Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s AGING NEWS For the week of April 9

Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

For the week of April 9

Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers

Todd N. Tancredi, Director

Dutchess County Office for the Aging

DUTCHESS COUNTY HONORS THE SENIORS OF THE YEAR

The Dutchess County Office for the Aging Advisory Board has selected the 2018 Senior Citizens of the Year from nominations submitted by the community. We received an unusually large number of nominations this year, which made choosing our honorees an added challenge, but which also reflects the impressive volunteer work done by so many seniors here.

Patricia Malin of Pleasant Valley was chosen as the Female Senior Citizen of the Year; Ronald Seeley of Hyde Park is the Male Senior Citizen of the Year; and Barbara and Ronald Nolan of Pleasant Valley are the Senior Citizen Couple of the Year. Also, Jack Fenton of Hyde Park and Joy Godin of Wingdale were selected to receive Senior Achievement Awards. Their achievements will be recognized by County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro at the annual Celebration of Aging luncheon on Monday, May 21st at noon at the Villa Borghese, 70 Widmer Road in Wappingers Falls.

The public is invited to attend this uplifting event, which features a full buffet lunch at a cost of $25 per person or $250 for a table of 10 if payment is received no later thanFriday, April 27^th; after that date, tickets (if they are still available) are $40 per person. Checks should be mailed or delivered to the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 27 High Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. For more information, call (845) 486-2555 or email bjones@dutchessny.gov.

Also honored at the Celebration of Aging are Dutchess County couples married for 70 or more years and residents who will be 100 years of age or more any time in 2018. If you know a resident of Dutchess County who falls into one of those categories (or both), please contact our office as indicated above. We would be happy to send them an invitation to be our guests at the event at no charge.

The Celebration of Aging is proudly sponsored by EverCare At Home, Marquis Home Care, Northwestern Mutual, The Pines at Poughkeepsie, and Wingate Healthcare.

PARKINSON’S AWARENESS MONTH ACTIVITIES PLANNED

April is Worldwide Parkinson’s Awareness Month, full of activities planned by the Parkinson’s Disease Support Group of the Mid-Hudson Valley. The Mid-Hudson Bridge will be lit for the month of April in green and gold, representing strength and hope, with the annual “Walk over Water” taking place at 1 p.m. on April 29^thon the Walkway Over the Hudson, starting from the Poughkeepsie side. Organizers say there will be wheelchairs available for participants who don’t have their own and are unable to make the walk without assistance.

To participate or contribute, visit www.midhudsonparkinsons.org or call (914) 475-2493. The next meeting of the Parkinson’s support group will take place Friday, April 27th at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Fellowship (67 South Randolph Ave., Poughkeepsie). Additionally, there’s a month-long Parkinson’s educational display at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck (68 West Market St.).

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 upcoming events

Unless otherwise indicated, call (845) 486-2555 for more information

Mon 4/9, 2 p.m. – “Successful Aging” with OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones

Mid-Hudson Japanese Community Association meeting

Poughkeepsie Galleria Community Room

Space is limited; register by emailing office@mhjca.org

Tue 4/10, 10:30 a.m. – “Successful Aging” with OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones

Salvation Army, 19 Pershing Ave., Poughkeepsie

Wed 4/11, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. – New York Statewide Senior Action Council informational meeting

Including OFA director Todd Tancredi and State Senator Sue Serino

Boardman Road Branch Library, 141 Boardman Rd., Poughkeepsie

RSVP by April 6 to statewide4@gmail.com or 1-800-333-4374

Thu 4/12, 11 a.m. – “Microgreens In Your Diet” (includes information on growing your own)

With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava

Tri-Town Senior Friendship Center (55 Overlook Rd., Poughkeepsie)

Thu 4/19, 11 a.m. – “Reversing Heart Disease Through Diet”

With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava

East Fishkill Senior Friendship Center, 890 Route 82, Hopewell Junction

Mon 4/23, 11 a.m. – “Heart Healthy Nutrition”

With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava

Red Hook Senior Friendship Center, 59 Fisk St.

Fri 5/4, 12:45 p.m. – “Successful Aging” with OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones

With Millbrook @ Home

Maura’s Kitchen, 18 Alden Pl., Millbrook

Mon 5/21, 12 noon – The Celebration of Aging

Villa Borghese, 70 Widmer Rd., Wappinger

Tickets $25/person until April 27, $40/person after

Free for all Dutchess residents who will turn 100 or more in 2018, plus one guest

Free for all Dutchess-resident couples married 70+ years in 2018

Call (845) 486-2544 or email bjones@dutchessny.gov to find out more

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.

