Neponsit Adult Day Health Care to Close Sept. 19
By Katie McFadden
The Neponsit Adult Day Health Care Center (ADHC) is officially closing. This week, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) announced it approved the application by the NYC Health + Hospitals to permanently close the Center, located at Beach 101st Street in Rockaway Park. The official date for closure is September 19, 2025.
In November 2024, clients were sent home with a letter about the impending closure of the only facility on the peninsula that provides services like nursing, physical therapy, nutrition assessment, occupational therapy, medical social services, psychosocial assessment, rehabilitation and socialization, for adults with medical needs, in one place. NYC Health + Hospitals said the decision was “influenced by factors such as inadequate Medicaid funding, declining utilization, and a growing demand for alternative services, such as Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Programs (CDPAP) and the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).”
Objections from the clients, caretakers, family members, staff and elected officials led to a delay in the closure, originally planned for March 31, 2025, but it wasn’t enough. At a March town hall with Health and Hospitals on the decision, outgoing Chief Executive Officer for NYC Health and Hospitals/McKinney, David Weinstein, was asked if the Center would be viable if enrollment improved, to which Weinstein said, “Even if I get 120 more people to join and get the total registrants to the capacity of 150, averaging 50 registrants a day, the program would still lose half a million dollars a year. All of these programs are going to close.” The NYSDOH approval this week was the final nail in the coffin for the Neponsit Adult Day Health Care Center.
Senator James Sanders Jr. announced the news in a press release, saying, “I strongly disagree with the decision by the New York State Department of Health to shut down the Neponsit Adult Day Health Care Center, which has been serving the community for many years providing invaluable services for seniors and their family members. Despite my efforts and many others to prevent this from happening, I believe this is a shortsighted decision that is not to the benefit of the community. I will work to make sure that the registrants of the center are given assistance to find alternative services.”
Councilwoman Joann Ariola said, “I’m deeply disappointed by the decision to shut down the center. Rockaway is already underserved when it comes to adult services, and now dozens of our neighbors will be forced to travel farther from home just to get the care they need. This decision did not have to happen. There were other options on the table, and the state chose to ignore them. Our community deserves so much better, this is simply unfair.”
According to the release, NYC Health + Hospitals is required by NYSDOH to give registrants at least 30 days’ notice prior to the closure of the Neponsit ADHC. NYC Health + Hospitals will hold individual meetings over the coming weeks with registrants and families for guidance on going forward. Staff members will be available to address any questions or concerns along with plans to identify alternative services, including older adult centers, social adult day centers, and other community-based supports. There will be follow-up check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days after the closure to assist in making the transition as successful as possible.
After the initial announcement in November about the closure of the facility that opened in 1988, Morris Paller, a 15-year patient of the Center told The Rockaway Times, “It’s a really unbelievable situation, and it really breaks my heart to think of the place closing.” His healthcare proxy Jean Fitch added, “We really don’t have many other options like this in Rockaway.”
At the end of Sanders’ press release, it said. “If you have any concerns about the closure, you can contact Daveth Forbes-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, 594 Albany Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203, phone: 718-245-7171, email: forbesd6@nychhc.org.”
