Dutchess County Office For the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
- State Farmers Market Nutrition Program Returns
- Tips for Sound Sleeping
- June 20 – The Longest Day (TODAY)
- NYPIRG Conducts Surveys in East Fishkill
- Senior Picnics Continue; More Volunteers Sought
- Citizen’s Preparedness Training This Week in Hyde Park (6/21)
- More Beating-The-Heat Recommendations From “Aging News” Readers
- Parkinson’s Support Group Meets (6/24)
- Wildlife Expert Speaks in Millbrook (7/7)
- MORE AGING NEWS ONLINE
Golden Living . . . News for Senior Citizens
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
STATE FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM RETURNS
Qualifying seniors, including members of the state Senior Nutrition Program, may be eligible to obtain a one-time $20 benefit of New York State Farmers Market Checks, which can be spent at participating farmers markets throughout the state. The benefit comes in the form of five checks worth four dollars each, which can be used at markets which have posted signs reading “We Gladly Accept New York State Farmers Market Checks.” The checks will be available in July and can be used until November 30 to buy locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from the markets. These include everything from the berries, sweet corn, cucumbers, yellow squash, early peaches and more that are among the many fruits and vegetables starting to come into season now, to the Hudson Valley’s famous apples that come into season in August and the autumn. The checks cannot be used for non-produce items including cider, honey, maple syrup, eggs or baked goods. If you have questions about your eligibility, the locations of participating local markets, or how the program works, contact the state’s senior hotline at (1-800)342-9871 or the Dutchess County Office for the Aging at (845)486-2555.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTERS Z, Z AND Z
The National Sleep Foundation says it’s a common misconception that seniors’ need for sleep declines with age, although for many seniors it does become more difficult to get the recommended seven to nine hours of daily sleep all in one session because people’s sleep patterns change as they age. An older person tends to spend more time in the “lighter” stages of sleep than in the deeper and more restorative sleep that helps organize memories; additionally, they’re more likely to suffer from sleep-interrupting disorders like apnea and restless-leg syndrome, and many common medications count insomnia among their side effects.
But aging does not mean having to feel tired while you’re awake. There are many things you can do to make a good night’s sleep more likely, including these:
- making sure you’re on the same sleep schedule every day – including on weekends;
- keeping your bedroom dark and as quiet as possible, not too warm and not too cold;
- avoiding caffeine after mid-afternoon, and avoiding alcohol in the evening. Sleep experts say the alcohol may get you to fall asleep more quickly, but it will also lead to more unsettled sleep later;
- checking with your physician if you think your medications may be affecting your sleep, and asking if there are alternatives with fewer side effects;
- making sure any daytime naps last no longer than 40 minutes, since too much daytime napping can affect nighttime sleep patterns.
For more information, check http://go.usa.gov/cStqh – but not too close to bedtime, as screen time of any kind, from a TV down to a handheld device, can also be detrimental to a good night’s sleep.
Golden Living is prepared by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 27 High Street, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, telephone 486-2555, email:ofa@dutchessny.gov website: http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/AGIndex.htm
JUNE 20 – THE LONGEST DAY (TODAY)
The Alzheimer’s Association is holding its annual “The Longest Day” fundraiser today, and while you’ll see further down in this email one hopeful sign in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease, there’s still a long, long way to go. Find out how you can help and check the Hudson Valley’s local Alzheimer’s Association chapter at http://www.alz.org/hudsonvalley/.
NYPIRG CONDUCTS SURVEYS IN EAST FISHKILL
Authorities in East Fishkill have informed us that workers from the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG; www.nypirg.org) are conducting door-to-door surveys in the town this week and for some weeks after that, and asking for donations. Town police say NYPIRG hasregistered with the Police Department and are not prohibited by any laws to conduct this activity, and will respect your wishes if you do not want to speak with them or have a “no solicitors” sign posted. They should have photo ID on their persons, sometimes mounted on their clipboards. Their stated purpose is to ask public opinion questions and solicit donations for their group. If they or any other door-to-door surveyors engage in other acts, such as intimidation or misrepresentation, claiming you owe money for utilities or other services, call East Fishkill police at 221-2111. Always check the person’s ID closely before having any conversation with them.
