Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of January 2, 2017
Golden Living . . . News for Senior Citizens
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
NOMINATIONS FOR 2017 SENIORS OF THE YEAR UNDERWAY
Many of us are fortunate to know seniors whose dedication to helping their community goes above and beyond, who have every bit as much energy and devotion to their communities as volunteers a fraction of their age – and then some.
If that description fits an individual or couple in Dutchess County over age 60 whom you know, we’d love to honor them as a Senior Citizen of the Year at our annual Celebration of Aging event on May 22 at Villa Borghese in Wappingers Falls. There are four categories for the awards: Male Senior Citizen of the Year, Female Senior Citizen of the Year, and Senior Couple of the Year, along with one Senior Achievement Award winner. You can tell us all about them and their achievements on the nomination form available at this link: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/SPOTLIGHTWinter2016final.pdf, on Page 4 of the winter edition of our Spotlight on Seniors, available at libraries countywide, or by calling the Office for the Aging for a copy at (845)486-2555.
If you find there’s not enough space on our form to sing your nominee’s praises, feel free to include as much supporting documentation as you’d like, keeping in mind we won’t be able to return any entry materials. You may nominate somebody in each category, and may also nominate more than one person in each category. Nominations are reviewed by a committee of the Office for the Aging’s Advisory Board, who select the outstanding Dutchess seniors to be this year’s winners. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, March 31, and this year’s honorees will be announced in April.
The Celebration of Aging also honors residents of Dutchess County who have reached aging milestones. If you know someone who will be turning 100 or older any time during 2017, or couples who will be celebrating a wedding anniversary of 70 years or more, please contact us at the phone number above or through email atbjones@dutchessny.gov.
TWO WAYS FOR LIMITED-INCOME SENIORS TO HELP
The New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is in search of qualified Dutchess County and Hudson Valley residents to volunteer in their Senior Companionship Program. In this case, volunteering enables companions to earn a tax-free stipend of approximately $175-400 per month. The stipend does not affect eligibility for most benefits, including SNAP, HEAP and Section 8.
To be eligible, you need to meet four requirements set by the state:
- Be at least 55 years of age;
- Have limited (low) income;
- Enjoy working with people;
- Be available at least 15 hours per week.
Senior companions would work in a home, day habilitation or other venue, not as staff or program aides, but as people willing to offer support and friendship to adults with developmental disabilities. The stipend is free from both state and federal taxes.
For more information, call (845) 947-6198.
The second program that could be of interest is the Foster Grandparent Program, which is looking for men and women age 55 and older with limited incomes, who can serve between 15 and 35 hours a week in an academic setting in their community. Volunteers will work in schools, day care centers and Head Start centers. An hourly stipend is included, along with a transportation allowance and volunteers’ insurance.
If you’re interested in becoming a foster grandparent, call Elizabeth Magier (pronounced “major”) at (914) 592-5600, extension 107.
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 events:
Tuesday 1/10/17, 11 a.m. – “Successful Aging” at Rhinebeck Senior Friendship Center
Memorial Lutheran Church, 1232 Route 308, Rhinebeck (Rock City)
(845) 758-0571 for information
Snow date: Thu 1/12
Tuesday 2/7, 11 a.m. – “Successful Aging” at Tri-Town Senior Friendship Center
55 Overlook Rd., Poughkeepsie (rear of the American Legion building)
Includes “A Matter of Balance” presentation
Snow date: Thu 2/9
Wednesday 2/8, 12 noon – “Successful Aging” at Pine Plains Community Center
7775 Route 82 (above the library)
Snow date: 3/8
Monday 4/3, 2 p.m. – “Wills, Trusts and Elder Law” at Pawling Library
11 Broad St.
(845) 855-3444 for information
Monday 5/22, 12 noon – The Celebration of Aging
Villa Borghese
70 Widmer Rd., Wappingers Falls
(845) 486-2555 / bjones@dutchessny.gov for information
To request an Office for the Aging presentation for your senior, social and/or civic group, get in touch with outreach coordinator Brian Jones at (845) 486-2555 orbjones@dutchessny.gov. All you need provide is a venue that’s accessible and open to the public, and a space to set up a projector and screen – and this time of year, an alternate date in case your venue is closed by winter weather.
EMERGENCY “HEAP” PROGRAM BEGINS JANUARY 3
If you are a limited-income individual in a home heating-related crisis, you might be eligible for a one-time emergency benefit from the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). Emergency HEAP assistance could apply in the following cases:
- If your utility service is terminated or scheduled for termination;
- If the utility service necessary to operate your primary heating source is terminated or scheduled for termination;
- If you’ve run out of heating fuel or have less than one-quarter of a tank of oil, kerosene or propane;
- If you have less than a ten-day supply of other heating fuels.
To be eligible for emergency HEAP, you must first have exhausted your regular HEAP benefit. Both the regular and emergency HEAP programs continue while funding lasts, or until the end of the heating season, whichever comes first.
