Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of October 24
Note: we’ve added something new to the Aging News this week – a listing of upcoming Office for the Aging presentation, special events, and events in which the Office for the Aging is participating, so that when we come to your community you can make plans to catch up with us!
Golden Living . . . News for Senior Citizens
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
A SAFE HALLOWEEN: A TREAT THAT’S NOT TOO TRICKY
Whether you’re staying home to hand out candy for Halloween or putting on a costume to take the grandkids trick-or-treating, it’s a night where people spend more time meeting up with relative strangers than they might during all the rest of the year. To minimize the stress and maximize the fun, take some safety precautions before the big night.
Safety starts with you and your neighbors. This coming week, have a discussion with them about looking out for each other on such a busy night. If you’ll be going out on Halloween, now is the time to ask your neighbors to keep an eye on your house.
If you’re planning on driving anywhere on Halloween, remember extra attention to safety will be needed from the moment you pull out of your driveway. If a passing adult happens to be in the area, ask them for help making sure the coast is clear as you go on your way. As you drive, you will want to watch out for small children who may be so excited by the fun they’re having that they don’t watch the road, and teenagers who may be in dark costumes and thus harder to see.
As always, watch for deer suddenly appearing on any road; this time of year is their mating season and even deer that would normally be wary of traffic may do something unexpected. If a deer or any other animal does dart into your path, safety experts recommend braking while staying in your lane and NOT trying to avoid the animal, because a collision with the animal is preferable to collisions with much larger objects like trees, utility poles and other vehicles, among other things that may happen if you try to swerve.
To make sure your home is safe for little visitors who may be in costumes that block part of their vision or mobility, be sure any driveways, sidewalks, stairs and footpaths that lead to your front door are free from decorations on Halloween night.
If you’re staying home for Halloween, safety in numbers is key. If you live alone, try to get a friend or relative to help you out on Halloween night. This will give the impression that you’re not the only one who lives in your home.
Keep your guests outside, and if you’re alone, don‘t let an unfamiliar visitor into your home to use the bathroom or make a phone call. Instead, suggest that they use a neighboring house where there are multiple adults.
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
UPCOMING OFFICE FOR THE AGING PRESENTATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Tuesday 10/25, 11 a.m. – “Successful Aging” at Valley Bible Fellowship Church
1875 Clove Rd., Union Vale
Thursday 10/27, 12 noon-4:30 p.m. – at Health Fair at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Dover Plains
62 Mill St., Dover Plains
Thursday 11/3, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Senior Seminars @ New Hackensack Reformed Church
1580 Route 376, Wappingers Falls
Advance registration required – call (845) 486-2555
Saturday 11/5, 9 a.m.-12:30 p. m. – at “Thriving in Rhinebeck” presented by Rhinebeck@Home
Rhinebeck High School, 45 North Park Rd.
Thursday 11/10, 12 noon – “Successful Aging” at North East-Millerton Library
75 Main St., Millerton
(518) 789-3340
Tuesday 11/15, 11 a.m. – “Succesful Aging” at Pleasant Plains Presbyterian Church
2 Fiddlers Bridge Rd., Staatsburg
(845) 889-4019
Thursday 11/17, 2 p.m. – Office for the Aging Services presentation at Clinton Town Hall
1215 Centre Rd. (DC route 18), Rhinebeck (just north of Schultzville)
(845) 266-5721
Monday 12/5, 1 p.m. – “Successful Aging” at Kings Apartments, 20 Pine Dr., Pawling
(845) 855-7230
To schedule a presentation for your group, contact Brian Jones, bjones@dutchessny.gov or (845)486-2555.
RESPITE FOR CAREGIVERS AVAILABLE
“The Gathering Place” at First Evangelical Lutheran Church (965 Dutchess Tpke., Poughkeepsie) is available Friday evenings andSaturday and Sunday morning for caregivers with Alzheimer’s/dementia related family members for up to 4 hours of respite per session. During the hours of operation, The Gathering Place is fully staffed by a qualified, paid Program Coordinator, a paid Program Assistant, and trained volunteers. Staff are supervised by the Program Director, the Reverend Deborah Hafner DeWinter, Pastor of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Poughkeepsie and members of the Worship Respite Care Task Force, which includes, four registered nurses and the VP, Programs & Services, Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter.
For more information, email coordinator@worshiprespitecare.org.
HEALTH FAIR IN DOVER PLAINS THIS WEDNESDAY (10/27)
St. Charles Borromeo Church (62 Mill St., Dover Plains) is hosting a Health Fair with mobile medical van, farmer’s market and many community health agencies present, along with the Office for the Aging. For more information, contact Ed Frederick at 845-838-7038.
GOLDEN AGE SINGERS HEAD FOR MILLBROOK
The Golden Age Singers, a group of over 30 men and women performing music from the Great American Songbook, will be performing on Thursday, November 3 at 2 p.m. at the Fountains at Millbrook (79 Flint Rd.). For more information on this free show and other offerings, call (845) 905-8000.
OTHER AGING NEWS ONLINE
An aging population is changing the country, but we’re not hearing politicians discussing their plains on how to deal with it:http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/10/aging-america/503177/ (At the end of the article is an intriguing video on what it’s like to live while losing one’s hearing.)
Social Security beneficiaries will see a 0.3% increase in their payments starting in January, after no increase in 2016. Also, people with higher incomes still paying into Social Security will see the maximum income level subject to Social Security taxes rise to just over $127,000/year: http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2016/10/18/social-security-beneficiaries-to-likely-see-0-3-cost-of-living-increase-in-2017/
People of Icelandic heritage may be more likely to have a genetic mutation making them more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161014145448.htm
The next time you see a new story about the supposed benefits or hazards of caffeine, keep in mind that studies on either side of the issue are not necessarily scientifically rigorous: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/news-release-review/caffeine-and-dementia-risk-news-release-ignores-limitations-of-observational-research/
Go ahead, add a bit more rosemary to that recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/world/what-in-the-world/rosemary-and-time-does-this-italian-hamlet-have-a-recipe-for-long-life.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FElderly&_r=0
Music legend Chuck Berry turned 90 last week and celebrated by announcing his first new album in 38 years, entitled simply “Chuck”, would be out in 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/18/chuck-berry-new-album-first-in-38-years?CMP=fb_us
This week in senior birthdays:
Mon 10/24: Giants quarterback and NFL Hall-of-Famer Y.A. Tittle (90)
Tue 10/25: Actress Marion Ross (88)
Wed 10/26: Oldest living silent-film star Diana Cary (98)
Thu 10/27: Actress/singer Nanette Fabray (96)
Fri 10/28: Singer/actress Cleo Laine (89)
Sat 10/29: Director/producer Ralph Bakshi (78)
Sun 10/30: Singer/songwriter Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) (77)
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
