Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

The Medical Reserve Corps Need You!
Citizen Preparedness Training (4/12)
DC Veterans Office Opens at Castle Point
Library Book Sale This Weekend (4/8-10)
National Walking Day (4/6)
Taste Testing at Friendship Centers
More Aging News Online

Golden Living . . . News for Senior Citizens

Dutchess County Office for the Aging

THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS NEEDS YOU

Are you interested in volunteering to assist your Dutchess County neighbors in the event of an emergency? The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers dedicated to supporting public health infrastructure, as well as disaster preparedness and response in their local communities. With nearly 1,000 units and 200,000 members nationwide, the MRC is made up of both healthcare and non-healthcare professionals.

Locally, the MRC supports Dutchess County’s departments of Emergency Response and Behavioral and Community Health when responding to incidents of all kinds. In times of disaster, MRC volunteers both support and supplement local emergency response resources when they are needed most. Whether MRC volunteers are staffing emergency shelters, assisting with surveillance and notification efforts, or conducting mass distribution of pharmaceuticals, they make a tremendous difference in protecting and strengthening Dutchess County.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

No matter what your profession, the Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County needs you! When disaster strikes a community, volunteers of all abilities and skill sets are needed to help those in dire need.

The MRC of Dutchess County is looking for two types of volunteers:

medical and healthcare professionals with an active license from all health occupations, including individuals who are retired; and
non-medical support volunteers who do not perform medical roles, but who are essential to emergency response.

By registering and training now, BEFORE a disaster strikes, you can become part of a prepared response effort, helping those in need more quickly and effectively. Training is provided free of charge and there is no minimum time commitment. To learn more, visit www.dutchessny.gov/mrc or call (845) 486-2493.

CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS TRAINING

If you are interested in learning more about the MRC and the types of events they may be involved in, the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response will facilitate a Citizen’s Preparedness Training Program on Tuesday, April 12^th at 7 p.m. at the Rochdale Fire Department, located at 1075 Dutchess Turnpike in the Town of Poughkeepsie. The two-hour training session is designed to provide participants with the tools and resources to better prepare for any type of disaster. Participants will learn how to respond accordingly in a disaster and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions. This training program is being provided with the assistance of the Dutchess County departments of Emergency Response and Behavioral and Community Health. The event is open to the public and free to attend. Each family attending will receive a free Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Starter Kit. To register for the training, visit www.dhses.ny.gov/aware-prepare/nysprepare/registration/

The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response’s citizen preparedness training initiative will be offering this training session regionally throughout Dutchess County during 2016. Dutchess County’s Medical Reserve Corps Unit and the Dutchess County Animal Response Team will be present as part of the training.

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

Dutchess County Veterans Services Office Opens at Castle Point

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has announced the Dutchess County Division of Veterans Services will have a counselor available onsite at the Veterans Administration Castle Point Campus to assist local veterans by appointment on the first and third Thursday of each month, beginning April 7, 2016.

County Executive Molinaro said, “Our Division of Veterans Services offers numerous services for Dutchess County’s courageous men and women who defended the freedom we hold so dear. This is a great opportunity for those men and women who have served our country to receive services while being treated at Castle Point. The onsite location will allow veterans a convenient and accessible location to meet with a veterans counselor.”

The primary objective of the Division of Veterans Services is to ensure Dutchess County veterans and their families receive the maximum benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies at all levels of government. In 2015, the Division of Veterans Services rendered a total of 21,642 services to Dutchess County veterans. Services the Division of Veterans Services provides include replacing military records, applying for medals and assistance filing claims, survivor’s benefits and burial benefits.

Veterans can make an appointment with a counselor by contacting Dutchess County Veterans Services at (845) 486-2060 orveterans@dutchessny.gov. Additional information about the services available for veterans is available online atwww.dutchessny.gov/veterans.

LIBRARY BOOK SALE BEGINS APRIL 8th

The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library have scheduled their HUGE Spring Book Sale for the weekend of April 8^th. Come and browse the almost 20,000 books, CDs, and DVDs that will be available for purchase at the Pleasant Valley Town Hall, 1554 Main Street (Route 44).

The sale begins Friday, April 8^th with a preview sale from 6:30PM – 9:30PM. There is a $5 admission fee for the preview sale only. Saturday (4/9) the sale runs from 8:30AM – 7PM with free admission and kids books and pocket sized paperbacks at five for $1. Adult books are five for $5. Sunday (4/10) is giant $5 bag sale from 9AM – 2PM. Books are free (donations appreciated) from2:30PM – 3:30PM on Sunday. Patrons who bring a non-perishable food item for the local food pantry will receive a free book! For more information call the Library at (845) 635-8460.

