The Manhattan Times

Washington Heights/Inwood Council on Aging (WHICOA) advocates for area seniors

Northern Manhattan has a rich history of advocacy on behalf of our residents. 

The Washington Heights/Inwood Coalition on Aging (WHICOA), an interagency planning and advocacy organization, offers a fine example of what concerted effort on behalf of the community can bring.... especially for our seniors.   The mission of WHICOA is to encourage the expansion and coordination of services to the elderly in Washington Heights and Inwood.

Founded more than 35 years ago, WHICOA consists of 50 community service providers including 27 community-based organizations and senior centers.  With an interest in developing a true continuum of care for the elderly of northern Manhattan, WHICOA works with the community and its member agencies to identify, develop and maintain initiatives that support an excellent quality of life for the area's seniors.

WHICOA has played a vital and active role in helping community seniors over the years.  Some of the innovations that WHICOA is responsible for include:

            ~  The Mental Health Outreach Program for the Homebound Elderly. This program, currently administered by New York Presbyterian Hospital's Psychiatry Department, was originally conceived and planned by WHICOA, which also arrangedfor the program's original funding.

            ~  The Social Adult Day Program for Alzheimers' clients, now called Community Caregiving, was developed and planned by WHICOA with the assistance of the Brookdale Center on Aging of Hunter College, the New York Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

            ~  The Northern Manhattan Exercise Program  (NorMep) is a culturally competent physical activity exercise program aimed at decreasing sedentary behavioramong area seniors.  WHICOA was instrumental in getting this program started and in working with local political leaders to help fund brand new exercise bicycles at all the senior centers.

This summer, WHICOA member organizations met to take a look at what the needs of our community's seniors might be in the next several years and to talk about how we can all plan to meet those needs.  As part of that effort, WHICOA explored the idea of communicating on an ongoing basis as a good way to keep everyone informed of the issues our seniors are facing - and, most importantly, of the resources that may provide solutions.  We also thought you might like to know how WHICOA is planning for the future.  Therefore, we plan to publish articles in the Manhattan Times on a regular basis  to keep you apprised of our efforts - both present and future.

We are also creating a new web site and internet directory designed to provide up-to-date information on community resources.  Hard copies of this directory will also be available to community organizations and residents.

WHICOA meets as an organization every 4th Thursday of the month. Meetings are held at Isabella Geriatric Center, 515 Audubon Avenue, New York, New York beginning at 9:30am.  Everyone is invited to attend - we would love to see you there.

If you would like to know more about the WHICOA -or any of the programs described above - we suggest that you call WHICOA's Co-Chairpersons:

Fern Hertzberg, Executive Director, ARC XVI Fort Washington, Inc. - (212) 781-5700

Sharon Asherman, Senior Center Director,

YM/YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood  - (212) 569-6200