WBFO Older Adults News Desk

With many Buffalo seniors worried about the impact of the new property re-assessment program on their taxes, the Common Council is moving to cover the entire city with a new tax break.

The end of life is part of the human condition. It's hard on families and difficult to navigate. Speakers in Calvary Episcopal Church's Common Ground series yesterday say the key is planning, particularly on the part of the dying individual.

Nursing homes are speaking out against New York state’s Medicaid re-calculation they say will cost them millions of dollars in funding.

Nursing home officials and advocates, as well as their state lawmakers, gathered at Garden Gate nursing home in Cheektowaga Wednesday to urge the New York State Department of Health to reconsider the recent change to the Medicaid reimbursement model.

Carri Milch of Williamsville considers herself part of the Woodstock Generation. She listened to plenty of music while attending concerts and dances as a young person in the 1960s and ’70s.

Some were in their 90s. The oldest was 104. Many needed the assistance of a walker or a wheelchair. 

That didn’t stop residents of Blocher Homes from making sure their voices were heard in a protest Monday over the proposed sale and closing of their Williamsville assisted living facility.

Vernadine Hinton has lived at Piotr Stadnitski Gardens, a 100-unit affordable senior housing complex on Buffalo’s East Side, for 15 years. She said she’s seen the apartment building when “it really wasn’t too much.”

Now she has new windows to keep the heat in and a bigger stove for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

A college campus is the new place for Erie County senior citizens looking to get care and socialization while avoiding going into a nursing home, as Catholic Health officially unveiled its new day facility at Villa Maria College in Cheektowaga Wednesday.

Buffalo’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s returns this weekend, as thousands are expected to walk around the Outer Harbor in the name of fighting the cognitive disease.

In Buffalo, a local architect has received a national recognition for over a half century of contributions to the profession of architecture. His story has roots in the civil rights movement.

The remaining Baby Boomers are on the verge of retiring out of the region's workforce. It's a development that could have devastating consequences. "One of the key issues, if you want to grow your economy, you've got to grow your workforce," said economist John Slenker, who sees hopeful signs that this area is once again attracting younger people.

From mental health issues to fiscal benefits, it's usually better for seniors to stay in their homes instead of going to nursing facilities.  A program called EISEP looks to help by paying a modest wage to individuals who can assist seniors with certain in-home needs.

It may be illegal for job interviewers to ask about an applicant's age, but the practice is surprisingly common. According to Randy Hoak, Associate State Director for AARP New York, 44 percent  of "older workers looking for jobs" report being asked age-related questions in job interviews.  Few, however, file formal complaints over the practice.

For Deborah Waldrop, years of helping families cope with terminal illnesses have reinforced her commitment to her work.  The professor at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work sees advance directives as more than a "check of the box" in making final arrangements. "The end of life is a time when there's still growth and change happening."

While "aging in place" is an appealing option over life in a nursing facility, Assemblymember Monica Wallace believes there  is a lack of infrastructure to properly support that hopeful trend.  "Perhaps, they can't drive anymore and let's admit it, in Buffalo you really need a car to get around," Wallace offered as an example. A member of the Assembly Committee on Aging, Wallace says life at home for many seniors is difficult without appropriate support.

Farmers markets are a sea of choices: food that's good for you, food that's probably not all that good for you and food you just want to eat. WBFO's Mike Desmond was escorted through Buffalo's downtown market Thursday with experts on food and nutrition for help sorting out all the choices.

Studies indicate that older Americans who have a greater sense of purpose often have a higher quality of life. WBFO’s Sandy White reports on a 73-year-old retiree whose life’s journey continues to enrich others.

He was born in Germany in 1925. Stephan Lewy and his Jewish family were able to flee that nation just after Kristallnacht in 1938, but he eventually returned to Europe as part of the U.S. Army, serving under General Patton's command and liberating many of his fellow Jews. Lewy, who now shares his life experiences with local students, was honored this week as Erie County's Senior of the Year.

Ground was broken in the Town of Cheektowaga Tuesday on the spot where an apartment complex will expand to more than triple its number of units. When finished, many of the new affordable-housing units will be available to persons living with various conditions - including a diagnosed mental health concern.