If you’re a new HEAP applicant, proof of eligibility will be necessary. More about the requirements here: http://www.ny.gov/services/apply-heap#eligibility-
To find out more, contact the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555 or consult the list of Dutchess County HEAP contacts here: http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/default.asp?county=Dutchess#result
STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH 書き初め
Those are the Japanese characters for the word “kakizome”, literally “first writing,” and the Arts Mid-Hudson Folk Arts Program and Mid-Hudson Japanese Community Association are getting 2017 underway with Kakizome, a Japanese cultural program celebrating the traditional first calligraphy writing of the New Year, on Saturday, January 7, 2017, 2-4 p.m., at Arts Mid-Hudson, 696 Dutchess Turnpike (Rt. 44), Poughkeepsie. Volunteers from the local Japanese community will be on hand offering guidance. Brushes, paper, and ink will be provided. This popular program is free and open to the public. For more information, call Arts Mid-Hudson at (845) 454-3222.
RHINEBECK SENIOR FRIENDSHIP CENTER CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY
In its new location at Memorial Lutheran Church (1232 Route 308), that is. This Friendship Center is conveniently located for residents of Rhinebeck, Red Hook and Milan, as it’s located almost exactly where the borders of those three towns meet, in the hamlet of Rock City near the “fork” in the road at Routes 308 and 199.
The Friendship Center is open every Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All of our eight Senior Friendship Centers serve a nutritious midday meal and offer plenty of opportunities for socialization and events. For those without a car, transportation to the center and weekly grocery shopping may be available. Next Wednesday (1/10) at 10:30 a.m. at the Friendship Center, Office for the Aging outreach coordinator Brian Jones will be giving a presentation on Successful Aging. In case the Friendship Center is closed by winter weather on that day, the snow date will be Thursday, January 12.
For more information about the Rhinebeck Friendship Center, call (845) 758-0571. For the Friendship Center nearest you, call (845) 486-2555.
A MOBILE LIBRARY COMES TO BEEKMAN
A Mobile Library will visit the Beekman Recreation Center (Recreation Center Rd., Hopewell Jct.) from 12 noon until 1 p.m. Seniors will be able to request, browse, checkout and check-in items. Seniors will be able to seek assistance using computer devices, tablets, and phones. For more information, call (845) 724-3414.
JANUARY MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS SEMINARS – one this week!
This Thursday, January 5, from 7 to 9 p.m., world-renowned disaster mental health expert Dr. James Halpern will be speaking at the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response (392 Creek Rd., Poughkeepsie). While the main focus during a disaster may be on physical wounds in need of immediate attention, psychological harm caused by traumatic events can be just as detrimental, both for patients and caregivers. That is why psychological first-aid is an essential part of any disaster relief effort.
On Thursday, January 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (230 North Road, Poughkeepsie, between the Palace Diner and All Sport Fitness), Dutchess County’s Chief Forensic Investigator Robert Bready will explain the role of the county Medical Examiner, and the differences between what you see on TV and the real role of medical investigations.
Space is limited for both presentations, so reservations are appreciated by emailing MRC coordinator Joe Ryan (jryan@dutchessny.gov) or by calling (845) 486-2493.
Other aging news online:
Whatever ails you, don’t just chalk it up to getting older. Get it checked out. Yes, we say this a lot – because it’s true: https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2016/12/26/most-health-problems-are-not-due-to-aging.html
Last week’s death of Carrie Fisher of an apparent heart attack or heart failure should be a reminder that heart disease remains the nation’s number one cause of death:http://www.nextavenue.org/carrie-fishers-heart-attack/
If you’re thinking of doing an aging-friendly home renovation but the “institutional” look of many improvements doesn’t work for you, it turns out safety and style can coexist: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/30/realestate/tips-for-creating-a-home-for-aging-owners.html?_r=0
Although urban population growth is expected to outpace rural population growth in the years to come, when it comes to seniors the opposite trend is true – there’ll be more rural senior population growth than rural senior population growth. What this all means is that a lot of homes currently occupied by seniors (and future seniors) are going to need a lot of work to meet the needs of an aging rural population: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/aging-population-faces-challenges-in-aging-homes-2016-12-28
Another reason to get weight under control – it’ll make finding your keys easier: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/30/506433671/the-wrong-eating-habits-can-hurt-your-brain-not-just-your-waistline?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2058
It sure seems like a long, cold winter, which can lead to isolation and depression – but some people in places where winter is even longer and colder than ours find ways to keep a positive state of mind. Off we go to Norway: https://www.fastcompany.com/3052970/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/the-norwegian-secret-to-enjoying-a-long-winter
You may have spent New Year’s Eve wondering how Dick Clark always seemed to look so young, even in his final years. Turns out there may really be a “Dick Clark effect”:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/american-federation-for-aging-research/the-dick-clark-effect_b_13871444.html
The 98 year old Poughkeepsie man who was the first customer at a local restaurant that opened in 1937 will be the first customer at a local restaurant opening soon, at the same location, with (pretty much) the same name: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/entertainment/dining/greattastes/2016/12/27/gibsons-restaurant-open-ties-80-year-past/95870038/
This week in senior birthdays:
Mon 1/2: Zoologist/author Jack Hanna (70)
Tue 1/3: Actor Dabney Coleman (84)
Wed 1/4: Actress Barbara Rush (90)
Thu 1/5: Actor/director Robert Duvall (86)
Fri 1/6: Former NY Jets/college football coach Lou Holtz (80)
Sat 1/7: Singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins (69)
Sun 1/8: Singer Shirley Bassey (80)
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
