Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of January 23
Golden Living . . . News for Senior Citizens
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
EXERCISING YOUR WAY TO SUCCESSFUL AGING
As we move into what’s traditionally known as the dead of winter, the short days and cold weather make it all too easy to slip out of healthy routines. The Office for the Aging, though, makes it easier not only to stay healthy, but to regain health you might have thought was lost for good.
It’s never too late to start an exercise program, even if you’ve never done it before, even if French fries have been your favorite vegetable. The Archives of Internal Medicine reports even seniors who first took up exercise at age 85 and above were able to live longer, healthier and happier lives. Additionally, they were found to be less likely to be lonely and more likely to remain living independently.
So let’s begin – first, by having a conversation with your doctor about exercise, since you’ll need their okay to begin our Senior Exercise Program.
The program covers several dozen locations in every community in Dutchess County, so you should be able to find a class that fits your schedule. An application and printable list of classes are available at http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Aging/AGexerciseprg.htm.
If you prefer outdoor exercise, the weather this time of year can make it too dangerous from time to time, especially for seniors with limited mobility; but you need not give up outdoor exercise altogether. Make sure you dress in layers of wind- and water-resistant clothing, and make sure your hat, gloves, scarf and boots are winter-ready.
Start slowly, because it’s going to take longer for you to warm up. Stay hydrated, also – there might not be as much obvious sweating as there is in the summer, but dry, cold winter air can still contribute to dehydration, especially on windy days. Speaking of wind, check the wind chill factor before stepping out the door. Have sunglasses and sunscreen ready for those bright, sunny days where the sunshine comes not just from overhead, but reflected off the snow as well. Anybody with an avid skier or snowboarder in the family knows it’s just as possible to be sunburned on the slopes in January as it is at the beach in July.
If a nor’easter swings through and it’s not fit for man nor beast outside, there are still exercise options. You can keep a small set of weights near the TV or exercise along with a video; but remember that if you’re exercising at home, you may want to do it while somebody’s around your home in case something goes wrong.
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:
Wednesday 1/25, 10:30 a.m. – “Successful Aging” at East Fishkill Senior Friendship Center
890 Route 82, Hopewell Junction
Snow date: Wed 2/1
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” informational presentation
Snow date: Thu 2/9
Tuesday 2/14, 1 p.m. – “Successful Aging” at Stanford Town Hall
26 Town Hall Rd., Stanfordville
Snow date: 2/28
Wednesday 2/8, 12 noon – “Successful Aging” at Pine Plains Community Center
7775 Route 82 (above the library)
Snow date: 3/8
Monday 3/6, 12 noon – “Successful Aging” at the Town of Fishkill Recreaction Center
793 Route 52
(845) 831-3371 for information
Snow date: 3/13
Monday 4/3, 2 p.m. – “Wills, Trusts and Elder Law” at Pawling Library
With John Wirth, Esq., Office for the Aging Advisory Board
11 Broad St.
(845) 855-3444 for information
Monday 5/22, 12 noon – The Celebration of Aging
Villa Borghese
70 Widmer Rd., Wappingers Falls
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 or bjones@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.
GRANDPARENTS STORY CIRCLE RESCHEDULED FOR THIS WEEK (Tue 1/24)
Join the Dutchess County Interfaith Council on Tuesday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Martin de Porres Church (118 Cedar Valley Rd., Poughkeepsie) for “Grandparents: Guardians of the Spirit”. In our daily lives, grandparents are often seen as sources of unconditional love, comfort, and steadfastness. Whatever your experience of grandparents may be, please join the Interfaith Council for this exploration through story of wisdom and age.
FREE “PAY IT FORWARD” COMMUNITY DINNER IN PINE PLAINS (Sat 1/28)
HRHCare is offering a series of free community dinners – a “pay it forward” concept in that they are asking diners to bring in healthy food items to support the “Nourish Your Neighbor” food drive in Eastern Dutchess. Their first dinner is January 28th at the Pine Plains fire house (7 Lake Rd.). They plan future dinners in Amenia and Dover Plains and are working to secure locations. For more information call: Krista Miller at (845) 838-7038, extension 69017.
Other aging news online
Premiering this week (Wed 1/25) on PBS, “Every Minute Counts”, on the multiple threats posed by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia:http://www.pbs.org/tpt/alzheimers-every-minute-counts/about/the-film/
A group of New York state legislators are planning to reintroduce controversial physician-assisted suicide legislation:http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ex-ag-fight-right-to-die-bill-article-1.2953072
Demographic trends mean it’s likely to get tougher for today’s caregivers as well as future caregivers: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/upshot/who-will-care-for-the-caregivers.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FElderly&_r=0
More people 60 and up are finding themselves with student loan debt: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/17/510238206/more-people-over-60-are-struggling-to-pay-off-student-loans-report-finds?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20170117
You may have seen this Time magazine story citing a study that says coffee helps fight the effects of aging…: http://time.com/4634553/is-coffee-bad-aging-caffeine/
…now, the problems with the preceding story: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/review/coffee-might-slow-down-aging-thats-a-stretch/
A quick post-lunch nap (an hour or so) may help boost brain function in older adults…but don’t take it too late in the afternoon or your nighttime sleep could be disrupted: http://www.health.com/news/hour-long-nap-may-boost-brain-function-older-adults
No, your teeth don’t get softer with age (and other misconceptions): http://health.usnews.com/wellness/aging-well/articles/2017-01-13/healthy-aging-oral-health-for-older-adults
A theoretical biologist’s explanation of why human aging exists in the first place, when some organisms like coral show no signs of what we’d call “growing old”: https://singularityhub.com/2017/01/15/aging-and-death-are-the-evolutionary-price-of-complexity/
Playing a musical instrument leads to faster reaction times, regardless of age…or musical skill: http://www.worldhealth.net/news/aging-musicians-faster-reactions/
New York Jets legend Mark Gastineau says that at age 60 he’s suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s disease:http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mark-gastineau-suffering-dementia-alzheimer-parkinson-article-1.2950838?utm_content=buffer7f956&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=NYDNSports+Twitter
You may have seen news stories about businesses aiming to “rejuvenate” older people with blood and/or plasma transfusions from younger people. Researchers are highly skeptical of the claims: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603242/questionable-young-blood-transfusions-offered-in-us-as-anti-aging-remedy/
This week in senior birthdays:
Mon 1/23: WWII/Korean War photographer David Douglas Duncan (101)
Tue 1/24: Singer/songwriter Neil Diamond (76)
Wed 1/25: NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller (75)
Thu 1/26: Sportscaster/actor Bob Uecker (82)
Fri 1/27: Actor/activist James Cromwell (77)
Sat 1/28: Humanitarian/chess player Johan van Hulst (106)
Sun 1/29: Actor/businessman Tom Selleck (72)
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
