NYSOFA, AgingNY, Blooming Health partner to strengthen older New Yorkers' access to community-based aging services

Initial partnership offers access to Blooming Health platform through select group of county offices for the aging to engage 10,000 older adults in their communities

The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) have partnered with Blooming Health to improve older adults’ awareness and connection to community-based aging services via an inclusive, digital engagement platform being made available through a select group of county-based offices for the aging.

Last year, New York’s offices for the aging served more than 1.3 million older New Yorkers and their family caregivers. This number is expected to increase more than 20% by 2025, demanding scalable and efficient communication tools that can maximize network capacity to reach older New Yorkers and keep them engaged.

Aging care providers can use Blooming Health’s web application to send personalized and targeted communications to older adults and caregiver clients across text messages, voice calls, or email, and in 25 languages. Clients do not need access to broadband internet or a smart device to receive these communications. Providers can also receive longitudinal data on clients’ needs and outcomes, coordinate care, and better manage their population's health risks.

A press release said, “Blooming Health’s inclusive, digital engagement solution enables aging care providers across New York, Arizona and California to scalably engage tens of thousands of older adults and caregiver clients. For its existing clients, Blooming Health has contributed to a three-fold increase in older adult engagement with provider services while saving two hours per day in outreach capacity for program staff and garnering an 85% satisfaction rate for older adult end-users. Through a recent collaboration with the AARP Foundation and New York City-based community organizations, Blooming Health helped drive a five-fold increase in the number of older adults applying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (relative to 2021). Blooming Health also helped reduce the time from initial outreach with older adults about SNAP benefits application and their final application submission, from 57 days to 30 days – a 47% decrease.”

Greg Olsen, director of the New York State Office for the Aging, said, "NYSOFA is proud to play a role in the digital evolution of services and outreach to older adults. Our partnerships with innovative technology solutions have connected hundreds of thousands of older adults to combat social isolation while also providing evidence-based tools to help individuals caring for loved ones, and so much more. Blooming Health is a unique digital platform in that it will help enhance, extend, and better coordinate services that aging services providers are already delivering in their communities. NYSOFA is thrilled to work with a select group of offices for the aging to utilize this powerful technology and develop best practices that could potentially expand this partnership in the future."

Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) Executive Director Becky Preve said, “The Association on Aging in New York is incredibly proud to work in conjunction with NYSOFA and Blooming Health to continue to enhance and expand access for older New Yorkers. Blooming Health is an additional tool that aging services providers can utilize to drive engagement, decrease social isolation and loneliness, and improve health outcomes. New York state continues to lead the nation in enhancements to our service infrastructure, and Blooming Health is now available as a resource for our communities.”

Blooming Health cofounder and CCO Kavitha Gnanasambandan said, “Blooming Health is honored to partner with the innovative New York aging network to power healthy aging-in-place for all New Yorkers. We believe that inclusive and personalized engagement can help connect more older adults in need with the quality services offered by the New York aging network, while streamlining the network capacity and improving operational efficiencies.”

The New York State Office for the Aging works to help the state’s 4.6 million older adults be as independent as possible for as long as possible through advocacy, development and delivery of person-centered, consumer-oriented, and cost-effective policies, programs and services that support and empower older adults and their families, in partnership with the network of public and private organizations that serve them. Stay connected: Visit the NYSOFA Facebook page; follow @NYSAGING on Twitter and NYSAging on Instagram; or visit aging.ny.gov.

AgingNY supports and advocates for New York’s mostly county-based Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and works collaboratively with a network of organizations that exist to promote independence, preserve dignity, and provide support for residents of New York as they age. For more information, follow AgingNY on Facebook, visit www.agingny.org, or call 518-449-7080.

To learn more about Blooming Health and this partnership, visit www.gobloominghealth.com or reach out at [email protected].