Program for Cognitive Strength and Ability – the growing program revitalizing lives

When a program truly changes lives, word spreads. It’s what has happened with 92NY’s Program for Cognitive Strength and Ability (PCSA). Created to bring connection, stimulation, and dignity to those navigating mild to moderate cognitive loss, the program started small – with just eight participants in 2022. But the impact? Immediate. People who had been struggling with feelings of isolation and stigmatization found community, camaraderie, and hope. And three years later, 138 lives – and countless more surrounding them – have been reinvigorated, thanks to the most powerful force there is: people sharing something transformative. Doctors at Weill Cornell, Mount Sinai, and NYU Langone are referring their patients. Friends are telling friends. Because when you can offer a person hope where hope has dimmed, it’s something the world needs to know about.

Testimonials from participants speak to the program’s life-changing impact:

“This program is the best thing that has happened to me. I believe it has given me – everyone – another five years.”

“This program has brought me hope.”

“It’s been a life-affirming experience for [my husband] to participate in this excellent program ... It has been a lifesaver.”

PCSA currently serves 75 participants, grouped in five cohorts for those with mild cognitive impairment and three salons for those with moderate cognitive loss. Each group is led by a licensed social worker and two staff members, with activities including discussions on current events and topics tailored to the interests of the individuals in the group, arts programming, fitness, and more. And it isn’t only the number of participants and groups that has grown. “We’ve greatly expanded our cultural programming,” says Arielle Belfer, LMSW – PCSA’s Director of Program Operations. “We initially worked with professors and educators from our broader senior program network, but we’ve evolved our programming into something really robust, with educators and talent from leading New York City cultural institutions.” Experts from the Jewish Museum and Cooper Hewitt give presentations and discuss their collections and current exhibitions. Graduate students from The Juilliard School perform for participants, then lead music appreciation sessions. The Central Park Conservancy gives visual tours of the park. “The groups are small, and it’s all very interactive,” says Belfer. “The programming allows participants to continue to engage in culture and the arts at a very high level, in a way that is accessible to them cognitively and physically, and that rekindles interests and passions from their earlier lives.”

No one navigating cognitive loss navigates it alone. The challenges for spouses, partners, children, family, and friends can be great – sometimes even overwhelming. PCSA has recognized this from the start, when it began offering an online Family & Friends Support Series. As the program for participants has grown, so have the opportunities for loved ones. In June 2024, PCSA added Deborah Gross, LMSW, to its staff as Director of Community Care and Outreach, and a point person caregivers can turn to for support, resources, and more. Gross now leads five support groups a month for families of participants, and is available for one-on-ones with any family member wanting to talk more privately. Families have even formed their own micro-communities. And the Family & Friends Support Series continues, with streamed sessions open to anyone anywhere. “It’s a way for The 92nd Street Y to support people all over the country who are navigating similar challenges – the impact becomes truly immeasurable,” she says.

“We understand that when someone is diagnosed with cognitive loss, it doesn’t only affect the person – it affects the whole family,” says Gross. “Often the caregiver’s world becomes very small.” What she is able to bring to them goes beyond vital emotional support, but practical resources – what to look for when searching for a home care agency or a geriatric care manager or an elder care attorney or other. “People feel very alone, and we’re here to let them know they aren’t – we’re here to help them,” she says. “It’s all about creating community – for the individuals in our program and also for their families.” Belfer adds, “We’re creating connection, sparking engagement, restoring dignity, and respecting the lives people lived before. There isn’t another program for this population or with the high level of its offerings anywhere.”

PCSA now has a wait list. “Space, staff, and financial limitations make it impossible to accommodate the demand,” says Belfer. “People are living longer, and the need for this program is only growing,” says Gross. “The community is aching for this.”

Learn more about 92NY’s Program for Cognitive Strength and Ability.