Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s AGING NEWS

 

Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

For the week of July 11

Golden Living…News for Senior Citizens

Todd N. Tancredi, Director

Dutchess County Office for the Aging

I’LL FOLLOW THE SUN

Summer is the time of year when the sun’s rays come at us most directly, so it’s hotter here in the Northern Hemisphere in the summer even though we’re a bit farther away from the sun than we are during the winter. With the direct sunshine comes not just more heat but also an increased risk of damage to your skin from the sun’s rays, especially for seniors. Although people with lighter skin are more susceptible to immediate damage like sunburns, the Skin Cancer Foundation reports everyone, regardless of skin color, is potentially vulnerable to damage that can lead to skin cancer.

You can still enjoy yourself safely in the summer sun by taking six key precautions:

1)         Start inside your home, with a look at the medications you take. A surprising number of them cause increased sensitivity to the sun, and the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can interact with the drug and cause a skin reaction resembling a bad sunburn, sometimes within minutes. If you’ve ever had a reaction like this before, take extra caution before heading outside. The list of medications that have been connected to sun hypersensitivity includes some antibiotics, blood pressure medicines, antidepressants, anti-inflammatories and more. If you’re taking a summer vacation and know you’ll be outdoors a lot, ask your physician whether it’s safe to mix your medications with sunshine. Even some sunscreens have been connected with adverse reactions to the sun, although sunscreens containing zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide have not typically been connected.

2)         Make sure you wear the right clothing before heading outside. Lightweight breathable fabrics such as cotton work best, along with a wide-brimmed hat, especially if your hair is thin on top.

3)         Remember your sunglasses, because seniors’ eyes are typically more sensitive and need added protection against the sun’s rays, which have been connected with disorders including cataracts and macular degeneration. Find a pair that protects against both UVA and UVB rays, and wraparound sunglasses provide even more protection.

4)         Apply that sunscreen before you go out, too. Sunscreen takes about an hour to reach full effectiveness, and after that you will need to re-apply every two hours depending on conditions.

5)         The hottest part of the day, roughly 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is also when the sun’s rays are most intense and most likely to burn, but earlybirds can turn this caution into a bonus. If you exercise outdoors, this is the time of year to do it in the early morning. Book the earliest tee time you can get, golfers!

6)         Keep some drinking water handy, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Seniors tend not to feel thirst as acutely as younger people, and dangerous dehydration can come on quickly on a hot day. Try to drink between six and eight glasses a day, and more if you’re exerting yourself or it’s a particularly hot day.

 

Living or vacationing at high altitudes or tropical regions is another factor that can influence sun sensitivity.

 

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: http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/AGIndex.htm

 

SENIOR PICNICS RESUME THIS WEEK – VOLUNTEERS WANTED (7/13)

After a brief hiatus for Independence Day week, the Office for the Aging’s summer Senior Picnic schedule resumes this Wednesday (7/13) for senior residents of the towns of Hyde Park and Clinton, at Fran Mark Park on Clinton Hollow Road (DC 18) just north of the hamlet of Salt Point. We’re continuing to seek out volunteers of all ages to help at this picnic and the rest of our summer picnic schedule. For more information, get in touch with OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones at (845)486-2555 or bjones@dutchessny.gov. To find out about senior picnics near you, check the Senior Picnic section of the Office for the Aging website: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/AGseniorpicnic.htm

ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP MEETS TODAY (7/11) IN RHINEBECK

The Rhinebeck caregiver support group meeting happens from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Mary Frazer room at the Starr Library (68 West Market St.), and a similar group for Hopewell Junction-area residents meets next Tuesday 7/19 at the Hopewell Reformed Church on Beekman Road. The full calendar is available at http://www.alzhudsonvalley.org/index.html

SCAM PREVENTION EVENT IN MILLERTON (7/18)

People of all ages get scam phone calls, emails and even in-person visits – and since the scammers don’t take summer vacations, neither should you. On Monday, July 18, New York State Senate Aging Committee chair Sue Serino and the NYS Department of State are offering a scam prevention seminar, taking place from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the North East Community Center (51 S. Center St., Millerton). The event is free and open to the public. More information at https://www.nysenate.gov/calendar/events/sue-serino/july-18-2016/free-senior-scam-prevention-seminar

ZIKA TRAINING OFFERED (7/21)

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) of Dutchess County will offer a free educational program on the Zika virus, led by Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health public health advisor Alison Kaufman, DVM. The program is open to the public but seating is limited; therefore, reservations are required for the program, which takes place on Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m., at the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, 392 Creek Road in Poughkeepsie.  For more information and to make reservations, contact Joe Ryan, Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator, at (845) 486-2493 or jryan@dutchessny.gov.

 

OTHER AGING NEWS ONLINE

What’s a healthy food and what’s not? Americans and nutritionists aren’t necessarily on the same page: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/05/upshot/is-sushi-healthy-what-about-granola-where-americans-and-nutritionists-disagree.html?WT.mc_id=2016-KWP-AUD_DEV&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=AUDDEVREMARK&kwp_0=177919&kwp_4=720378&kwp_1=363697&_r=0

 

Recently introduced in Congress: a measure to provide a tax credit for seniors to improve their homes in preparation for aging in place:https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/5254

 

The US is facing a shortage of doctors trained to treat the elderly: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/03/481767273/few-young-doctors-are-training-to-care-for-u-s-elderly

 

Also underserved and understudied are the quickly-growing number of older cancer survivors: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/aafc-api062916.php

 

The first baby boomers turned 70 ½ in July – here’s why that’s a big deal, financially-speaking: http://www.nextavenue.org/huge-milestone-boomers-will-reach-july-1/

 

House cats are living much longer than they did even 30 years ago, which brings up the question of what constitutes healthy aging in cats now that their average lifespan has reached the teens: http://www.sciencealert.com/these-are-the-signs-that-your-cat-will-probably-live-a-long-life

 

It’s turnabout time in Chengdu, China, where the young are telling the old to cut it out with that racket already. The “dancing grannies” are particularly notorious: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/04/world/asia/china-chengdu-park-noise.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FElderly&_r=0

 

TV legend Norman Lear, the creator of hit shows like “All in the Family” and “Good Times”, is turning 94 later this month and is trying to get a new show off the ground – a comedy set in a nursing home: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/opinion/not-dead-yet.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FElderly&_r=0

 

This week in senior birthdays:

Mon 7/11: Fashion designer Giorgio Armani (82)

Tue 7/12: Actress Cheryl Ladd (65)

Wed 7/13: Game show announcer Johnny Gilbert (92)

Thu 7/14: Football player/actor Rosey Grier (84)

Fri 7/15: Singer/songwriter Linda Ronstadt (70)

Sat 7/16: Football coach/commentator Jimmy Johnson (73)

Sun 7/17: Actor/producer Donald Sutherland (81)

 

 

 

Brian Jones
Outreach Coordinator

Dutchess County Office For the Aging

27 High Street

Poughkeepsie NY 12601

 

Phone: (845) 486-2555 Fax: (845) 486-2571

Email: bjones@dutchessny.gov

Author: Harlem Valley News