SENIOR PICNICS CONTINUE; MORE VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
We’ve got three of this summer’s Office for the Aging senior picnics completed, with hundreds of satisfied seniors in eastern and southern Dutchess after picnics in Dover, Fishkill and Pine Plains. If you’d like to assist your senior friends and neighbors in enjoying their tasty and nutritious lunches, we could always use pairs of hands available on Wednesdays to help park cars, set up and break down chairs and tables, and bring food to seniors with limited mobility. Get in touch with the Office for the Aging at (845)486-2555 to learn more about all our volunteering opportunities. If you haven’t volunteered with the county before, a volunteering form is available here: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/AGvolunteers.pdf
CITIZENS PREPAREDNESS TRAINING THIS WEEK IN HYDE PARK (6/21)
Thousands of Dutchess County residents have been able to pick up the knowledge of how to better prepare for any kind of disaster, and this week the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response and Town of Hyde Park present a citizens preparedness event at Hyde Park Town Hall, 4383 Albany Post Rd. (Route 9). Each family attending gets a free Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Starter Kit and the knowledge of how to be ready for disasters, and how to recover when they happen. More information is available at www.dutchessny.gov and at (845)486-2080.
“AGING NEWS” READERS OFFER MORE BEATING-THE-HEAT RECOMMENDATIONS
In the June 13 Aging News (if you missed it, here it is: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/AGGoldenLiving061316.pdf) we asked for readers’ recommendations for keeping cool in summertime heat, especially outdoors and anywhere air conditioning isn’t an option. Jinny from Fishkill recommends wetting a small towel in cool water, wringing out the excess and draping it around your neck. Outdoor-supply stores sometimes sell circular versions of these “cooling towels”. Joyce from Hyde Park recommends keeping a spray bottle of lavender or rose water in the fridge for use when the heat gets unbearable. If you’d like to share your heat-survival ideas, email Office for the Aging outreach coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov.
PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP MEETS (6/24)
The Parkinson’s Disease Support Group of the Mid-Hudson Valley meets this Friday (6/24) and the fourth Thursday of every month except November and December. Meetings take place at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Poughkeepsie (67 South Randolph Ave.) Details at:http://www.midhudsonparkinsons.org/directions
WILDLIFE EXPERT SPEAKS IN MILLBROOK
The Fountains at Millbrook (79 Flint Rd.) welcomes Sunny Kellner, Wildlife Rehabilitation & Outreach Coordinator at the Sharon Audubon Center. Sunny travels throughout New York and Connecticut, teaching wildlife programs and the importance of protecting our wildlife. Her program includes live reptiles, insects and related props, and is free to the public with advanced reservations, which can be made at (845)905-8000.
OTHER AGING NEWS ONLINE
It’s only a study of 10 people, but news of a possible reversal of Alzheimer’s memory loss is encouraging. We’ll definitely monitor this one:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160616071933.htm
What are the five features that make for a senior-safe and accessible home? A zero-step entrance, single-floor living, switches and outlets reachable at any height, extra-wide doorways, and lever-style door and faucet handles. The full Harvard study is at: http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/jchs-housing_americas_older_adults_2014.pdf
Need help figuring out what your costs will be during retirement, especially for health care? Here’s a good place to start: http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-much-will-your-health-expenses-be-in-retirement-1465783504?cx_navSource=cx_picks&cx_tag=collabctx&cx_artPos=4
People start aging not at 65, 50 or 40…but at 28: http://www.ydr.com/story/money/business/2016/06/10/embracing-aging-people-start-aging-28/85647778/
A Yale researcher has found that people who have a positive perception of aging live over seven years longer than those viewing aging in a negative light:http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/05/29/npr-could-thinking-positively-about-aging-be-the-secret-of-health
Who’s got the summer of 2016’s hottest new album? Would you believe…the Monkees? http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7401076/monkees-highest-charting-album-since-1968
THIS WEEK’S FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS:
Mon 6/20: Singer/songwriter Brian Wilson (73)
Tue 6/21: Character actor Bernie Kopell (83)
Wed 6/22: Singer/songwriter/actor Kris Kristofferson (80)
Thu 6/23: US Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas (68)
Fri 6/24: Guitarist/songwriter Jeff Beck (72)
Sat 6/25: TV/stage actress June Lockhart (91)
Sun 6/26: Singer Billy Davis, Jr. (78)
