Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of January 15
Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
Whenever a vulnerable Dutchess County senior citizen is reported missing, the Office for the Aging (OFA) helps spread the word in hopes the missing senior will be located quickly, especially during this coldest portion of winter. So far, we’ve been fortunate this winter. Since this time last year, state officials report 13 vulnerable seniors reported missing, and all 13 were either located safely or returned home on their own.
The statistics on dementia and wandering from the Alzheimer’s Association tell the story. At some point, six out of every 10 seniors with dementia will wander.
Our ultimate goal is to help prevent wandering by raising awareness of OFA services. Even the most dedicated family member or caregiver can’t watch a person’s comings and goings around the clock, but we can help you minimize the risk and de-stress the job of protecting vulnerable seniors.
What we describe as “wandering” might not be wandering in the mind of the person with dementia. They may have a specific goal in mind. Often the goal is something to do with the routines they had when they were younger, like heading for work or visiting family.
In partnership with the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, we offer a free program called “Are You Okay?” Once a senior signs up with the program, a computer will call their home at a designated time each day. If no one answers, the computer will call their emergency contact. If that person does not answer, the Sheriff’s Office will dispatch a unit to check on the resident. Applications are available on our website, www.dutchessny.gov/aging, or by calling our office at (845) 486-2555.
GET ON THE GOOD FOOT IN 2018
You might recall “Get on the Good Foot” as a big James Brown hit in 1972, but it’s also an old southern expression meaning roughly “to get going without delay.” Which leads us to the new year being an excellent time to start a regular exercise program.
The Dutchess County Office for the Aging offers Senior Exercise Program classes in virtually every municipality in the county. Exercising in a class with other participants offers not just the healthy benefits of the exercises, but also socialization, another key factor to successful aging.
To find out about the Senior Exercise class nearest you, visit our website at www.dutchessny.gov/aging. You’ll find a listing of all the classes and their locations, what a typical workout consists of, information on how to join, as well as the doctor’s consent form that you’ll need in order to join a class. If you don’t have internet access, call our office and we will send you the information through the mail.
Many local governments, houses of worship and social organizations also offer exercise classes independently of the Office for the Aging, and we recommend getting in touch with them if that’s the easiest way for you to…get on the good foot.
Golden Living is prepared by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 27 High Street, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, telephone (845) 486-2555, email: ofa@dutchessny.gov website:www.dutchessny.gov/aging
Office for the Aging calendar of events:
Thu 1/18/18, 11 a.m. – “Going For The Goal”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Beacon Senior Friendship Center
(845) 486-2555 to find out more
Mon 1/22/18, 11 a.m. – “Rules of Healthy Behaviors”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
King’s Apartments
(845) 486-2555 to find out more
Tue 1/23/18, 11 a.m. – “A Guide to Good Health Resolutions”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Pawling Senior Friendship Center
(845) 486-2555 for more information
Wed 1/24/18, 2 p.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
The Fountains at Millbrook (79 Flint Rd., Millbrook)
(845) 486-2555 for details
Thu 1/25/18, 11 a.m. – “Setting Fitness Goals for the New Year”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Tri-Town Senior Friendship Center
55 Overlook Rd., Poughkeepsie (rear of American Legion building)
(845) 486-2555 to find out more
Fri 1/26/18, 11 a.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
Brookside Meadows, Pleasant Valley
(845) 486-2555 for details
(postponed from 1/11; snow date 2/2, same time)
Fri 1/26/18, 11 a.m. – “Conquering Your Good Health Resolutions”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
City of Poughkeepsie Senior Friendship Center
110 South Grand Avene
(845) 486-2555 to find out more
Tue 1/30/18, 11 a.m. – “Will Your Resolutions Last Until February?”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Rhinebeck Senior Friendship Center
(845) 486-2555 to find out more
Wed 2/14/18, 10:30 a.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
Pine Plains Free Library, Second Floor Community Room
7775 South Main St. (Route 82)
(845) 486-2555 for details
Snow date: 3/14/18, same time
Wed 3/21/18, 11:30 a.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
At “Lunch and Learn”, Temple Beth-El
118 South Grand Ave., Poughkeepsie
(845) 486-2555 for details
To request an Office for the Aging presentation for your senior, social and/or civic group, get in touch with outreach coordinator Brian Jones at (845) 486-2555 or bjones@dutchessny.gov. All your group needs to provide is a venue that’s wheelchair-accessible and open to the public, with space to set up a projector and screen. We have our own projector and screen – but if you have those, let us know. This time of year, we recommend you come up with an alternate presentation date you can make available in case of inclement winter weather.
