Initiatives by the Department of Senior Programs and Services received four of the six Achievement Awards Westchester County won in a competition sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACO).

The awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding, innovative county programs across the country.

DSPS’ awards were for its Livable Community Village Approach program, the Formal Asset Mapping for Livable Communities project, the Older Driver Roll Call Training for Law Enforcement and Senior Crime Busters.

Livable Community Village Approach
This program began in 2008 and  is the most recent step in the Westchester County initiative known as “Livable Communities: A Vision for all Ages – Bringing People and Places Together.” Such communities are places where seniors can grow old in their homes with dignity, independence and civic involvement.

Livable Community Villages are networks of people with shared interests, such as neighborhood associations, houses of worship and social and civic organizations. People of all ages interact in villages where neighbors helping neighbors is a way of life. Since the Village Approach began, more than 55 villages have been formed and more are being created every day.

Key features of livable community villages  are services provided by volunteers such as health and wellness programs, education and cultural events, support services such as accessible and adequate transportation, personal safety, consumer protection and advocacy for affordable housing and safe sidewalks and roads.

Villages have public transportation and walkable streets, and a commitment to safety and ease in getting around. For example, members of villages may help an older person buy their groceries or neighbors may take turns picking up a prescription at the pharmacy for an elderly person on their block.

To help groups form villages, DSPS created a “Village Tool Kit.”  It includes the “Village Needs/Interests Survey Booklet” where groups or individuals can complete a survey where they indicate what issues are most important to them. Among the many issues are education, long-term care, transportation and caregiving. 

DSPS will announce the survey findings at its first regional Livable Communities conference on Oct. 2 at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown. The survey results will also be shared with elected officials in Westchester’s municipalities.

In addition, DSPS developed “Livable Community Village Approach” brochures in English, Spanish and Mandarin, which list the benefits of villages, why they are needed and how groups can form a village.

DSPS’ award-winning initiative is in the vanguard of such efforts across the country and has been identified by AARP as one of three model projects in the nation.

Formal Asset Mapping for Livable Communities
This project takes an inventory of what resources a community has. Assets - such as senior centers, schools that are not used for evening programs, houses of worship and green space - are indicated on maps of all Westchester municipalities. The maps can be used for future planning because they also indicate what communities need.

Asset mapping is part of  DSPS’ Livable Communities initiative and its goal is to identify community resources that help seniors remain in their homes as they age. 
  
The asset mapping project was conducted through the Westchester Alliance of Academic Institutions for Aging-Related Studies and Workforce Development, a consortium of colleges and universities. The Westchester Alliance is a collaborative effort of DSPS and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services, along with Iona College in New Rochelle. 
 
Nineteen student interns from Iona and Sarah Lawrence College worked with the county’s Information Technology department – especially its Geographic Information System division – to develop the maps. Fourteen of the students earned one college credit for taking a course the Westchester Alliance developed on “Community Based Research – Formal Asset Mapping for Livable Communities.”

The  Westchester Alliance encourages  integrating aging-related content into academic curricula. The asset-mapping project, for example, exposes students to the needs of older adults. It also plays a major role in helping students see the many options the aging field offers for possible careers. 

Law Enforcement and Older Drivers
This program was presented in September 2008 for police officers in Westchester County by the Older Driver Family Assistance Network, which is part of the Family Caregiver Support Network.

DSPS staff members developed the program in conjunction with Kenneth Donato, a former chief of the Ossining Town Police Department as well as with the state Department of Motor Vehicles and others.

The aim of the program is to make the officers more aware of the existing and new local and state resources that deal with older drivers. It also presented an open forum to discuss the topic, which is growing in importance as the population continues to grow.
 
 The Older Drivers Network prepared a packet of information for the police officers, which included laminated “cue cards” they can keep in the ticket books in their patrol cars.The cards list tips on how to do competent and successful traffic stops of at-risk older drivers. In addition, they list questions to ask older drivers they suspect may have Alzheimer’s or other at-risk conditions as well as suggestions on how to speak with seniors.

 The program was very well received, and a representative from the state Sheriff’s Association to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee had high praise for the event. “You are way, way, way ahead of the curve,” the liaison said.

Senior Crime Busters
Celebrating its first anniversary in June 2009, the Senior Crime Busters program is an elder fraud and crime prevention initiative that provides tips to seniors on how to stay safe and avoid financial exploitation. 

In a typical program, seniors learn about the most common scams, tell-tale techniques perpetrators use and who to alert if they identify a scam or are victimized. They also learn how to protect their physical safety in situations such as shopping at the mall or walking in a neighborhood park.

To create Senior Crime Busters, DSPS’ Elder Abuse Coalition joined up with the county Departments of Consumer Protection, Public Safety, Social Services, the Office for Women, the county’s District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Pace Women’s Justice Center. Speakers from the agencies take turns going out into the community in teams of two to present the one-hour programs. One presenter discusses financial and consumers issues; the other, public safety topics.

 The ongoing Senior Crime Busters program  is marketed to leaders of senior clubs, nutrition centers, houses of worship, libraries and the LCC site coordinators, among others. For more information or to arrange for a program call (914) 995-2190.  As of June 20090, there have been 54 presentations to over 2,200 seniors throughout the county.