As New York lawmakers continue negotiating a state budget estimated at roughly $262 billion, advocates for older adults are pushing for a small fraction of those funds for a proposal they say could reduce hospitalizations, improve long-term health outcomes and lower Medicaid costs.
Organizations represented by LeadingAge New York are asking state leaders to include $2 million for a Resident Assistant pilot program in affordable senior housing.
“It is really about the independence and autonomy of the older adults that are served in affordable senior housing,” said Annalyse Komoroske Denio, a senior policy analyst with LeadingAge New York, which represents about 5,600 nonprofit organizations serving older adults.
Under the proposal, the state would create a grant program for affordable senior housing properties that do not already receive government funding for on-site support staff.
“We anticipate that this would be a grant program, and grants would be provided to affordable senior housing properties to seek resident assistant staff persons,” Komoroske Denio said.
The grants would fund on-site social workers or advocates to help older adults age in place, rather than end up in a hospital or nursing home.
Komoroske Denio says the assistants would regularly check on residents, help them navigate technology including health portals, as well as access benefits and services.
“Particularly when we’re struggling with staffing in higher levels of care, the resident assistance model is a really modest investment that could not only reduce reliance on those higher levels of care, but also save the state Medicaid dollars,” Komoroske Denio said.
A pilot program of resident assistance within a Queens, NY housing provider has shown promise.
“A peer-reviewed study of that program featured in Health Affairs a few years ago found that not only does the help in the affordable senior housing building reduce reliance on transfers to higher levels of care, but also on unnecessary hospitalizations or emergency room usage,” Komoroske Denio said.
The state budget is now more than a month late. Negotiations continue to be extended. However, several news outlets have reported that on Friday, Governor Kathy Hochul said the state is near an agreement.
