Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of February 6
Note: the Office for the Aging and all Dutchess County offices will be closed for the New York state Lincoln’s Birthday holiday on Monday, February 12, as well as for the national President’s Day holiday on Monday, February 19.
Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
SPRING SPOTLIGHT ON SENIORS COMING SOON
Five times a year, the Office for the Aging sends out free newsletters to seniors, their families, caregivers, and anybody else with an interest in issues related to aging. The spring issue of the “Spotlight on Seniors” is about to go to press, so now’s a great time to get on our mailing list. Contact OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones atbjones@dutchessny.gov or (845) 486-2555 to find out more. We also publish the “Spotlight” on the Office for the Aging website at www.dutchessny.gov/aging, making it a great way for distant family members to keep up with what’s going on here in Dutchess. We also distribute copies at libraries and municipal offices throughout the county. Look for the “Spotlight on Seniors” later this month.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
When Office for the Aging staff meet with Dutchess County seniors, either individually or in groups, we always stress the importance of individuals advocating for themselves and taking advantage of power they may not realize they have – like financial power, for one.
A new joint report on older New Yorkers from the Association on Aging in New York, LiveOn NY, and Lifespan of Greater Rochester indicates that baby boomers and older adults (everybody born earlier than 1965) account for 63% of all personal income generated in New York, through wages, pensions and other retirement fund payments, Social Security and more. With the Federal Reserve reporting total personal income in New York at just over $1.2 trillion, that means baby boomers and older New Yorkers are responsible for over $750 billion in personal income every year. Those numbers should certainly generate attention to seniors’ needs among both business and political leaders.
Additionally, the “Say Yes to Older New Yorkers” report says New York benefits from the unpaid work of over 4 million family caregivers, worth an estimated $32 billion annually.
COME RAIN OR COME SHINE…OR COME SNOW
Winter weather sometimes forces us to close some or all of our eight Senior Friendship Centers and delay or cancel a day of our Home Delivered Meals program, but the Office for the Aging’s headquarters almost always remains open during snowy or icy weather. We say “almost” only because last March’s massive blizzard that hit on St. Patrick’s Day did force our offices to close. It was the first office closure that had happened in at least a decade.
It’s those days where you’re snowed-in that can be some of the best days for getting to all those calls you’ve been meaning to make – like that call to the Office for the Aging. If you’ve had a question about the resources that may be available for yourself or a senior friend or family member, we’ll be here on those snowy days, same as we are when it’s 72 and sunny.
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 upcoming events:
Tue 2/6, 1 p.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
Lakeview Arms Apartments, Creek Rd., Poughkeepsie
(845) 486-2555 for information
Thu 2/8, 11 a.m. – “Lifestyle Changes for a Healthy Heart”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
East Fishkill Senior Friendship Center
Tue 2/13, 11 a.m. – “Successful Aging”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
Castle Court at Concord Village
386 Van Wagner Rd., Poughkeepsie
(845) 486-2555 for details
Snow date: 3/13/18, same time
Wed 2/14, 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, same time
Wed 2/14, 12:15 p.m. – OFA nutrition presentation “Keeping Your Arteries Going”
AARP meeting at Red Hook Community Center
(845) 758-0777 for details
Tue 2/20, 11 a.m. – OFA nutrition presentation “Foods To Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure”
Rhinebeck Senior Friendship Center @ Memorial Lutheran Church
1232 NY 308, Rhinebeck (Rock City)
(845) 486-2555 for information
Wed 2/21, 11 a.m. – “Unsaturated Fat – Best For Your Heart”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Beacon Senior Friendship Center, 1 Forrestal Heights
(845) 486-2555 for more information
Thu 2/22, 11 a.m. – “Reversing Heart Disease”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
TriTown Senior Friendship Center
(845) 486-2555 for details
Fri 2/23, 11 a.m. – “Six Proven Strategies for Heart Health”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
City of Poughkeepsie Senior Friendship Center, 110 South Grand Ave.
(845) 486-2555 for details
Tue 2/27, 11 a.m. – “Reducing Risk for Heart Disease”
With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Pawling Senior Friendship Center, 154 Charles Colman Blvd.
(845) 486-2555 for more info
Tue 3/6, 2 p.m. – “Successful Aging and OFA Services”
With OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones
Blodgett Library, Fishkill
(845) 486-2555 for details
Snow date t/b/d
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!
LONG TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN TRAINING COMING IN MARCH
The Hudson Valley Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (www.hudsonvalleyltcop.org) is looking for new volunteers to assist residents living in nursing homes, assisted living, adult homes, and family type homes in Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Sullivan, Greene, and Columbia Counties, so that residents’ rights are understood and assured.
