Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of April 23
Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
SUMMER SENIOR PICNICS RETURN FOR A 26TH YEAR
The Office for the Aging Senior Picnic Program kicks off this year on Wednesday, May 30. Residents age 60 and over are invited to socialize with their friends and neighbors at the event designated for their hometown, enjoy a nutritious meal, and learn more about the programs and services offered by the Office for the Aging. With one exception this year, all picnics take place on Wednesdays, rain or shine. All picnics begin at noon. Each of the 12 picnics scheduled this year is open only to the senior citizen residents of each village/town(s) specified, and their guests. Proof of residency and reservations are both required, and space is limited. There is a $4 charge for each non-resident guest and those 59 or younger.
The 2018 Senior Picnic Schedule is as follows. Please note that the Clinton/Hyde Park and City of Poughkeepsie picnics are at new locations this summer:
May 30 – Town and Village of Pawling, Towns of Dover, Amenia and Union Vale
Boyce Park, 6423 Route 55, Wingdale
June 6 – Village and Town of Fishkill
Sarah Taylor Park, 17 Old Main Street, Fishkill
June 13 – Towns of North East, Pine Plains, Washington and Stanford and Villages of Millbrook and Millerton
Pine Plains Lions Club Pavilion, 82 Beach Road
June 20 – Village and Town of Rhinebeck, Village and Town of Red Hook, Town of Milan and Village of Tivoli
Tivoli Memorial Park, 1 Katherine Lane
June 27 – Town of Wappinger and Village of Wappingers Falls
Recreation Park, 95 Robinson Lane, Wappinger
July 11 – Towns of Hyde Park and Clinton
FDR Library (Great Lawn), 4079 Route 9, Hyde Park (new location for 2018)
July 18 – City of Beacon
Memorial Park, 298 Fishkill Ave., Beacon
(Tuesday) July 24 – Town of Pleasant Valley
Cady Field, 1554 Main Street, Pleasant Valley
August 1 – Town of Poughkeepsie
Bowdoin Park, 85 Sheafe Rd., Poughkeepsie
August 15 – Towns of LaGrange and Beekman
Freedom Park, 212 Skidmore Rd., LaGrange
August 22 – Town of East Fishkill
East Fishkill Recreation Park, 330 Route 376
August 29 – City of Poughkeepsie
Stitzel Field, 10-14 Lincoln Ave. (new location for 2018)
To make a reservation for the picnic corresponding with your municipality, call the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555.
The Senior Picnic Program has been held annually since 1993 and is made possible through private/public partnerships and support from many local municipalities and businesses. Special thanks to this year’s Platinum sponsors: Wingate Healthcare, EverCare At Home, The Pines at Poughkeepsie, Medicare Resource Group, Northwestern Mutual and the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services – Protective Services for Adults. Additional sponsorships are available for businesses that would like to reach out to the senior community.
Volunteers of all ages are needed at each picnic to help with set-up and clean-up, and to bring meals to the handicapped attendees; and at the Office for the Aging to make reminder calls prior to each picnic. Call the Office for the Aging at 486-2555 for more information about volunteer opportunities.
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
Tue 4/24, 11 a.m. – “Change Your Diet, Change Your Life”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Red Hook Senior Friendship Center, 59 Fisk St.
Thu 4/26, 11 a.m. – “Eat For Your Heart Health”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Beacon Senior Friendship Center, 1 Forrestal Heights
Fri 4/27, 11 a.m. – “Change Your Diet, Change Your Life”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
City of Poughkeepsie Senior Friendship Center, 110 S. Grand Ave.
Sat 4/28, noon-4:30 p.m. – Red Hook Community Center First Anniversary Celebration
Including OFA Senior Friendship Center site manager Cindy Lefebvre
www.redhookcommunitycenter.org and/or (845) 475-1129 for more information
Thu 5/3, 11 a.m. – “The Benefits of Microgreens”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Tri-Town Seniors Friendship Center, 55 Overlook Rd., Poughkeepsie
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 5/7, 1:30 p.m. – “Reversing Heart Disease”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
King’s Apartments, 20 Pine Dr. (just east of Route 22), Pawling
Wed 5/9, 1 p.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 161 Mansion St., Poughkeepsie
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 orbjones@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!
HAPPY 111th BIRTHDAY, TULIA!
We emailed this issue of the Aging News on Sunday, April 22, which is also the 111th birthday of Dutchess County’s oldest resident, Sixta Tulia Aguinaga de Posada of LaGrangeville. Office for the Aging research indicates that as of this past week, she’s the oldest living person in Dutchess County, second-oldest in New York State, 27th-oldest in the United States, and 99th oldest worldwide. Our fondest congratulations to Tulia and her family!
MEDICATION TAKE-BACK DAY AT HEALTH QUEST HOSPITALS (Sat 4/28)
Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie and Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck will team up with local law enforcement to accept medications for disposal between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel will partner with the Prevention Council of Putnam and sheriff’s office to offer its event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Only prescription and over-the-counter pills and patches will be collected. No liquids, needles or sharps medical devices. Medications should be kept in original packaging with the patient information removed. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
During the fall 2017 national take-back event, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and law enforcement partners collected 456 tons of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 locations, according to the DEA’s website.
“This initiative addresses a vital public health and safety issue,” said Dr. Gerda Maissel, chief medical officer of Health Quest Medical Practice. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets can be used recreationally and abused, including by youth. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the country are alarming,”
In addition, flushing medicines down the toilet or throwing them in the trash can pose potential safety and environmental hazards.
