Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of September 11, 2017
Golden Living . . . News for Senior Citizens
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
MEDICARE MATTERS
The 2017 Medicare Open Enrollment period begins October 15th and runs through December 7th. This is the time of year when you can change your Medicare coverage. You can do this by joining a new Medicare Advantage Plan or by joining a new stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP). You can also switch to Original Medicare with or without a stand-alone Part D plan from a Medicare Advantage Plan during this time. Be sure you’re ready for any changes you want to make by scheduling a free annual Health Insurance Check-Up. One of the Office for the Aging’s trained volunteer counselors with the Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) can meet with you and go over your options. Appointments will be available throughout the Open Enrollment period, and we’ve started taking appointments this month. Our calendar fills up quickly, and remember: After December 7th, it’s too late to change your Medicare coverage, so call for your appointment today!
The Office for the Aging also schedules Medicare 101 (orientation) and Navigating Medicare classes every month. This fall, we have scheduled Medicare 101 classes on the following Wednesdays at the Poughkeepsie Galleria Community Room from 10 a.m. until noon:September 20th, October 18th, November 15th and December 20th.
Additionally, there will be 90-minute Medicare 101 sessions at the Center for Healthy Aging at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck at 4 p.m. on the following Mondays: October 2nd, October 23rd and November 27th.
There will also be one Medicare 101 session on Tuesday, November 14th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Pawling Library (11 Broad St.).
A little bit of computer knowledge can go a long way when it comes to navigating the national Medicare website,www.medicare.gov. Our HIICAP volunteers can teach you how to learn about Medicare and other associated programs to help you make informed choices. Join them at the Adriance Library (93 Market St., Poughkeepsie) at 9:30 a.m. on the following Wednesdays: September 27th, October 25th, November 22nd and December 27th.
These sessions are all free but space is limited, so call the Office for the Aging to register at (845) 486-2555.
AN EASY LINK TO REMEMBER
If you’d like to sign up for emailed information from the Office for the Aging and other Dutchess County departments, the link to sign up via the county’s Dutchess Delivery services is now in easily-remembered form: www.dutchessny.gov/DutchessDelivery. You can receive the Office for the Aging’s “Aging News,” which includes the weekly Golden Living column along with lots of evidence-based information to help you on the road to successful aging.
If you’re not online, you can still sign up to have the “Spotlight on Seniors” mailed to you by calling the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555. The “Spotlight on Seniors” is published in February, June, August and December.
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: www.dutchessny.gov/aging
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF VERA VAN WAGNER (1904-2017)
We’re still checking the records, but it’s possible that Poughkeepsie native Vera Van Wagner was the oldest person in the history of Dutchess County when she passed away last Friday (Sept. 8) at the age of 113 years and 107 days, at the Baptist Home in Rhinebeck. Vera was not only the oldest person in the county and the state of New York, but was also third oldest in the United States, 20th oldest worldwide – and according to the Gerontology Research Group, was among the 200 oldest people who have ever lived.
Vera was born in Poughkeepsie in 1904, and lived independently until the age of 100. She was a regular attendee at the Office for the Aging’s annual “Celebration of Aging” event, where she and her fellow centenarians inspired all in attendance. Vera was one of two supercentenarians living in Dutchess County. The county’s other supercentenarian, and now the oldest resident, is Sixta Tulia Aguinaga de Posada of LaGrangeville, who turned 110 in April. Another longtime Dutchess resident, Florence Carroll, turned 110 earlier this year and lives just over the state line in Connecticut, having lived the vast majority of her life in the Amenia/Millerton area.
We estimate that there are at least sixty people over the age of 100 living in Dutchess County, and we honor those centenarians every May at the Celebration of Aging. If you, a friend or family member lives in Dutchess County and will be 100 or older any time in 2018, we’d love to honor them as we honored Vera at the Celebration of Aging, tentatively scheduled for May 21, 2018. We also honor Dutchess-resident couples married 70 years or more. Find out more by contacting the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555.
“A MATTER OF BALANCE” – LAST CALL IN DOVER
Sessions begin this week for the one “A Matter of Balance” class that still has spaces open this fall – in Dover Plains. But act fast –Wednesday is the first class. If you’re interested, call the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555.
The next sessions begin in the late winter and early spring in 2018. Prospective participants who couldn’t get into a class this time are being placed on our waiting list.
IDENTITY THEFT, FRAUD AND SCAM SEMINAR COMING SEPTEMBER 28
With last week’s news of the massive personal-data breach at the Equifax credit reporting agency, keeping your personal information secure is more important than ever. The Pines at Poughkeepsie (100 Franklin St.) is hosting a seminar on ID theft, fraud and scams on Thursday, September 28th at 6 p.m. Retired police detective John Olmoz will be the speaker.
RSVP by September 25th to (845) 454-4100 x316.
TECH HELP FOR SENIORS COMES TO TIVOLI
If you’ve been making the jump into the world of technology but could use some help navigating, the Tivoli Library (86 Broadway) is hosting Tech Help for Seniors for the next five Saturdays, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. A student from Red Hook High School will be on hand to help seniors with their devices – hand-held devices, smartphones, laptops, etc. This tech series is happening thanks to a Mid-Hudson Library System Mini-Grant.
Advance registration is not required; call the library at (845) 757-3771 for more information.
Other aging news online:
The state’s open-enrollment period for Affordable Care Act exchanges is different from the national open-enrollment period for Medicare. ACA enrollment in New York still runs from November 1 to January 31: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/n-y-extends-obamacare-enrollment-deadline-trump-wishes-article-1.3477984?Cmpid=nzltr_tu_cc
The current shortage of home-health workers, especially in rural areas, is expected to get worse before it gets better:https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/business/economy/home-health-care-work.html?emc=eta1
The state’s highest court (the Court of Appeals) has rejected arguments made by advocates for aid-in-dying rights:http://www.timesunion.com/7day-state/article/State-s-highest-court-rejects-aid-in-dying-case-12179660.php?Cmpid=nzltr_tu_cc
A hat-tip to the Rockland County Office for the Aging, who discovered this tip to show you whether the power’s been out for a long time while you’ve been away from home: http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a40176/cup-quarter-trick/
Say hi to Harvey and Irma…not the hurricanes, the couple that’s been married 75 years: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/harvey-irma-couple.html?mwrsm=Facebook
This week in senior birthdays:
9/11: Singer/dancer Lola Falana (75)
9/12: Actor Ian Holm (86)
9/13: NY Rangers player/coach Emile “The Cat” Francis (91)
9/14: Star Trek actor Walter Koenig (Chekov) (81)
9/15: Comedian/actor Norm Crosby (90)
9/16: Actor/boxer Mickey Rourke (64)
9/17: Former NY Knicks player/general manager Phil Jackson (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
