As every New York resident knows, but especially the population surveyed for the new Academy Report “Aging: Health Challenges and the Role of Social Connections,” the latest in the series “City Voices: New Yorkers on Health,” the city can be a tough place to find affordable housing and healthy, low-cost foods. And even though NYC is home to some of the world’s best physicians, geriatric care is also often difficult to find. In addition, older persons with limited mobility and low budgets tell us they often struggle to locate viable means of transportation.
“This new report shows that while we have made great strides in helping New York become a more age-friendly city, there’s still work to be done to provide the supportive environments and services needed to assure that older persons can stay as active and engaged in the city as they wish to be and avoid the kinds of social isolation that can contribute to health problems,” says Jo Ivey Boufford, MD, president of the Academy.
“In broad ranging conversations and surveys with low-income residents ages 65 to 102, the people featured in the report explained why aging in the city poses health risks:
“There’s food insecurity because of a lack of available funds to maybe buy the groceries that they need. So people are making those decisions every day about, ‘Well, what can I buy, what can I afford with my limited amount of income for this month?… Oftentimes nutrition suffers in that mix, because they’ll get their medicine instead of buying food.” (Older Adult Service Provider Queens)
Health and ConnectionThe report also documented poor health among many survey/focus group respondents (42 percent) and revealed health disparities in many older ethnic and racial groups. In addition, a clear link between social isolation and health emerged.
“I think that one of the things that we’ve identified for sure is that a lot of seniors are alone in the community. So what we see a lot of is social isolation. And we can demonstrate that that has an absolute effect on their physical wellbeing.” (Older adult service provider, Queens)
As a leader in identifying and preventing the challenges faced by older adults living in urban environments, the Academy sees the report findings as an opportunity to provide more extensive support for senior resource centers, as we work to address the upstream causes of these late life issues.
“This clearly shows us that we need to expand our work—through our Age-friendly NYC Commission and other efforts—to increase ways for seniors to connect with others,” says Lindsay Goldman, LCSW, project director for Age-friendly NYC, a partnership with the New York City Council and the Mayor’s office. “As older adults living in cities continue to be the fastest growing demographic, addressing systems that improve health and well-being for older adults is not just good for people, it is critical to the health of the city,” Goldman added.
As one survey group participant explained:
“I do come to this center because the people I have met here—they seem to be concerned for me. And I appreciate that. I’m one of those people that don’t have anybody [at home]...” (Bronx focus group participant)
“Aging: Health Challenges and the Role of Social Connections,” the latest report in the series “City Voices: New Yorkers on Health,” is the result of the Academy’s distinctive method of conducting research by working closely with community members and advocates to engage them and hear their concerns. The report, which includes personal narratives from older New Yorkers, as well as observations from leading health advocates, is based on a Community Needs Assessment that included nearly 3,000 New Yorkers and was translated into 10 languages. To read the entire series, visit: www.nyam.org.
About the AcademyThe New York Academy of Medicine advances solutions that promote the health and well-being of people in cities worldwide.
Established in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine continues to address the health challenges facing New York City and the world’s rapidly growing urban populations. We accomplish this through our Institute for Urban Health, home of interdisciplinary research, evaluation, policy and program initiatives; our world class historical medical library and its public programming in history, the humanities, and the arts; and our Fellows program, a network of more than 2,000 experts elected by their peers from across the professions affecting health. Our current priorities are healthy aging, disease prevention, and eliminating health disparities.
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