New York Links Health And Human Services Fair

By Michelle D. Stent

The Health and Human Services Facet of the Greater New York Links, (GNY) and their community partner, Health Advocates for Older People (HAFOP) sponsored an Older Adults Equipment Giveaway Fair, hosted by Abyssinian Baptist Church. The giveaway aimed to help seniors live comfortably and independently at home.  The Fair welcomed local community residents, focusing on seniors and those with mobility challenges. HAFOP donated all the equipment which included:

• Canes and Crutches
• Shower Chairs and Raised Toilet Seats
• Post-Surgical Boots
• Rollators & Wheelchairs
• Disposable Bed Covers (Chucks)

A great deal of equipment seniors need for their daily life activities is quite expensive and often not covered by insurance.  Giveaway Fairs help seniors access equipment for comfortable home living. Attending seniors found equipment and other helpful items to support independent living at home as long as possible.

The GNY Links Health and Human Services is sincerely grateful to HAFOP, a long-term member of the Community Partnership founded by Health and Human Services. Providing new, safe equipment and products for older adults, in addition to all HAFOP’s support on forums, seminars and multiple panels attests to their friendship and long-standing support for the programs given by the Partnership. 

In addition to providing equipment, HAFOP gave a panel discussion on usage and home safety. Josh Krasner, Coordinator of HAFOP’s Home Safety Fall Prevention Program, reported that up to 80% of older adults live alone without proper safety devices, increasing their vulnerability to various risks. Patricia Baker, Equipment and 87^th Street Office Coordinator for HAFOP repeatedly stated that safety in the home is especially important to independent living.

The incidence of falls increases progressively with age. Each year, about one-third of older adults fall, and 10% fall multiple times; for those over 80, nearly half experience a fall annually.   Bathroom falls are extremely serious, and Mr. Kraser gave practical examples of safety assessments including having bars in bathrooms. The importance of a motion alert device for home safety was highlighted.  They both discussed problems with navigating hallways as well as watching out for wires in the home and around apartment buildings. 

Participants learned a lot as well as the Links members who attended: Michelle D. Stent and Rhonda McLean, Co-Chairs of the GNY Links, Health & Human Services Facets, Patricia Francis, Gail Monroe-Perry, Deborah Whitfield, Donna Jones, Gerri Warren Merrick and Jillian James, GNY Links Program Chair.

A major highlight of the afternoon program was Assemblyman Jordan Wright who greeted and spoke with the attendees.

The Links, Incorporated is a 75-year-old volunteer service organization of concerned, committed, and talented women who, linked in friendship, enhance the quality of life in the larger community. The organization is concerned primarily with enriching, sustaining and ensuring the identities, culture and economic survival of African Americans and persons of African descent. To contribute to the formulation of a positive, productive, and culturally diverse society, The Links, Incorporated also focuses on education, cultural enrichment, health and wellness and civic involvement. This focus is implemented through strategies such as in public information and education, economic development, and public policy. Harlem Advocates for Seniors (H.A.S.) is a senior-led coalition with the mission to unify seniors, service providers and community leaders in support of issues and concerns affecting seniors living in the Village of Harlem.

In 2010, The GNY Links Health & Human Services (HHS) formed the Elder Community Partnership in response to the identified needs, issues and problems of the Greater Harlem senior community. Over the years the Partnership has provided educational seminars to inform and empower seniors to recognize and cope with the complexities, causes and symptoms related to growing older. The Partnership programs have grown to include healthcare, wellness, Medicare updates, home safety and lifestyle changes.