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 White Plains, NY - Mae Carpenter, commissioner of Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) and a champion for seniors for more than 30 years, has been named Woman of the Year for 2009 by a major women’s organization in the county.
The Westchester County Federation of Women’s Clubs Inc. said it honored Carpenter on Thursday at its annual meeting at the Davenport Club in New Rochelle for her “outstanding contributions for the benefit of the aging population in our society and (her) visions for the future regarding Livable Communities.”
Carpenter was appointed DSPS commissioner in 2001. Prior to that she had been director of the county’s Office for the Aging – DSPS’ forerunner – since 1979. She is recognized nationwide as an authority on seniors and issues that affect their lives, and speaks extensively about the elderly across the country.
She was a representative to the National White House Conference on Aging in 1981, 1995 and 2005.
Livable Communities is a county initiative, and its mission is to develop programs to enable people to remain in their homes as they grow older with dignity and independence and enjoy a better quality of life. Westchester’s Livable Communities program has received national awards and has been identified by AARP as one of three Livable Community models in the United States.
“Livable Communities is a citizen engagement program.” Carpenter said. “We want people to be with their families and their friends,” she said. “But people have to become informed.
“We have to ask the question ‘Who is going to care for the elderly who want to stay in their homes?’” Carpenter said. “There are so many issues that need to be addressed. Citizens need to become involved and let their voices be heard.”
Carpenter said that if the elderly cannot remain in their homes, taxpayers could be hit with much of the bill.
According to the National Alliance of Family Caregivers, she said, it would cost an estimated $275 billion if caregiving services that family and friends provide had to be replaced by paid services.
Carpenter said that often something as seemingly small such as fixing a broken sidewalk can make the difference in whether a senior can continue to live at home or must be placed in assisted living, a nursing home or other facility. Another example that could make a difference would be if neighbors took turns picking up groceries for a senior who lives on their block or in their apartment building.
Today there are about 187,000 people above 60 years of age in Westchester, and the number of people over 85 grew 24 percent in the past two decades, she said.
In 2008, the initiative set up a network of nine regional Livable Community Connection sites throughout Westchester to foster educational and other programs to enhance the lives of seniors on topics that range from elder law to health and wellness and personal safety.
This year, it started its Livable Community Village Approach initiative where neighbors helping neighbors is a way of life. Villages are groups of people with shared interests, such as members of houses of worship, civic and service clubs and neighborhood associations. So far 27 villages have been formed.
Others the Federation has honored as Woman of the Year include New York State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, actress Colleen Dewhurst, and Matilda Raffa Cuomo, the wife of the former governor, who established many programs to benefit children.
Barbara Bianco of Rye, Federation president, said the organization is the umbrella for 25 women’s clubs in the county, which have a total of some 3,000 members. Its main project, she said, is to raise money to award scholarships to students who attend Westchester Community College.
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