Smithtown Senior Center offers free, minor home repairs, from fixing leaky faucets to changing locks
Josephine LoRusso, 92, left, and Santa Vaudo, 79, have used the repair program. Behind them are maintenance workers Jim Vasile, left, and Bob Schembri at the Smithtown Senior Center last Thursday. Credit: Rick Kopstein
When Pat Brooks needed a hallway light replaced, she called the Smithtown Senior Center, and within days help arrived.
“I didn’t want to get up on a ladder,” said Brooks, 90, who has needed assistance with household tasks since her husband died nearly 14 years ago.
The town sent a maintenance worker to fix the faulty light after the bulb fused, she said.
Brooks, of St. James, is among Smithtown residents who are benefiting from a free home repair program the town offers to homeowners and renters over the age of 60 that don’t require hiring a licensed tradesperson. The program, which was implemented in 2003, was cut back during the pandemic. Now, back in full force, it offers a range of services, from fixing leaky faucets and running toilets to changing locks and installing grab bars in a bathroom, the town said.
“Most seniors live on a fixed income; they’re retired. This is a program that allows them to maintain basic repairs that don’t require an expert,” town spokeswoman Nicole Garguilo said recently.
Once an inquiry is made, the senior citizen department reviews the project and conducts an assessment to determine the cost of materials, with priority given to safety-related repairs. The labor is then completed by a six-person maintenance crew employed hourly by the department. Residents pay for parts or materials and are limited to two work orders per month.
Brooks has tapped into the town services previously, too. Last year, she called the center after a car crashed into her mailbox and again when a kitchen cabinet door fell off its hinges.
“These are things that it’s very difficult to get the professional people [to do]. The jobs are too small, so they don’t want to come,” Brooks said. “But they have to be done, so you have to find somebody.”
During the pandemic, services were cut back to protect the vulnerable senior population and limited to outdoor projects like cleaning gutters and drains, Garguilo said.
“Now that people are vaccinated and feel safer, we’ve been able to go back to our original program,” Garguilo said.
In 2022, maintenance workers completed 1,067 repairs townwide as part of the program, which costs the town approximately $24,568 annually and is funded through a partnership between the town, county and state offices for the aging.
Josephine LoRusso, of Kings Park, hasused the program twice. Last year, maintenance workers installed a grab bar in her shower and repaired a leaky pipe.
“I had a handyman do it, but he didn’t do it right,” LoRusso, 92, said. “It’s an excellent program for seniors, because most of us really don’t know where to turn when we have repairs to be done. They are really very accommodating.”
Beyond the repair services, Brooks also takes advantage of other programs offered by the senior center.
She takes Zumba and line dancing and signs up for trips to New York City to visit museums and see shows.
“It’s a lot of fun, and I meet people my own age. We all mingle,” Brooks said. “These are things I couldn’t do alone.”
Between 2011 and 2021, the population of those 65 and older grew to nearly 3.5 million statewide, according to a study by the New York City-based Center for an Urban Future. On Long Island, the population grew most rapidly in Suffolk County, by 62,077.
Census Bureau data from 2021 shows that 38% of households in Smithtown include someone 65 or older.
Town officials said the repair program is one way to help seniors maintain their independence.
“This is an outstanding service for residents, especially for residents living on a retirement or pension,” Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said in a statement.
“Our team of trained professionals are thoroughly vetted, friendly and trusted employees who genuinely love helping our senior community.”
When Pat Brooks needed a hallway light replaced, she called the Smithtown Senior Center, and within days help arrived.
“I didn’t want to get up on a ladder,” said Brooks, 90, who has needed assistance with household tasks since her husband died nearly 14 years ago.
The town sent a maintenance worker to fix the faulty light after the bulb fused, she said.
Brooks, of St. James, is among Smithtown residents who are benefiting from a free home repair program the town offers to homeowners and renters over the age of 60 that don’t require hiring a licensed tradesperson. The program, which was implemented in 2003, was cut back during the pandemic. Now, back in full force, it offers a range of services, from fixing leaky faucets and running toilets to changing locks and installing grab bars in a bathroom, the town said.
“Most seniors live on a fixed income; they’re retired. This is a program that allows them to maintain basic repairs that don’t require an expert,” town spokeswoman Nicole Garguilo said recently.
Once an inquiry is made, the senior citizen department reviews the project and conducts an assessment to determine the cost of materials, with priority given to safety-related repairs. The labor is then completed by a six-person maintenance crew employed hourly by the department. Residents pay for parts or materials and are limited to two work orders per month.
Brooks has tapped into the town services previously, too. Last year, she called the center after a car crashed into her mailbox and again when a kitchen cabinet door fell off its hinges.
“These are things that it’s very difficult to get the professional people [to do]. The jobs are too small, so they don’t want to come,” Brooks said. “But they have to be done, so you have to find somebody.”
During the pandemic, services were cut back to protect the vulnerable senior population and limited to outdoor projects like cleaning gutters and drains, Garguilo said.
“Now that people are vaccinated and feel safer, we’ve been able to go back to our original program,” Garguilo said.
In 2022, maintenance workers completed 1,067 repairs townwide as part of the program, which costs the town approximately $24,568 annually and is funded through a partnership between the town, county and state offices for the aging.
Josephine LoRusso, of Kings Park, hasused the program twice. Last year, maintenance workers installed a grab bar in her shower and repaired a leaky pipe.
“I had a handyman do it, but he didn’t do it right,” LoRusso, 92, said. “It’s an excellent program for seniors, because most of us really don’t know where to turn when we have repairs to be done. They are really very accommodating.”
Beyond the repair services, Brooks also takes advantage of other programs offered by the senior center.
She takes Zumba and line dancing and signs up for trips to New York City to visit museums and see shows.
“It’s a lot of fun, and I meet people my own age. We all mingle,” Brooks said. “These are things I couldn’t do alone.”
Between 2011 and 2021, the population of those 65 and older grew to nearly 3.5 million statewide, according to a study by the New York City-based Center for an Urban Future. On Long Island, the population grew most rapidly in Suffolk County, by 62,077.
Census Bureau data from 2021 shows that 38% of households in Smithtown include someone 65 or older.
Town officials said the repair program is one way to help seniors maintain their independence.
“This is an outstanding service for residents, especially for residents living on a retirement or pension,” Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said in a statement.
“Our team of trained professionals are thoroughly vetted, friendly and trusted employees who genuinely love helping our senior community.”
Home repair services for senior citizens
For more information on home repair services for senior citizens, call the Smithtown Senior Center at 631-360-7616, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
