“One year ago, this pilot program was just being launched. That it’s already making such a significant difference in people’s lives is remarkable,” says 92NY 60+ Programs Director Julia Zeuner. The program is 92NY’s Program for Cognitive Strength and Ability (PCSA). The concept behind it –dignified, strength-based programming for members of our community experiencing early to moderate cognitive decline – was one Zeuner long believed was needed. “But when I began getting more and more calls from adult children looking for a program for a struggling parent, I knew it was essential to create it.”
PCSA launched on February 14, 2022, thanks to funding provided by Arnold and Madaleine Penner. There were eight participants in the initial cohort. “The program was developed for community members who had led intellectually rigorous lives and had highly stimulating careers — and who found themselves isolated at home with limited outlets for expression or connection,” says Zeuner. “We created a respectful, comfortable space, where participants come together in-person to engage in stimulating conversation, fitness and cultural programming all designed to strengthen cognitive function. A non-judgmental space where members can feel comfortable questioning and sharing their experiences and concerns with staff and with peers navigating something similar.”
Focusing on participants’ strengths and abilities – on what each individual brings, not what they’ve lost – is at PCSA’s core. The program runs in seven-week increments, with cohorts meeting for 3-hour sessions once or twice a week, depending on group. Sessions are staffed by highly skilled social workers and experts, with portions led by advanced fitness trainers and professional artists and musicians.
Each session begins with an hour of cognitive stimulation therapy. This can include a discussion of current events, life transitions, and more, along with music from a playlist created at the start of each seven-week unit. Selections are chosen by the participants, who provide a song, artist, or style of music meaningful to them. “Amazing discussions arise,” says Zeuner. “We might play an opera aria or a Joni Mitchell song – whatever it is, it’s remarkable how it opens people up and inspires conversation.” A fitness session follows, designed expressly for the needs of the group, with work on balance, coordination, flexibility, and more. The third hour is built around music and art appreciation, cultural experiences, and opportunities for new learning, something Zeuner says is essential to cognitive health.
The response to the program has been overwhelming. PCSA now has 39 participants in four cohorts, with more underway – all in just the first 12 months. Outreach to NYC hospitals with neurology departments with a focus on dementia, including Mount Sinai, NYU, and Weill Cornell, has been a key factor in the program’s growth. “We’ve developed relationships with neurologists and social workers at these hospitals, and they’ve become our primary referral source,” says Zeuner. “They see what we’re doing – the uniqueness of the program and the void it fills.”
The impact of dementia goes beyond the individual, affecting families and loved ones. PCSA social work staff connect regularly with program members’ families to offer support. And recognizing the importance of reaching out to a broader community of caregivers, the team introduced a series of monthly talks – the Family and Friends Support Series – led by experts in the field and made available for free via Zoom to anyone navigating the cognitive decline of a loved one. “So many people are close to someone who is experiencing cognitive loss,” says Zeuner. “Presenting these talks online rather than in person allows people to participate from all over the country.”
Zeuner is heartened by how many people PCSA is now helping, and greatly hopes to see the program expand in its second year. “I’d like us to be able to reach many more individuals and families looking for this unique, specialized program.”
“Only in an institution like The 92nd Street Y could a program like this even exist,” Zeuner says. “92NY is an established cultural center and an established community center, and it’s the combination of the social-emotional element and the extraordinary cultural opportunities we offer that makes PCSA so unique. There is no other program like it in New York City – possibly no program anywhere.”
“Family members have told me their loved ones are happier on the days they come to 92NY for this program,” says Zeuner. “They’re eager to get dressed and come to the program — and then they arrive home more animated, more conversant. The difference the program makes is profound.”
Learn more about the 92NY Program for Cognitive Strength and Ability.