Free training for the ombudsman program is taking place in Kingston at a five-day session on March 14-16 and 20-21, held at the Ulster County Office for the Aging (Veterans Administration entrance), 5 Development Court, Kingston. Attendance at all five sessions is mandatory. For more information, email gloria@hudsonvalleyltcop.org or call 845-229-4680.
GETTING READY FOR SPRING IN RHINECLIFF (Thu 2/8)
Would you like to get your hands on some seeds and start planning for spring? Join in the Morton Seed Library Kickoff and Seed Swap, Thursday, February 8th at 6:30 p.m. at the Morton Memorial Library in Rhinecliff (82 Kelly St., 876-2903). Share your experiences as a gardener or a seed saver. Ken Greene, seed library pioneer and co-founder of the Hudson Valley Seed Company, will be on hand to talk about the importance of seed libraries, seed saving, and the need for protecting our valuable food source.
HEART HEALTH EVENT AT BOARDMAN ROAD LIBRARY (Thu 2/8)
February is a great month to check your heart health! On Thursday, February 8, at 6 pm, the Boardman Road Branch Library (141 Boardman Rd., Poughkeepsie, 485-3445 x3702) hosts a presentation entitled Less Meat for a Healthy Heart Beat. Learn how diet plays a role in cardiovascular health as Drs. Hanna and Naqvi, both cardiologists at MidHudson Regional Hospital, discuss nutritional options for a healthy heart. Call Heather Scism at 845-483-5041 to register. This presentation is a partnership between Poughkeepsie Public Library District and MidHudson Regional Hospital. For more library information go to www.poklib.org.
LEARN & LUNCH BUNCH IN POUGHKEEPSIE
The Jewish Federation of Dutchess County presents informative “Lean & Lunch” events every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m. at Temple Beth-El in Poughkeepsie (118 South Grand Ave.); there’s a nominal fee for snacks or lunch but no one is turned away because of inability to pay. More information and a full schedule of speakers and events is available at www.jewishdutchess.org, or by calling (845) 471-9811.
OFA outreach coordinator Brian Jones will be the group’s March 21 speaker, delivering his “Successful Aging” presentation.
On February 21, Dutchess County Solid Waste Management recycling educator Kerry Russell will be the group’s speaker, discussing the benefits of recycling and how to promote recycling in our daily lives.
Other aging news online:
Following up on last week’s Poughkeepsie Journal story linked in the Aging News – yes, it’s been an unusually bad influenza season. And even if this season’s shot isn’t as effective as hoped, it’s generally recommended you get it anyway, if you haven’t already: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/health/flu-rates-deaths.html
Of particular note for women: a few minutes’ exercise helps prevent brittle bones: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/exercise-a-few-minutes-a-day-for-bone-health-2017101212557?utm_content=buffer1610a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer
Doctors may have more time to treat stroke in its initial stages than originally believed: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/new-studies-quadruple-window-stroke-treatment
The Great Decluttering Checklist: http://www.nextavenue.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The-Great-Decluttering-Checklist-Final.pdf
So what do we call the stage of life that’s in between no-longer-young and definitely-not-old-yet? http://www.nextavenue.org/lifes-next-chapter-stage-x/?utm_content=bufferea04e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Bill Gates had a very personal reason for donating $100M to Alzheimer’s research: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/30/bill-gates-says-worried-will-get-alzheimers-father-diagnosed/?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook
Add Paul Simon (age 74) to the list of musicians saying farewell to touring this year: https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/01/paul-simon-announces-farewell-concert/?wasp=facebook-ads
But at least Roy Orbison is touring again. Wait, what? http://ultimateclassicrock.com/roy-orbison-hologram-tour/
The secret to long life, according to Canada’s oldest man? Find a good spouse: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/oldest-man-in-canada-1.4507942
(video) A fascinating presentation on life in Rhinebeck during World War I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW8Nh0-panM&feature=youtu.be
Hey, baseball fans – there’s about one week left until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. To hold you over, here’s a great old photo of Willie Mays at the Polo Grounds: https://www.facebook.com/184802968249797/photos/a.211563222240438.54442.184802968249797/1731984583531620/?type=3
This week in senior birthdays:
2/6: Journalist/author Tom Brokaw (78)
2/7: Journalist/author Gay Talese (86)
2/8: Journalist Ted Koppel (78)
2/9: Singer/songwriter Carole King (76)
2/10: Opera singer Leontyne Price (91)
2/11: Actress/singer Tina Louise (84)
2/12: First African-American woman to enter the US Coast Guard Dr. Olivia Hooker (103)
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
