New York State Office for the Aging, Division of Veterans' Services partner with GetSetUp to offer online courses for veterans in January

New series adds to growing schedule of courses under unique state partnership with tech company providing 50,000 online classes for older adults in New York

The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and New York State Division of Veterans’ Services have partnered with GetSetUp – a peer-to-peer online learning community for older adults aged 50 and over – to offer a new series of classes in January and February specifically on veterans’ benefits.

These newly announced offerings build on NYSOFA’s collaboration with the Association on Aging in New York (Aging-NY) and GetSetUp to address social isolation by providing training on the use of standard devices, online and lifelong learning, and efforts to combat social isolation. Partnership programming will be offered to older adults through the state’s network of Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and aging services partners.

The new series for veterans will address myths surrounding veterans’ benefits, opening doors for veterans and military families to receive benefits, programs, services and resources that are available to them by virtue of their service. Click here to access the series, which is available to New Yorkers at no charge using the partner coupon code NYSTATE at login.

The courses include the following topics:

√ Jan. 7 – “MythBusters!”: Getting rid of the mythology that has prevented a person from getting the veterans’ benefits they rightfully earned.

√ Jan. 14 – “Disability Compensation”: How to receive fair compensation for any injuries or illnesses received in military service.

√ Jan. 21 – “VA Health Care”: Making connections with health care services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

√ Jan. 28 – “Character of Discharge Cases”: Righting “historical injustices” for veterans regarding the character of discharge.

√ Feb. 4 – “Focusing on the Family”: Benefits, services and resources for the immediate family members of veterans.

NYSOFA and the Association on Aging in New York – which represents New York’s 59 AAAs – first teamed up with GetSetUp in May as part of a multipronged effort to address social isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the partnership has connected 54,000 older adults to interactive online classes that help promote physical, mental and social health. The platform offers more than 2,000 courses/classes and a growing schedule of more than 500 live classes and social programs weekly, including: how to use technological devices, exercise and fitness classes, healthy cooking, coping with stress, book clubs, gardening and travel.

All older adults aged 50 and over in New York can access the complete schedule of courses by visiting NYSOFA’s GetSetUp Learning Channel and using the partner coupon code NYSTATE.

A new referral feature has been added to the platform, allowing a friend or caregiver to easily sign up a friend remotely to try GetSetUp courses. To do so, visit www.getsetupfriend.com, select “booking for someone else,” enter an email address or phone number, and create an account using the NYSTATE partnership code. The referral process is a way to help an older adult relative, friend or neighbor get connected with the platform.

New York State Office for the Aging Director Greg Olsen said, “With 63% of the state’s veterans being older adults, we are thrilled to grow our partnerships with the Division of Veterans’ Services and GetSetUp to offer virtual programming focused on veterans’ needs. We are also pleased to expand the offerings for all older adults by extending NYSOFA's contract with GetSetUp and the Association on Aging to purchase more courses that will benefit anyone over 50 years of age with classes, lifelong learning, and ways to combat social isolation.” 

New York State Division of Veterans’ Services Director Viviana DeCohen said, “We are grateful to our partners at NYSOFA for extending this opportunity for us to reach such a critical group of individuals such as New York’s older veteran population. The ability to use the GetSetUp platform provides a new and exciting opportunity for the division to accomplish its mission of assisting all veterans and their families with learning about and accessing the benefits they earned through their military service.”

GetSetUp Co-Founder and President Lawrence Kosick said, “We are thrilled to further expand our partnership with the state of New York to address the needs of their older adults, especially veterans, as we move into the new year. We look forward to reaching even more New Yorkers to assure that they have the opportunity to stay active, engaged, and reimagine themselves at any age in a safe, fun and interactive way." 

Association on Aging in New York Executive Director Becky Preve said, "Our continuing partnership with GetSetUp is already connecting thousands of older adults to online programs through Offices for the Aging, complementing broader outreach efforts in the fight against social isolation during the pandemic. This powerful platform also offers an opportunity to reach audiences with very specific interests or needs. I am proud to work with the New York State Office for the Aging and Division of Veterans' Services to offer a tailored online community for veterans to make connections and find helpful information about service benefits duly owed to them for their honorable service to our country.” 

The New York State Office for the Aging is online at aging.ny.gov. For more information on veterans benefits, make an appointment with a veterans benefits adviser with the New York State Division of Veterans' Services at 888-838-7697 or on its website.

Learn more at https://www.getsetup.org and www.agingny.org.