Bergen County seniors will get better access to activities, work with help of task force

Albina Sportelli, NorthJersey.com
Updated ·2 min read

An age-friendly task force, the first of its kind in the state, has been established in Bergen County.

Bergen County has been making strides to create “age-friendly” communities since 1966 with the establishment of the Division of Senior Services, said county Executive James Tedesco. In 2022, the county became the second in the state to be designated as an AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.

The Age-Friendly Task Force will advise local government officials on ways to enhance communities and make sure seniors, who make up 20% of the county's population, have access to the services and resources necessary to age in place.

Inaugural members of the Age-Friendly Task Force stand with County Executive Tedesco and members of the Board of Commissioners.
Inaugural members of the Age-Friendly Task Force stand with County Executive Tedesco and members of the Board of Commissioners.

The task force members will make sure the county's older residents have access to recreational and cultural activities, opportunities to participate in social and civic engagement, the promotion of employment and volunteerism and access to comprehensive health care.

“This task force is a testament to the county’s commitment to addressing the diverse needs of our residents,” said Tedesco. “Together, we are promoting a higher quality of life and creating a community where our seniors can age in place with dignity, independence, and respect.”

"This task force represents a significant step forward in our commitment to creating communities that support the health, well-being, and independence of our aging population," said county Commissioner Chairwoman Germaine Ortiz.

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The task force will have eight to 14 members, including a representative from the Office of the County Executive, the director of Bergen County Department of Health Services, the director of the Division of Community Transportation, and the director of the Division of Senior Services, or their designee, as well as a director of both a small-mid size age-friendly community and a large size AARP community within Bergen County, a representative from higher education within Bergen County, two representatives from either a non-profit government organization that has programming that impacts our senior population that manages or operates housing/or transportation/or health care programs and a member of the Bergen County Board of Commissioners as designated by the chair of the board.

The inaugural members of the Task Force include:

  • Helen Archontou, CEO of YWCA of Northern New Jersey

  • Dr. Hansel Asmar, Department of Health Bergen County

  • Dominick Azzolini, director of Community Transportation

  • Lisa Bontemps, Westwood for All Ages

  • Elizabeth Davis, Bright Side Family and Age-Friendly Teaneck

  • Melissa DeBartolo, director of Human Services

  • Michele DiIorgi, deputy director of the Housing Authority of Bergen County

  • Patrick Fallon, Office of Food Security

  • Dr. Eric Friedman, president of Bergen Community College

  • Lorraine Joewono, director of Senior Services

  • Deborah Visconi, president and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What is the new Bergen County Age-Friendly Task Force?