Lace Up and Go for Heart Health on National Walking Day, April 6^th

The American Heart Association (AHA) invites you to “lace up and go” to celebrate their annual National Walking Day on Wednesday, April 6^th. According to the AHA, walking 30 minutes, or 150 minutes minimum weekly, can help prevent the number one and five killers, heart disease and stroke.
Why walk? Studies have suggested that moderate physical activity has many proven benefits for an individual’s overall health, such as lowering blood pressure, increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol and controlling weight. All these changes help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. One in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963, and childhood obesity is now the top health concern among parents in the United States.

This year, there’s a fun way to join the national event: everyone who walks on April 6 can “donate” their minutes walked to the AHA by posting their photos and minutes walked on social media with hashtag #AHALaceUp. All minutes posted there will count toward a national total goal of 100,000 minutes walked. Updates and highlights will be posted all day at #AHALaceUp.

For more information about walking and living a healthy lifestyle, visit: www.heart.org/physicalactivity and bookmark the local American Heart Association web pages at www.heart.org/hudsonvalley, www.facebook.com/americanheartnewyork andwww.twitter.com/hvheartassoc.

LOCAL SENIOR WALKING GROUPS

A great way to start a regular walking program is by joining one of the Office for the Aging’s Senior Walking Groups. Join them every Tuesday, beginning April 19^th at 9 a.m. on the Walkway Over the Hudson, and/or every Friday, beginning April 22^ndat 9 a.m. behind Gold’s Gym on Titusville Road in LaGrange. Everyone is invited to join the walks – there is no need to register; just show up and walk or bike at your own pace. Either way you’ll enjoy the many health benefits that come with regular exercise. The walks are cancelled in the event of heavy rain. Volunteers are needed to be co-leaders in other areas of the rail trail. If you are interested, please call (845) 486-2555.

TASTE TESTING LUNCH

The Office for the Aging’s Nutrition Services Coordinator Christine Sergent and Chef Fred Orton from Bateman Senior Meals will be providing education, as well as taste-testing of healthy foods for possible inclusion in our regular menu, at several of our Senior Friendship Centers this month. Lunch is a suggested $3 donation for those 60 and over, and a $4 charge for those under 60. Reservations are required. The topic of the lecture will be the new dietary guidelines from the U.S.D.A. and will be held at the following centers during April and May:

April

Pawling Tuesday, April 19^th 11 AM 855-9308

Amenia Wednesday, April 20^th11 AM 373-4305

Tri Town Thursday, April 21^st11 AM 486-6363

Poughkeepsie Tuesday, April 26^th12:30 PM 275-2661

Fishkill Thursday, April 28^th11 AM 226-3605

May

Rhinebeck Wednesday, May 10^th11 AM 758-0571

Millerton Tuesday, May 24^th11:15 AM (518) 789-3081

Beacon Thursday, May 26^th11 AM 838-4871

Free Oral Cancer Screening

Friday, April 29, 2016, 1 to 3 p.m.

MidHudson Regional Hospital Redl Center for Cancer Care, 19 Baker Avenue, Suite 101, Poughkeepsie, New York

The Redl Center for Cancer Care is pleased to conduct free screenings for cancers of the nose, mouth, and throat. Although this screening will be open to all who are uninsured and underinsured, those who have risk factors such as a history of tobacco or alcohol use are particularly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Please call 845.483.5997 to schedule an appointment.

MORE AGING NEWS ONLINE:

Exercise May Keep Your Brain 10 Years Younger, Study Suggests

03/23/2016 04:00 PM EDT

Physically active seniors stayed mentally sharper than their sedentary peers. Source: HealthDay

1 in 6 Seniors Takes Dangerous Combos of Meds, Supplements

03/21/2016 12:00 PM EDT

Researchers say patients should tell doctors every treatment they’re taking. Source: HealthDay

Exercise Makes Our Muscles Work Better With Age

GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

A study of athletes in their 80s found that on a cellular level, their muscles resembled those of people decades younger.

SUPERBUGS — One in four seniors is taking home a superbug after a hospital stay, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System found. According to the study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, seniors who go to a nursing home or a post-acute care facility will acquire new superbugs during their stay. http://bit.ly/1M4Ozm6

Waistline may predict heart disease better than weight

UPI.com

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SATURDAY, April 2, 2016 — When it comes to heart health, new research adds to the argument that a pear-shaped body, which is heavy in the hips, may be better than an apple-shaped body, which carries more weight around the belly.