Goddard Riverside's meal program.  These include delivery of hot, frozen or kosher meals.  The first step is to schedule a client assessment.

SPOP - Service Program for Older Adults
302 W. 91st Street
Phone: (212) 787-7120 x514
spop.org/services
SPOP’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of older adults and to foster their independent living through the delivery of comprehensive mental health and supportive services, advocacy and education. It offers counseling in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Creole and Korean. SPOP also provides bereavement support; an adult day center for adults with Alzheimer's, dementia, or memory loss; and a continuing day treatment program for adults with serious or persistent mental illness.

Healthcare Guide for Older New Yorkers
nyc.gov/html/dfta/html/benefits/health.shtml
This annual guide from New York City's Department for the Aging (DFTA) contains lots of useful information on Medicare, Medicaid, Long- Term Care Insurance and other important subjects. The full title is "A Complete Guide to Healthcare Coverage for Older New Yorkers."

Mental Health and Psychology Resources Online
psychcentral.com/resources/
At the above link you will find a range of mental health resources available online. This collection of mental health and psychology resources is the oldest annotated online directory of its kind.

Lifeline - Telephone Discount Program
Lifeline is a government assistance program that offers qualified customers a discount on their monthly telephone bills. To see how it works and who is eligible, click on this link:
www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/lifeline-support-affordable-communications

For older adults certain questions arise more frequently, but all adults should be atuned to making estate plans. It is important to know what legal documents you'll need or what happens after your death. In a May 2018 panel, members of the City Bar Justice Center's Planning Estate Law Project, presented to a standing-room-only crowd for BAiP. We are providing their excellent outline below: "Planning Documents to Have to Age in Place." We suggest you download it and review it carefully. You may also direct friends and family members to this page.

Also, for the 2016 "Legal Services Directory for Older People in New York" published by Gray Panthers, please click here or download a copy below.

Is "stuff" taking over your life?  Is it filling every corner of a friend or family member's space and getting in the way?  Are you wondering if there is something of value in your possessions or how to sell things you no longer need?

Use the downloadable documents below to guide you in your efforts to organize and winnow your paperwork and possessions and to find the best outlets to sell your things.  Learn where to donate or sell furniture, books and clothing.  And find a list of auction houses so that you can appraise and sell things of value.

And when selling your things, keep in mind some advice:

●    Obtain a second opinion for appraisals and auctions.

●    Opinions and appraisals cost money, the amount depends on the type of appraisal requested. If the appraiser is going to be legally obligated by the appraisal, it will be more expensive. Appraisals also differ according to the purpose: insurance, estate, retail, etc. Insurance appraisals will usually give a higher value than retail appraisals.

●    Supply and demand drive value.

●    As a rule, 90% of a collection's value derives from just 20% of the content.

●    It’s possible to send photographs of items you'd like to sell to most auction houses to learn if they are interested in listing them.

●    Expect varying upfront costs and buyers’ premiums for bringing something to auction and selling it thereafter. Find out what these costs are beforehand. All of these costs should be spelled out in the contract that you sign with the auction house.

●    Books are very hard to liquidate.  For a book to be considered old by a dealer, think 400 years or more!  And for other kinds of objects, age does not always spell value.

●    Hallmarks are very important. And so is condition. But beware of refinishing antiques, a process that can negatively affect value.

●    Gold or silver in an object is not always indicated. It may have gold or silver content even if that is not clearly labeled; have an expert examine it.

●    Signatures on artwork such as paintings, drawings, lithographs and tapestries are not always discernible, but they can often be detected by the expert eye.  A signed piece can make all the difference in valuation.

●    Antique clocks have value, as do “mid-century modern” items.


This information was presented at two BAiP panels.  The March 24, 2011, panel "Getting Past the Clutter" featured Rita Golub, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Professional Geriatric Care Manager, and Kenny Weinberg, a professional apartment organizer.  The March 22, 2012, panel "What's My Stuff Worth," featured George Lowry, Chairman of Swann Auction Galleries, and Michael Capo and Monique Merrill of Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques.

We take for granted that to age in place, one needs a place to call one's own.  This is becoming harder and harder in a city where real estate prices put pressure on tenants, owners and landlords alike.

Older adults are entitled to certain protections against harassment and eviction such as the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption or SCRIE and the Senior Citizen Homeowners' Exemption or SCHE.

For the basics about SCRIE from the NYC Rent Guidelines Board, please click here and take a look at the recap below.  Also, watch the brief video below for an overview of SCRIE eligibility and see this FAQ.  For the most up-to-date information, see the NYC Rent Freeze program website.

To read more about property tax exemptions for seniors who own coops and condos in the city, click here.

When you need help or representation on these matters, your Assembly Member or Housing Court Answers may be a good contact for assistance. For answers to your questions about housing court, contact them here.  They publish a tenant's guide to negotiating with your landlord, which you may download here.  For BAiP members, Assembly Member O'Donnell provides assistance to apply.  His community office may be reached at (212) 866-3970.  More information from his office appears in the image at the bottom of this post in English and Spanish.

Ever Considered a Roommate?
Do you have an extra bedroom? Would you like to have some company and help with paying the rent? Then the New York Foundation for Senior Citizen’s home sharing program may be a solution. The Foundation’s free Home Sharing Program helps link adult “hosts” with extra private spaces in their homes or apartments with appropriate adult “guests” to share their space. Professional Social Work staff thoroughly screen and match hosts with compatible guests. Guests provide a monthly contribution towards expenses, and everyone gains companionship and a sense of security. For more information, call 212-962-7559 or visit the link above.


Some of this information comes from Assembly Member Danny O'Donnell's office.  And some of this information was presented at our October 23, 2014, panel “Your Home & Your Rights."