For information about the disposal of prescription drugs, visit www.healthquest.org/takeback (TTY 800-421-1220).
Event Locations:
1) Vassar Brothers Medical Center Dyson Center for Cancer Care
2) Northern Dutchess Hospital Board Room
6511 Springbrook Ave., Rhinebeck
3) Putnam Hospital Center Wagner Cancer Pavilion
TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE PART IN FULL-SCALE MEDICAL EXERCISES (Tue 5/1, Sat 5/5)
The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health is performing a full scale Point Of Dispensing (POD) exercise which tests our ability to dispense medication to the general population quickly and efficiently in the event of a health emergency. You, as a volunteer actor, would be playing a member of the public who is attending the POD to receive their medication.
Here’s the information:
ProVax 2018 Full Scale POD Exercise
Tuesday, May 1st, 2018
Location: Hyde Park Elementary School
4327 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park
Time: Sign in for Volunteers will be at 9:30-9:45 a.m. You will be needed until approximately 11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
Volunteers that wish to participate should send their name and email to Medical Reserve Corps coordinator Joe Ryan: jryan@dutchessny.gov. As an aside, get in touch with Joe if you’re interested in joining the Medical Reserve Corps.
Additionally, Westchester County Airport in White Plains will be conducting a bi-annual disaster exercise on Saturday, May 5th. Anyone or any group (scout troop, school club, etc.) who would like to portray “victims” are welcome to volunteer. All volunteers must be preregistered. If you are interested in participating, or for more information, please contact Mike Kenyon at (914) 231-1160 or mjk2@westchestergov.com.
WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY 2018 (Fri 6/15)
This annual event had been held in Poughkeepsie for many years, but it has drawn attention from around the Hudson Valley. Organizers say a larger venue was needed to host this year’s event – therefore, it’s been scheduled for Friday, June 15, at the Aquinas Theatre at Mount Saint Mary College in the City of Newburgh (330 Powell Ave.). According to organizers, in future years, the event will be held in rotating locations including Dutchess County, and the event remains open to all guests from any county who register in advance while there’s space.
Dutchess County will be represented at the conference by Patricia Sheldon, Director of Adult Protective Services. Additionally, Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro will join Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus at the conference for opening remarks. The event is presented by EverCare with cooperation from St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital and Mount Saint Mary College.
Space will be limited, so register by emailing weaad2018@evercare.org, or by calling the Orange County Office for the Aging at (845) 615-3700.
Additional information: https://www.evercare.org/know-more-age-loudly-against-elder-abuse/
Other aging news online:
The April 17th death of Barbara Bush has brought the term “comfort care” into the spotlight. It’s not a term everybody may find immediately familiar:https://khn.org/news/barbara-bushs-end-of-life-decision-stirs-debate-over-comfort-care/
The elderly are often excluded from clinical studies…which may not be the wisest action when testing medications and treatments likely to be used on the elderly:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/health/elderly-clinical-trials.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FElderly
Here’s some background on the science behind findings about the positive effects of exercise on aging bodies: https://massivesci.com/articles/cycling-muscles-aging/
And some more on the topic, about the positive effects of exercise on aging brains: http://neurosciencenews.com/stronger-healthy-brains-8836/
The chickenpox virus can infect people when they’re kids, then reappear five or more decades later as shingles. Scientists have now figured out (they think) how this is possible:https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-04-discovery-chickenpox-shingles-virus-dormant.html
You’re “officially old” at age…57? Seriously? https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/getting-old-signs-ageing-sore-joints-losing-hair-forgetfulness-a8305601.html
In rebuttal to the previous story, we bring you this other story, in which many seniors are refusing to accept stereotypes about aging: https://tylerpaper.com/news/local/many-seniors-don-t-accept-stereotypes-about-aging/article_09ca0a5e-4265-11e8-bebc-db676b989fc5.html
Worried about computer security as you use Facebook? Here are some helpful tips: https://seniorplanet.org/enjoy-facebook-safely-and-securely/?mc_cid=a22072486e&mc_eid=4149ad7bda
Here’s a gorgeous retirement home…but to get in you have to be a retired Italian musician: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/arts/music/casa-verdi-musicians-retirement-home-milan.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FElderly
An item from the “this is a bit much for most seniors, but good for him” files…kayaking across the Atlantic at age 70: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/22/magazine/voyages-kayaking-across-ocean-at-70.html?mc=aud_dev&mcid=facebook&mccr=tafi20&ad-keywords=AudDevGate&subid1=TAFI&dclid=COr3p5mLxNoCFQWWyAodB_sLWA
From Iowa…a webcam pointed at the nest of a bald eagle nesting pair and their eaglets: https://explore.org/livecams (The site also has “eagle cams” pointed at nests all over the country. If anybody knows of an “eagle cam” closer to us, let us know. There are certainly many more bald eagles in Dutchess County than there used to be.)
This week in senior birthdays:
4/23: Actor Lee Majors (79)
4/24: Singer/actress Barbra Streisand (76)
4/25: Actor/director Al Pacino (78)
4/26: Songwriter/guitarist Duane Eddy (79)
4/27: Singer/songwriter and Hudson Valley resident Kate Pierson (The B-52’s) (70)
4/28: Actress/danger/singer Ann-Margret (77)
4/29: Singer/songwriter/guitarist/actor Willie Nelson (85)
Brilliant work, everybody – you’ve completed another Aging News with flying colors, so here’s your bad joke to share far and wide:
Q: What does a nosy hot pepper do?
A: It gets jalapeño business.
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
