NYSOFA expands initiatives to combat loneliness, age-related issues

ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) has started phase six of its animatronic pet initiative and the second phase of its intergenerational game project. Both efforts are in partnership with Pawtucket, Rhode Island–based Ageless Innovation, delivering 4,725 animatronic pets and games to older adults through New York State’s aging network, per NYSOFA’s June 4 announcement. Since 2018, NYSOFA has distributed 31,500 animatronic pets to older adults who are socially isolated and lonely — a program that has since been replicated in more than 30 states. NYSOFA said. The life-like animatronic pets are designed to make realistic sounds and motions, providing comfort and companionship to older adults. Data show that the pets are making “a positive impact.” NYSOFA found that 75 percent of older adults receiving these pets reported a reduction/significant reduction in loneliness as well as a 75 percent decrease in pain. The Joy for All games include Scrabble Bingo, Trivial Pursuit Generations, and Game of Life Generations. The games, which launched in 2023 in partnership with Hasbro, have been “reimagined to be even more fun and better suit the needs” of the older-adult community, the office contends. Features include larger fonts and intergenerational gameplay and storylines. In 2024, Ageless Innovation anticipates adding more game titles to its portfolio, expanding its licensed partnership with Hasbro to continue launching “innovative, reimagined” games for its audience. “NYSOFA, in partnership with our aging services network, is proud to continue these initiatives that are helping thousands of New Yorkers across the state,” Greg Olsen, director of NYSOFA said, in the office’s announcement. “We’ve initiated multiple innovative solutions, bolstered by technology, to connect people, provide companionship, and significantly reduce isolation and its consequences. Proudly, I can say data shows our efforts are working and exceeding expectations. We are proud of our six-year partnership with the team at Ageless Innovation and the Association on Aging in New York.” Susan Schrader, program director of the Community Health Center of the North Country said she has “seen first-hand the power of these pets” in the hands of lonely older adults. “One individual immediately comes to mind: a 97-year-old woman with well-established dementia. While well cared for at home, she exhibited boredom and confusion, spending many hours in front of a TV that she couldn’t see because of her condition,” Schrader said. “She received an animatronic cat while on hospice care – and it was transformational. Protective and nurturing of her newfound companion, she petted it, tended to its paws, and talked to it every time it meowed. That is the power of pets.” NYSOFA says it works with area agencies on aging and community partners to identify individuals who are isolated and lonely and could benefit from receiving pets. The initiative has been supported in recent state budgets as part of a package of “innovative” programs through NYSOFA to address social isolation and provide support for caregivers. Individuals who are interested can contact their local office for the aging or can use New York’s discount code NYS20 at website http://joyforall.com/.