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!

“HEAP” STILL AVAILABLE TO HELP

Winter decided to skulk about here in Dutchess County for longer than usual, and that can be a serious matter for seniors on a tight heating budget.

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) remains open for the season until April 27^th. As long as a client gets their applications in by the 27th, they will still be considered for a HEAP benefit. HEAP is also offering Emergency Benefits to clients who have already used up their original HEAP benefits. There are two Emergency Benefits available per HEAP household. Please use them!

The HERR program (Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement) and Clean and Tune program also remain open. Clients can apply for a Clean and Tune of their heating equipment once per year. No close date has been announced for either program, as they are on-going throughout the season.

Call the OFA HEAP office directly at 845-486-2553 to apply for any HEAP-related programs for seniors.

SPRING BOOK SALE IN PLEASANT VALLEY

The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library have scheduled their annual Spring Book Sale for the second weekend in April.
Donations of books, CDs and DVDs in good condition are being accepted now at the library, at 1554 Main St. (Route 44) in Pleasant Valley. More than 20,000 items will be available for purchase at the Town Hall the weekend of April 13-15 (Fri-Sun). Anyone who brings a non-perishable food item for the local food pantry will receive a free book. The event will begin with a preview sale on April 13th, for which there is a $5 admission fee. Admission is free April 14th and 15th. Children’s books and pocket-sized paperbacks will start at five for $1 and adult books, CDs & DVDS will be six for $5. There will be a giant $5 bag sale on April 15th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Books will be free, although donations will be accepted, for a half hour at 2 p.m. on April 15th.

Call the library at (845) 635-8460 for more information.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW MAY “HEAR-T” YOU (The Importance of Good Hearing)

Hearing wellness educator Haim Keren is the speaker at the “Lunch and Learn” series at Temple Beth-El in Poughkeepsie (118 South Grand Ave., (845) 471-9811), on Wednesday, April 18 at 11:30 a.m. Lunch can be had after the talk for a suggested $6 donation.

Call the temple for more information on the weekly “Lunch and Learn” events.

PRESERVING YOUR OLD BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS

Metropolitan Museum of Art book conservator Mindell Dubansky will speak at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck (68 W. Market St.) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 21^st.

Mindy will review the most common conservation, rehousing and simple repair treatments and you can try out your hand skills on some — including the use of cover wrappers, dry cleaning, the safe removal of paper clips and staples and more. Participants can bring books and archival items for advice. Materials will be provided by the Library.

DOWNSIZING DILEMMAS SOLVED

That’s the name of a free educational program open to the public that’s taking place on Thursday, April 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Lexington Club at Galleria Apartments (1964 South Rd., Poughkeepsie)/

Colleen Ashe of Ashe Organizing Solutions will be the presenter and share her solutions to your downsizing questions, whether you’re looking to age in place in your own home, or move to something more compact.

Space is limited, so advance registration is required at (845) 483-5551.

This program and others like it are supported by MidHudson Regional Licensed Home Care (www.midhudsonregional.org), and funded in part by the U.S. Administration on Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and Dutchess County Office for the Aging.

Other aging news online:

A new paper in the journal “Neuropsychopharmacology” finds that people who are isolated, without strong social connections, suffer more inflammation – while a reduction in isolation is followed by a reduction in hospital admissions. Hmm: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/21/town-cure-illness-community-frome-somerset-isolation?CMP=share_btn_link

Something else that helps you live longer…reading books: https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/why-reading-books-should-be-your-priority-according-to-science.html

(Although reading the Aging News will do nicely, also.)

In the UK there are more and more drivers over the age of 100: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/22/rise-centenarian-drivers-rac-aa-say-no-need-give-car-early/

An intriguing new development for Medicare Advantage plans: http://www.post-gazette.com/aging-edge/aging-edge-reports/2018/04/05/Medicare-Advantage-plans-cleared-to-go-beyond-medical-coverage-even-groceries/stories/201804050118

Some acutely-ill patients are being treated at home instead of at the hospital: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/hospitals-are-germy-noisy-places-some-acutely-ill-patients-are-getting-treated-at-home-instead/2018/03/30/5fcb5006-2155-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html?utm_term=.1c5481b81a26

Yes, you can get two colds at once: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/well/live/can-you-get-two-colds-at-once.html

This week in senior birthdays:

4/9: Singer/songwriter/comedian Tom Lehrer (89)

4/10: Actor Max von Sydow (89)

4/11: Philanthropist Ethel Kennedy (89)

4/12: Children’s author Beverly Cleary (102)

4/13: Director/choreographer Stanley Donen (94)