Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of December 18
Note: the Office for the Aging will be closed on Monday, December 25 and Monday, January 1, 2018 for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays…but otherwise we are OPEN regular hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Golden Living . . . News for Senior Citizens
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
2017 SENIOR PROM BEING TELEVISED THROUGHOUT DECEMBER
The Office for the Aging’s 22nd annual Senior Prom will be broadcast on Spectrum’s (formerly Time/Warner) Poughkeepsie Public Access Channel 23 several times this month. Produced again this year by True Video Productions, the program runs nearly two hours and includes highlights from the October 16th event, including the crowning of the 2017 Duke and Duchess of Dutchess County. Watch for it every Saturday this month at 5 p.m., and every Sunday this month at noon; also, check the Channel 23 schedule for more airings throughout December.
The Senior Prom also will be broadcast on Tivoli-based Public Access of Northern Dutchess Area (PANDA) channel 23 during the month and can be live streamed from their website (www.pandatv23.org/). A YouTube video of the Senior Prom is also available at www.dutchessny.gov/aging.
Many thanks to our prom co-host, the Pines at Poughkeepsie, and our 2017 sponsors: Wingate Healthcare, EverCare At Home, Hudson Cadillac Buick GMC, Hamaspik Choice, MVP Health Care. and the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services.
The theme for the 2018 Prom next October will be “The Big Game.” Whether you’re a sports fan or participant, the theme should have something for everybody. Please remember: no cleats, golf spikes or ski boots on the dance floor.
STAYING SAFE THIS WINTER
Winter officially begins this week, so it’s a great time to go over some tips for staying safe this winter. As we age, the body’s ability to respond to long periods of cold weather diminishes. Medications or chronic illness can also affect response to cold. Try to stay indoors during extreme cold, and never use an oven or other open flames to heat your home.
If you qualify, heating assistance is available through our office using the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). Call the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555 to find out more.
In conjunction with the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the county offers a free program called “Are You Okay?” When a senior signs up with the program, a computer will call their home at a time they designate each day. If no one answers, the computer will call their emergency contact. If that person does not answer, the Sheriff’s Office will dispatch a unit to check on the resident. Applications are available on the Office for the Aging website or by calling our office.
Seniors can receive telephone reassurance from trained volunteers with the Friends of Seniors program. After an assessment of the client’s needs, the senior is connected with a volunteer who makes telephone contact. Volunteers are always in demand for this program and the transportation services provided by Friends of Seniors. Call them for more information at (845) 485-1277.
Seniors who live alone should also consider a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), which can offer peace of mind should an emergency occur. There are several PERS options available, but the general idea is the same: to have 24/7 assistance standing by at the touch of a button.
Information about all of these programs can be found in our brochure “Staying Safe at Home,” which you can find on our website or request be sent to you by calling (845) 486-2555.
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
Office for the Aging calendar of events:
Thu 12/21, 11 a.m. – “Make Health the New Holiday Tradition”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
East Fishkill Senior Friendship Center
(845) 226-3605 or 486-2555 for more information
Wed 2/14/18, 10:30 a.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
Pine Plains Free Library, Second Floor Community Room
7775 South Main St. (Route 82)
(845) 486-2555 for details
Snow date: 3/14/18
Wed 3/21/18, 11:30 a.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
At “Lunch and Learn”, Temple Beth-El
118 South Grand Ave., Poughkeepsie
(845) 486-2555 for details
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 your group needs to provide is a venue that’s wheelchair-accessible and open to the public, with space to set up a projector and screen. We have our own projector and screen – but if you have those, let us know. This time of year, we recommend you come up with an alternate presentation date you can make available in case of inclement winter weather.
We feature presentations on Successful Aging, Office for the Aging services, Medicare/Medicaid, senior housing, a wide range of topics related to nutrition, and more!
OFA volunteer opportunities for this week (and beyond):
Home Delivered Meals drivers – some of our volunteers in Beacon, LaGrange, Poughkeepsie and other areas are snowbirds and we could certainly use some wintertime replacements. This is a great way to give of yourself during the holiday season as well as in 2018. Contact nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava atnbhargava@dutchessny.gov or (845) 486-2555.
Senior Friendship Center help – we have eight Friendship Centers around the county, in Beacon, East Fishkill, Millerton, Pawling, the City of Poughkeepsie, the Town of Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck (Rock City), and South Amenia. Contact OFA at (845) 486-2555 to find out more.
For more opportunities to help your senior friends and neighbors in conjunction with the OFA’s mission, contact Friends of Seniors at (845) 485-1277 and/or the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) at (845) 452-5104.
HAVEN’T GOT A “SPOTLIGHT ON SENIORS”?
There’s a few things you can do.
You can find the Spotlight (and the Spotlight archives going back to 2010) at www.dutchessny.gov/aging, you can email bjones@dutchessny.gov and ask to be added to the mailing list, or you can call (845) 486-2555 and get added to the list that way.