We feature presentations on Successful Aging, Office for the Aging services, Medicare/Medicaid, senior housing, a wide range of topics related to nutrition, and more!
OFA volunteer opportunities for this week (and beyond):
Home Delivered Meals drivers – Delivering nutritious meals to homebound seniors is a great way to give of yourself in 2018. We have opportunities near your home community, wherever in Dutchess it may be. Contact nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava at nbhargava@dutchessny.gov or (845) 486-2555.
Senior Friendship Center help – we have eight Friendship Centers around the county, in Beacon, East Fishkill, Millerton, Pawling, the City of Poughkeepsie, the Town of Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck (Rock City), and South Amenia. Contact OFA at (845) 486-2555 to find out more.
Many local communities and houses of worship also support senior centers independently of the Office for the Aging; contact them directly for more information, or ask us and we’ll see if there are any near you that you might not have thought of.
For more opportunities to help your senior friends and neighbors in conjunction with the OFA’s mission, contact Friends of Seniors at (845) 485-1277 and/or the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) at (845) 452-5104.
SHERIFF’S OFFICE TELEPHONE SCAM WORKSHOP (Mon 1/22, 1-2 p.m.)
Join the Tivoli Library (86 Broadway, 845-757-3771) and Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office’s for an informative presentation about common and current telephone scams, taking place from 1 to 2 p.m. on Monday, January 22 at the library. Deputy Sheriff Michael Rahilly will show you how to avoid falling victim to these telephone scammers. Every year, thousands of people lose money to telephone scams, from a few dollars to their life savings – don’t be one of them! A Q&A session will follow.
Contact the library to sign up; space is limited.
CITIZENS PREPAREDNESS IN PAWLING (Tue 1/23, 7-9 p.m.)
This month’s foul winter weather is another reason Dutchess seniors need to be prepared for any type of disaster, and the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response and Department of Behavioral & Community Health have been traveling the county for presentations on preparedness. You’ll acquire the tools and resources to better prepare for any type of disaster, learn how to respond accordingly in a disaster, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions.
The next presentation is coming up on Tuesday, January 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pawling Library (11 Front St., (845) 855-3444). Doors open at 6:30. Attendees will receive a free Citizens Preparedness Response Kit.
Other aging news online:
So how long does a case of influenza last? https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-long-does-the-flu-last?utm_content=buffer6f682&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer
Looking to improve your memory? Join a choir: http://www.nextavenue.org/benefits-choir-singing/?utm_content=bufferd15eb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Canadian officials are blaming a recent continent-wide E. coli outbreak on romaine lettuce but American officials aren’t so sure: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/05/health/e-coli-romaine-lettuce.html
Lifestyle changes and physical therapy may help those with urinary incontinence: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/urinary-incontinence-common-and-manageable-2017101812583?utm_content=buffer85ed2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer
In case you were wondering whether flu season has peaked yet…it hasn’t: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/15/opinion/happy-flu-year.html?smid=fb-nytopinion&smtyp=cur&_r=0
The estimated annual value of the unpaid work done by caregivers is $470 billion: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/341670-470-billion-reasons-to-support-caregivers?utm_sq=fm9mhedgr0
The rate of dementia in African-Americans is twice that of the general population, and researchers at a just-concluded Alzheimer’s conference in London say a combination of stress and poverty may be to blame: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/16/536935957/stress-and-poverty-may-explain-high-rates-of-dementia-in-african-americans?utm_sq=fm7jhh9o7k
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This week in senior birthdays:
1/15: Guitarist/actress Charo (67)
1/16: Journalist/author William Kennedy (90)
1/17: Actress/comedian Betty White (96)
1/18: Actor/director Kevin Costner (63)
1/19: Actress/activist Tippi Hedren (88)
1/20: Trumpeter/bandleader Ray Anthony (96)
1/21: Golf legend Jack Nicklaus (78)
Brian Jones
Outreach Coordinator
Dutchess County Office For the Aging
Phone: (845) 486-2555 Fax: (845) 486-2571
Email: bjones@dutchessny.gov
Website: www.dutchessny.gov/aging
