Extreme cold and feet of snow, forest fires burning hundreds of acres and threatening homes. There’s a greater emphasis to make sure New Yorkers are prepared for such emergency situations.

Greg Olsen, director of New York’s Office for the Aging, says it’s important to make sure seniors receive timely and accurate information. 

“We're able to alert people prior to take precautions, but also check in," he said. "So if those things do happen, is there something that you need? You have to get somewhere. Dialysis, for example. Do you have enough food?”

The office is working with Blooming Health, a social care company that connects seniors and underserved communities with health and wellness organizations. CEO Nima Roohi said they’ve already had success doing this kind of thing in New York.

“When there is a heat wave happening, you want to know every older adult that doesn't have access to an AC in their home," Roohi said. "Enabling them with getting them connected to a nearest cooling center, a neighborhood senior center, a housing operation, government operations that actually has AC there.”

Blooming Health will now do more to connect with the senior population where they’re at, whether that’s on the computer, cell phone or landline.

“Typically, when the people you leave behind are the people that are suffering the most and potentially eventually creating the most cost in the system," Roohi said. 

Olsen says the partnership has already been productive. In Chautauqua County, Blooming Health helped its Office for the Aging do a better job connecting with seniors. But it can help more than just them.

The program is underway right now in 40 counties, Olsen says the hope is to bring it fully statewide.

“There is no age limit on this," he said. "It's the ability, when you're working in the caring economy and trying to help people, you know, at the local level, regardless of what agency you're working for, federal, state or local, that these are things that are unbelievably beneficial.”