Hearing a Recurring Theme

In the past week, I heard the same statement several times - people want to be able to do the things that matter to them.

I heard it first in a webinar by Age Wave and the John A. Hartford Foundation on their report "Meeting the Growing Demand for Age-Friendly Care: Health Care at the Crossroads." (to learn more, click here). Then again by 2 of the speakers at our event "Expanding Age-Friendly Health Systems in NJ." See below for the recording.

In addition, 41% of respondents in our Statewide Survey listed "Being able to participate in the activities I like" as one of their top 3 concerns as they age. So, what do we need to do to make that happen - to ensure and enable people to do what matters to them, to participate in the activities they like?

It will take a comprehensive approach that brings age-friendly strategies not only to our communities and health systems, but every sector of our lives. It will take more options for transportation, housing and fighting social isolation to make doing what matters to us all as we age achievable and affordable. Some states are pulling all of this together by developing a "multi-sector plan on aging," aka an MPA.

Learn what NJ's older residents want, struggle with and are concerned about in our report on the Statewide Survey of Older Adults. Also read the DHS Age-Friendly Blueprint for recommendations on how we can achieve an age-friendly infrastructure.

To read the full report, go to our website or click here: NJAAW Survey Report.

NJAAW is happy to share our findings and can provide county-specific data upon request.

Learn more about the DHS Age Frindly Blueprint here: Blueprint

Police Partnerships



ICYMI: Thank you to Shannon Lyons and Sgt. Jeff Stewart from Generations for Garfield and Officer Karen Mango and her team at West Orange PD for sharing their experiences and suggestions for age-friendly community police work. You can view the recordings below:

Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare’s Open Enrollment runs from October 15 - December 7, 2024. During this time, Medicare recipients can review and compare their current coverage to all other options and select the plan that best fits their needs and budget. Any changes in coverage will begin January 1, 2024.  

Please share the attached flyer with your contacts. 

Click here for printable flyer

ANCHOR: Great Program in Need of an

Age-Friendly Application Process

By Sheila Brogan

ANCHOR, now in its third year, is a valuable benefit program providing property tax relief to homeowners and tenants. Up until this year, there were three ways to apply for this benefit. One could call the Anchor application phone line, apply online, or download a paper application from the Division of Taxation’s website. The application process was easy and quick, taking less than ten minutes to complete.  This year the state eliminated the call-in option and added an extra security step requiring a passcode obtained by registering with ID.me. These changes have created roadblocks for older adults who are not tech savvy. 

The state has designed an application process that is over reliant on technology. The state assumes that older adults have smart phones and are able to use them beyond making phone calls or retrieving emails or that they have cameras on their computers. If they have computers, many older adults have outdated computers without cameras and with slow processing speeds. The fact that a passcode is required, and the application packet does not always provide a passcode is the first stumbling block. Working with ID.me is the second stumbling block. Older adults who consider themselves tech savvy are unable to retrieve a passcode. Frustration abounds. I receive calls daily from older adults unable to apply for ANCHOR because the green mailer for homeowners does not always provide a passcode, they don’t understand ID.me, and they cannot speak with anyone in Trenton. Reluctantly, I have resorted to helping older adults complete and file paper applications, a less then efficient application process creating more work for those in Trenton and delaying payments to older adults. With the unreliability of the US Postal Service, it is even more risky because ANCHOR does not send verification that the application was received.  

Older adults miss the call-in application. When they try to call the ANCHOR hotline no one answers the phone, and a recorded message tells you to call back at a later time. This is unacceptable and the state has failed to deliver a user-friendly system for older adults. I have been advised to tell clients to schedule an appointment online or to use the Chatbot feature on the website, both requiring some level of technology expertise that many older adults do not have. Older adults are warned about scams and fraudulent activities and therefore are reluctant to divulge personal and confidential information on an online platform. 

Last spring, New Jersey published its Blueprint for Age Friendliness with a focus on positioning our state as an innovator in aging, embedding aging in all policies, and giving people of all ages access to social supports and eliminating disparities. The Division of Taxation should look at the Anchor application process with an age friendly lens and make needed changes that will allow older adult to easily apply for this worthy benefit program. 

What can you do? If you are struggling with the current ANCHRO application, call your Assemblyperson’s office and let them know that many older adults struggle with the online process, and encourage them to expand phone support.

Sheila Brogan is a geriatric social worker and co-chair of Age Friendly Ridgewood.