NJAAW News and Resources

Aug. 18, 2021

"An Advocate’s Guide to Appealing Prescription Drug Denials," 8/19

The National Center on Law and Elder Rights is sponsoring a webinar on appealing Medicare Part D prescription drug denials on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2-3 p.m. ET.

Learn how to:

Identify reasons why coverage for a prescription may have been denied.

Help Medicare beneficiaries through the appeals process.

Brainstorm strategies for accessing prescription drugs outside of the appeals process.

For more information and to register, click here.

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Want to Bring Technology for

Older Adults to Your Area?

Senior Planet from AARP is expanding its program with free licensing and training in its curriculum. For more information, click here.

It's Farmers' Market Season!

And that means the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is providing vouchers for eligible residents to use in farmers' markets throughout the state.

SFMNP promotes nutritional health among NJ's senior citizens by providing them with locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Eligible Participation in SFMNP is limited to older adults age 60+ whose gross income is equal to or less than $23,606 for a 1-person household, or $31,894 for a 2-person household.

For more information, visit here.

Next Coffee & Conversation:

Self-care on 9/22

We will take a break from our Coffee & Conversation networking this month but will return Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. Jaime Angelini, Statewide Director of Disaster Services and Special Projects at the Mental Health Association in NJ (MHANJ), will join us. Share, ask, learn, connect with others in the field -- and register here.

Working our way through

the age-friendly domains: Outdoor spaces and buildings

As we continue to explore the 8 Domains of Age-friendly communities, let’s examine "Outdoor spaces and buildings."

Why are these important? Outdoor spaces, greenspaces, and public buildings have a major impact on mobility, independence and quality of life for all residents. There is more to it than just having parks and entrances with push-button door openers. Accessible public buildings, walkable spaces, parks, sidewalks, seating and even public bathrooms all contribute to being age-friendly and can make a big difference to people of all ages and abilities.

People need public places to gather, both indoors and out. Public, shared spaces foster social connections, both planned and spontaneous. Public places introduce us to other members of our community that we might not meet otherwise.

Think of the town pool, playgrounds, outdoor fitness equipment and sports fields. Look at the activity around duck ponds in the park and river day cleanups, sledding hills and outdoor amphitheaters. These spaces and their activities build community. The benefits great outdoor spaces give older residents are good for all members of the community. Smooth sidewalks are good for the jogger, the parent pushing a stroller and kids walking to school. Greenspaces are good for some to walk for exercise, community events, kids playing and even outdoor work and study space in the past year.

Greenspaces, seating and accessible buildings can be used and enjoyed by people of all ages. Park benches encourage walking by providing a place to rest for the 80-year-old as well as the 2-year-old with little legs. The same entrance that enables a person in a walker or wheelchair to easily access a building also makes it easy for someone to push a stroller.

Consider how important the outdoor spaces in your community became under COVID. With gyms closed, walking for exercise and relaxation increased significantly. Large outdoor spaces enabled us to meet safely with friends while maintaining safe distances.

Take a look around your community to see where the shared spaces are and who uses them, and take some time to enjoy them yourself. You might learn something new about your community, or you might be moved to fight for more and better spaces.

NJ Expands Property Tax

Programs for Seniors

As part of a renewed focus on property taxes, NJ has expanded the popular Property Tax Reimbursement program, a/k/a "Senior Freeze" program to include more older homeowners in the state.

With $220 million in the budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed in late June -- saying policies funded in the state’s new spending plan would help "seniors remain in their communities long into their golden years."

Over 150,000 senior citizens and homeowners with disabilities are enrolled in the program and estimates expect nearly 30,000 more residents to become newly eligible for Senior Freeze this year.

To qualify for the program, homeowners must be:

at least 65 or have a disability

at least a 10-year NJ resident

the owners of their residence for three years

up-to-date on their property taxes

Homeowners must also have incomes that fall within the program’s limits for the last two years. The income limits for 2020 and 2019 were set at $92,969 and $91,505, respectively.

Eligible residents can apply through Nov. 1. Find more information here.

New Legislation Protects Older Adults in Long-Term Care

and Congregate Facilities

Two important pieces of legislation have recently been passed that protect vulnerable NJ residents from COVID-19.

Beginning Sept. 7, all workers in certain state and private health care facilities and high-risk congregate facilities will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or be subject to ongoing COVID-19 testing. These include long-term care(LTC) facilities, state veterans homes, community-based healthcare settings including Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), licensed home health agencies, among others.

Gov. Murphy signed S2798/A4430, which requires, as a condition of licensure, all LTC facility types to develop an outbreak response plan and clarify infection prevention protocols by Feb. 2022.

Guest blog post

on COVID-19

vaccination scams

"Fraudsters are always looking for ways to scam people, and the COVID-19 public health emergency has been no exception," says Charles Clarkson, Esq., Project Director, Senior Medicare Patrol of New Jersey. Read his guest blog post.

Aging Insights TV update

Episode 118, "Assistive Technology in NJ – so much more than you imagined," can be viewed on our YouTube channel and website .

New host Dr. Cathy Rowe speaks to Mike Marotta, Director of The Richard West Assistive Technology Advocacy Center , about the free services and support available to help NJ residents be more independent. Next up: Episode 119, "Aging Well with Your Doctors."

Have you visited njaaw.org lately? Our website, with disability-accessible options, has an expansive number of statewide services and resources for older adults, caregivers and professionals in the field of aging. It also features blog posts and a library of archived policy reports and Renaissance magazines. Check it out!

NJSO outdoor concert

in Madison, Aug. 28

Enjoy a performance by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra while relaxing on the grounds of the Giralda Farms Corporate Park (the former Dodge Estate) on Saturday, Aug. 28. Gates open at 3 p.m.; the concert begins at 5 p.m.

Activities include an art show/sale, the picnic contest – with prizes awarded to the most inventive picnics – and food trucks.

Giralda Farms is located at Dodge Drive and Madison Ave. (Rt. 124), in Madison. For more information and to order tickets, click here.