Dutchess County Office for the Aging
AGING NEWS
- Office for the Aging Services
- Utility Scams Seminar (1/21)
- Caregiver Support Group 2016 Meeting Dates (1/18)
- Knit Hats Needed (1/15)
- More Aging News Online
Golden Living . . . News for Senior Citizens
Mary Kaye Dolan-Anderson, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
As we approach the new year, the Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s resolution is to continue our mission to plan, coordinate and provide an array of community-based services to the elderly and persons who require assistance in the long-term care system, in an effort to promote independence, dignity and quality of life.
Most people are not very interested in what our office does until the time comes they need one of our services. I encourage you to clip this article for handy reference in the event you need our help in the future. Some of the services we provide to residents of Dutchess County include:
- Information and Referral about issues of concern to older persons;
- Advocacy and Case Assistance for Medicaid, food stamps, and other entitlement programs;
- Home Delivered Meals throughout most of Dutchess County;
- Senior Friendship Centers where nutritious, hot meals are served along with activities at centers located in the Cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie, and in the Towns of Amenia, Hopewell Junction, Millerton, Poughkeepsie, Pawling and Rhinebeck;
- Transportation Services include rides to Senior Friendship Centers and grocery shopping where available, as well as contracting for medical transportation;
- Legal Services with a focus on shelter and income issues;
- Long Term Care Services through our Dutchess NY Connects unit providing a single point of entry for variety of community based services;
- Energy and Housing Assistance for help with fuel bills and emergency fuel/utility terminations;
- Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program to assist seniors to navigate the intricacies of senior health insurance;
- Case Management to provide home care needs assessment;
- Senior Exercise and Brain Games Classes to exercise the body and the mind;
- A Matter of Balance, a program designed help reduce falls in the elderly;
- Reassurance Programs like “Are You Okay,” PERS (Personal Emergency Response System) units and a Telephone Reassurance Program;
- Caregiver Services including workshops, counseling and assistance, case management, and services for grandparents raising grandchildren;
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program staffing local nursing and adult homes with volunteers who advocate for residents rights;
This is just a partial list of what our office does. Many seniors may only be aware of us through our popular Senior Picnic program. Others may attend the annual Senior Prom or the Celebration of Aging.
You can learn more about all of our programs and services, as well as find our Directory of Senior Services, Long-Term Care Resource Directory, and a copy of the winter edition of the Office for the Aging’sSpotlight on Seniors Newsletter on our website:
Main Website: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/AGIndex.htm
Directory of Senior Services: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/SrServdirectory.pdf
Spotlight on Seniors Newsletter: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/soswinter20152016.pdf
If you or someone you know needs assistance with any of the issues outlined above, or additional information about any of our programs, please call the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555. We look forward to serving you in 2016.
Golden Living is prepared by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 27 High Street, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, telephone 486-2555, email: agingservices@dutchessny.gov website:http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/AGIndex.htm
Utility Scams that Target the Elderly
A free Educational Program
Thursday, January 21
2-3:30 p.m.
MidHudson Regional Hospital
Sister M. Ann Elizabeth Conference Center,
241 North Road, Poughkeepsie
Presented by: Teresa A. Leske-Central Hudson Consumer Outreach
How do you know when it’s a scam? Join our discussion and learn how to recognize when a person is posing as a utility representative and may be trying to scam you, whether they show up at your door or call you on the phone. Teresa A. Leske of Central Hudson’s consumer outreach team works with special needs customers who are often the target of utility scams. This is a FREE presentation; however, space is limited. Please reserve by calling 845-483-5551. This program is funded in part by the U.S. Administration on Aging, New York State Office for the Aging and Dutchess County Government.
2016 Caregiver Support Group Meetings:
Meets Every 3rd Monday from 5-6 p.m.
26 IBM Road, Poughkeepsie
Call 845-483-5551 and ask for Lisa Caldwell or Dominique Mindur to register for this free workshop
Are you providing care for an aging parent or loved one? Are you part of the “Sandwich Generation?” This support group focuses on the importance of taking care of yourself, provides helpful tools & techniques to care for your loved ones, and shares information on what community services might be available to assist you.
Facilitated by trained Registered Nurses
2016 Schedule:
January 18; February 15, March 21; April 18; May 16; June 20; July 18; August 15; September 19; October 17; November 21; December 19
This program is funded in part by the U.S. Administration on Aging, New York State Office for the Aging and Dutchess County Government.
Knit Hats Needed to Raise Awareness for Congenital Heart Defects
The American Heart Association is asking knitting and crocheting enthusiasts to help celebrate February’s Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) Awareness Month by knitting red hats for all babies born at participating hospitals in February—American Heart Month. The AHA is hoping to raise awareness of heart disease, the number one killer of Americans, and congenital heart defects, the most common type of birth defect in the country.
If you knit or crochet and would like to participate in the Little Hats, Big HeartsTM project, please visithttp://bit.ly/HVLittleRedHats online. The AHA is accepting both baby hats and donations of yarn. Sample patterns for baby hats can be found on the website. Hats in are needed in both newborn and preemie sizes. Yarn should be red, cotton or acrylic, medium to heavy-weight, and machine washable and dryable, and should have no bows or buttons.
Hats and donations of yarn must be received by January 15, 2016. Please mail them to: Lisa Neff, American Heart Association, 501 Merritt 7, PH, Norwalk, CT 06851. For more information, please contact lisa.neff@heart.org or 203-295-2954.
MORE AGING NEWS ONLINE:
America’s Rural Elderly Face Barriers to Health Care
12/14/2015 02:00 PM EST
Study finds chronic disease less common among city seniors. Source: HealthDay
‘Fat but fit’ may be a myth, researchers say
| Chicago Daily Herald | – Dec 27, 2015 |
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One of the most controversial ideas in medical science today is whether people can really be fat and fit. That is, is weight in itself a marker of health – or simply a suggestion of a person’s physical fitness?
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The “DNA Diet“ Is On Its Way, The Ultimate Secret to Weight Loss
The “DNA diet” which is on its way, could be a game changer for the big eaters who are fighting it hard to shed some of those unwanted pounds. |
Sudden cardiac arrest may not always be so sudden
| West Texas News | |
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It is not always that sudden cardiac arrest is so sudden, as a latest research has suggested that a lot of people could ignore potentially life-saving warning signs long before they collapse.
It’s Not Just How Long You Sleep: http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-good-nights-sleep-is-tied-to-interruptions-not-just-hours-1448907227?mod=e2fb
ALZHEIMER’S NEWSLETTER: http://act.alz.org/site/MessageViewer?autologin=true&em_id=205335.0&dlv_id=233137&utm_campaign=enews-2015-12-28&utm_medium=email&WT.mc_id=enews2015_12_28&utm_source=enews-aff-118