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A swimming pool in East Harlem is giving seniors a chance to feel like kids again.
The Thomas Jefferson Park pool, located at E. 112th St. and First Ave., is offering free "senior swim hours" - a first for the East Harlem community.
"Some of them were saying they hadn't been in the pool since they were kids," said Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan).
Seniors were intimidated by regular open swim hours because of the "frantic" nature of the youngsters, Mark-Viverito said.
Now, they can enjoy themselves without the hassle of screaming or splashing children, she said.
"This is a safe space for them," said Mark-Viverito, whose office partnered with locals, the New York Academy of Medicine, the city Parks Department and the East Harlem Aging Improvement District to make the special hours happen. "It improves the quality of life for them."
The pool hours kicked of yesterday with nearly 100 seniors turning out for a morning of fun in the sun.
Rasheedah Ali, 75, of Harlem, was among them.
"It's beautiful," she said of the Olympic-size pool.
Ali said she already swims three days a week with Harlem's Honeys and Bears Swim Club, the city synchronized swimming group for adults 50 and older.
"That's the only form of exercise that I simply love," she said.
"Seniors have a tendency to just stay in their apartments," she added. "But it's such a lovely facility. I'm certainly going to spread the word."
Dorian Block, who leads the East Harlem Aging Improvement District, said she hopes the hours will help seniors stay more active.
"In East Harlem, there is a great need for healthy opportunities for older adults," said Block, who also works with Age-friendly NYC, which aims to make improvements for seniors.
Plus, there's a growing demand.
The city's elderly population is expected to increase 45% between 2010 and 2030, when one in every five New Yorkers will be over the age of 60, according to Age-friendly NYC.
The Thomas Jefferson Park free "senior swim hours" program is every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m to 11 a.m. Swimmers must be city residents over the age of 50. Home attendants are also permitted.
Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org
Reporters: to arrange interviews with NYAM medical and urban health experts, contact
Andrew J. Martin, Director of Communications
212-822-7285 / amartin@nyam.org
The 2012-2013 Duncan Clark Lecture - The Affordable Care Act: An Insider’s View
Featured Speaker: Sherry Glied, PhD, former Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
November 19, 2012 - The NYAM Section on Health Care Delivery welcomes Sherry Glied, PhD, former Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who will deliver the 2012-2013 Duncan Clark Lecture on "The Affordable Care Act: An Insider's View."
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The New York Academy of Medicine with support from the New York State Heath Foundation released a new report, Federal Health Care Reform in New York State: A Population Health Perspective.
This report identifies opportunities that build on both the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) and New York’s ongoing efforts toward improving the health of its 19 million residents.
Read press release
Read report