Copies of the “Spotlight” are also available at every library and town/village/city hall in the county. If they’ve run out, let us know.
And if your civic organization, house of worship, senior housing community or other organization wants some Spotlights to have handy in your community room, contact us using the information in the previous paragraph and we’ll be right over!
HOLIDAY IDEAS
For the many Aging News readers who are caregivers, or family members of seniors they haven’t seen in a while, here are some ideas to keep holiday get-togethers festive and safe, courtesy of the National Aging in Place Council (www.ageinplace.org):
- Mix social visits where there are lots of people talking, with activities such as driving around at night looking at lights.
- For older family members who can’t be in the kitchen baking for hours but still want to be part of the fun, have them sit and decorate cookies. They can enjoy being part of the process and being able to help without becoming exhausted or overwhelmed.
- Reduce the amount of lengthy travel for older adults during the holidays. If possible, decide to either have people come to them or if not possible, plan a virtual visit. It is important for older family members to have meaningful connections during the holidays.
- Incorporate their holiday traditions into new ones. An older adult has rich stories of past holidays and to see their traditions being honored will give them a sense of value. Record the stories for future generations, too!
- Make decorating an intergenerational affair. From the youngest to the oldest, memories will be built when everyone can participate.
Other aging news online:
It looks to be a tricky flu season this winter in New York: http://www.timesunion.com/7dayarchive/article/N-Y-s-top-doc-Flu-is-prevalent-throughout-the-12427612.php?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=Timesunion_Capcon
We’ve mentioned before how loneliness can be a literal killer; now we have some science to show us why: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/11/well/mind/how-loneliness-affects-our-health.html
If you have outdoor steps around your home, keeping them ice-free is a challenge this time of year…but try to avoid using rock salt as a de-icer, especially if you’re trying to keep concrete and metal porch hardware in good shape: http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/technical_assistance/projects/dont_salt_your_steps_winter_technical_tips/
A new “semipostal” stamp aimed at funding Alzheimer’s disease research is being released: https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/alzheimers-semipostal-fundraising-stamp-dedicated
(Video) Many people with dementia go through something called “sundowning” at the end of a day. Here’s a video that takes a look at what can be done to help cope:http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/2014/04/how-to-care-for-sundowning.html
We do send a lot of articles along about staying active in retirement…but not everybody needs to hit the gym or climb mountains if that’s not their thing. Golf and fishing do count as being active (long as golfers are walking the course when possible): https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/your-money/leave-bucket-lists-to-ambitious-boomers.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fretiring
Age discrimination is still out there, 50 years after legislation protecting older workers was passed in Washington: https://www.aarp.org/work/working-at-50-plus/info-2017/age-discrimination-online-fd.html?cmp=SNO-ICM-FB-AO-WJ&socialid=1196959093
A possible breakthrough for people with Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. We try to avoid passing along the kind of medical “news” that’s more hype than reality, but this does look promising: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-42308341
A new Harvard study indicates that rain does NOT cause achy joints: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/12/13/rain-does-not-make-joints-ache-harvard-university-concludes/
The new Pixar movie “Coco” gets some things right about dementia (but be careful – if you haven’t seen it yet, there are spoilers in the article): https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/30/16720798/coco-pixar-movie-music-memory-dementia-alzheimers-science
You might have seen stories about nursing homes doubling as day-care centers, to the benefit of both seniors and toddlers. In the following story, it’s the other way around: an elementary school inviting seniors in to work with kids: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/dec/11/primary-school-elderly-people-work-with-young-pupils-essex?CMP=fb_gu
You’ve probably seen almond milk in one of your recent trips to the grocery store, but it’s not a newfangled food gimmick. It’s actually been around since the Middle Ages:https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/almond-milk-obsession-origins-middle-ages?utm_source=Gastro+Obscura+Weekly+E-mail&utm_campaign=fc56b83233-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2418498528-fc56b83233-67314961&mc_cid=fc56b83233&mc_eid=76bf222fbd
The bands named as 2018 Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees have lead singers who are 55, 68, 68 and 71: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bon-jovi-dire-straits-the-cars-lead-hall-of-fame-class-w513945
This week in senior birthdays:
12/18: Actress Cicely Tyson (93)
12/19: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Al Kaline (83)
12/20: Yankees outfielder Oscar Gamble (68)
12/21: Talk show host Phil Donahue (82)
12/22: NASCAR Hall-of-Famer David Pearson (83)
12/23: Actor/voice artist Harry Shearer (74)
12/24: Author Mary Higgins Clark (89)
Brian Jones
Outreach Coordinator
Dutchess County Office For the Aging
Phone: (845) 486-2555 Fax: (845) 486-2571
Email: bjones@dutchessny.gov
Website: www.dutchessny.gov/aging
