Hundreds of seniors in West New York lined up last week to have their picture taken for a new photo identification card that officials say will help protect their health and safety.
The new cards are part of the Ident-Adult Program started last year by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office to provide residents 50 and older with a free I.D. containing a photo, name, and address, as well as any medical conditions, allergies, and contact information for doctors and family members. The I.D. also can not be duplicated due to a unique seal.
“The sheriff just felt that this type of program would benefit all seniors.” – Robert Knapp
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When Sheriff Juan Perez came to office, said Knapp, he devised this program to protect seniors throughout the county.
“The sheriff just felt that this type of program would benefit all seniors,” said Knapp. He added that the program became a priority for the sheriff because Hudson County has one of the highest populations of seniors in the state.
Some seniors in Hoboken, Jersey City, and Secaucus already have Ident-Adult I.D.’s, said Knapp, and the sheriff is currently reaching out to other towns for support.
“The sheriff will make it available to every municipality in the county,” said Knapp.
West New York Mayor Sal Vega said that he wanted to introduce the program in town because he felt West New York seniors would also benefit from having an I.D. backed by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.
“It was available to seniors throughout the county, and we felt it would be a great way of making sure seniors would have proper identification,” said Vega. He said that the program is especially important because many seniors do not have another form of I.D.
“Many of them don’t drive, so they don’t have a driver’s license,” said Vega, “and many of them don’t have a passport.”
In addition to potentially being very helpful in a medical emergency, said Vega, the I.D. also brings seniors up to speed in an age when I.D.’s are required for entrance into certain buildings and other functions.
Vega said the town started last week registering seniors in public housing but will continue the program to include all West New York seniors. In the future, he said, seniors will be able to register at a specified site in town at least once a year.
Seniors in town agreed that the program was a good idea.
“I think it is definitely a good thing, because sometimes older people seem to forget a lot of things, and this way, they have an I.D., they have all the information that may be needed in case of an emergency,” said Alvina Tepepa, who applied for her own card last week.
Teresa Morejon said: “The program is very good. The seniors need I.D.’s.”
Knapp said that the information seniors are providing in the application for the card is not going to be kept in a central database. He also said that there have not yet been any reports that these I.D. cards have helped in any case.
Amanda Staab can be reached at astaab@hudsonreporter.com.