Staten Island Caregivers: Residents With Aging Relatives Can Provide For Their Care At Home Themselves – Supported By NYC Dept For The Aging
Readers can learn more about this program, for which Staten Islander News is participating in the below-mentioned ad campaign to bring awareness about the program to residents of the City. Many Staten Islanders already juggle caring for an older relative with raising young children. Both of these bring their own challenges, but the City of New York has programs in place to help ease this burden, making it easier for older residents to avoid nursing home care when it is not medically necessary and its only reason is due to lack of a suitable caregiver. This program is extremely pertinent to islanders, many of whom are homeowners, thus having the space for their parents or other older relatives to live with them. Learn more about the program below, and you can see the banner ad in the sidebar and on the front page. See below for examples of people who have benefited from the program, to help islanders envision themselves in this program.
Caregiver Services Program Background
NYC Aging’s Caregiver Program, funded through the federal Older Americans Act National Family Caregiver Support Program since 2002, supports New Yorkers who provide care to older adults, people with dementia, relatives with disabilities, and kinship children. The program expanded in 2018 following a citywide survey that found many caregivers did not identify themselves as caregivers and were unaware of available services.
Today, the program offers information and assistance with benefits and entitlements, counseling, training, support groups, respite services, and limited financial assistance for caregiving-related expenses. These supports help caregivers manage the emotional, financial, and logistical demands of caregiving while allowing older adults and others receiving care to remain in their homes and communities.
The caregiving awareness campaign highlights these services and encourages New Yorkers who provide care for loved ones to recognize their role and seek support.
Caregivers Served by the Program
- Emergency caregiving crisis (Queens)
A woman was referred to the program after her spouse was reported missing and later found in a hospital in a coma. Suddenly responsible for caregiving and family finances, she received help navigating benefits, financial assistance for groceries, and guidance creating a care plan for her family.
- Working caregiver returning to the workforce (Bronx)
A caregiver relocated her mother from North Carolina to New York City to manage her care. The program provided respite services while Medicaid long-term care was arranged, allowing the caregiver to stabilize the situation and return to work.
- Dementia caregiver support (Queens)
An only child caring for her mother with dementia participates in caregiver support groups and training and receives assistance purchasing personal care items. She describes the support group as a safe space that helps her manage the emotional demands of caregiving.
These examples reflect the range of situations caregivers face and the role the program plays in helping them navigate sudden crises, ongoing care responsibilities, and the emotional demands of caregiving. By providing information, respite, and practical support, NYC Aging’s Caregiver Program helps caregivers sustain their role while enabling older adults and others receiving care to remain in their homes and communities.
NYC AGING LAUNCHES CITYWIDE CAMPAIGN TO REACH NEW YORK CITY’S FAMILY CAREGIVERS
New York, NY – The NYC Department for the Aging (NYC Aging) announced the launch of a caregiving awareness campaign to inform New York City’s estimated 1.3 million family caregivers about the services and supports available to them. Across New York City, many residents provide daily care for a parent, spouse, grandchild, family member, chosen family, friend, or neighbor. Many balance jobs, families, and personal responsibilities while helping loved ones remain safe and independent at home. Yet many individuals who provide this care do not identify themselves as a caregiver and, as a result, do not realize they qualify for services designed to support them.
Starting March 12, 2026, a citywide multimedia campaign, “You Care for Them, We Care for You,” will run across print, digital platforms, TV and radio ads to help caregivers recognize their role and learn how NYC Aging can support them and the people they care for.
The campaign, which will also be featured on subways, is designed to reach caregivers across communities and languages throughout the five boroughs. The messaging highlights common caregiving situations and encourages individuals to seek information and assistance through NYC Aging.
“Caregivers are stretching themselves physically, emotionally, and financially,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “Many are cutting back on work, spending down savings, and putting their own health last. NYC Aging’s Caregiver Program exists to ease that burden, and this campaign ensures the 1.3 million caregivers in NYC who need resources and support the most can find them.”
“Many of the people we serve would not call themselves caregivers,” said NYC Aging Commissioner Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie. “They would call themselves a daughter, a son, a neighbor, a friend. This campaign meets people where they are, and makes sure they know that NYC Aging has resources ready the moment they need them.”
NYC Aging’s Caregiver Program provides information, assistance applying for benefits and entitlements, counseling, training, support groups, respite support such as temporary care in the home, and other services that help caregivers manage responsibilities and costs of caregiving while maintaining their own health and well-being. The campaign aims to raise awareness of these resources and help individuals recognize when they are serving in a caregiving role. The call to action is for family caregivers to take that next step to seek out information about resources that can help inform and support the care they offer and recognize they are not alone.
Caregiving needs continue to grow as New York City’s population ages. Most older adults prefer to remain in their homes and communities, and family caregivers play a critical role in making that possible. NYC Aging’s Caregiver Program supports these individuals by providing guidance, services, and connections that help caregivers navigate complex systems and sustain care at home.
New Yorkers seeking caregiving information or assistance can contact Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469) or visit nyc.gov/aging to learn more about NYC Aging’s caregiver services and supports. You can also click the ad in the sidebar to learn more.
Banner Image: Ad campaign graphic. Image Credit – NYC Aging
