Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s AGING NEWS For the week of June 25

Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

For the week of June 25

(Note: There’s still time to sign up to volunteer at the June 27 OFA Senior Picnic coming up in Wappinger, or for any of the other seven picnics still to come on the schedule. Email bjones@dutchessny.gov or call (845) 486-2555 to find out more.)

GRANDPARENTS AND RELATIVES AS PARENTS

It’s more common than ever before for grandparents and other relatives to find themselves in the position of raising children due to tragedy or dysfunction. In 2015, AARP estimated the number of Americans in this arrangement at more than 2.6 million. Using a different measurement method, the 2010 Census estimated that 7.7 million children were living with grandparents. Additional statistics from Colorado State University show that one child in 10 had spent at least some time living with a grandparent.

If this describes the scenario you are in as a grandparent or relative, there are burdens you may not have had time to consider, what with parenting being a difficult undertaking even in ideal conditions. If you’re in this role due to a family tragedy, coping with that tragedy can be difficult, along with explaining the tragedy to the children affected. If you were previously a traditional grandparent who doted on grandkids, it can be hard to take on the new role of authority figure, even if you are more able to provide a stable home environment for the children. The new role of parent may cause marital stress for couples who had assumed their parenting days were complete, and the stress of raising children at an older age can be exhausting.

There’s help available for grandparents and all relatives who serve as parents in Dutchess County. Millbrook-based Cornell Cooperative Extension (www.ccedutchess.org, (845) 677-8223, and @fcedutchess on Twitter) supports a Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) to assist those who are a child’s primary caregiver. RAPP provides education and training to learn parenting and coping skills; mutual peer support groups; referral and access to appropriate community-based services and resources; case assistance and financial management education; youth and intergenerational programming; and intergenerational activities and respite opportunities. The program is partially funded by Dutchess County, the Office for the Aging, and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. To find out more about RAPP, and to learn more about volunteering in the program, contact the number above or email jmc646@cornell.edu.

Monthly RAPP support groups meet in three locations in Dutchess County:

Immaculate Conception Church, Lavelle Rd., Amenia – first Wednesday of every month, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
St. John’s Church, Wilbur Blvd., Poughkeepsie – second Thursday of every month, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
St. Mary’s Chapel, Bedford Ave., Fishkill – third Tuesday of every month, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

On Friday, July 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the CCE Dutchess County RAPP program and the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York will host their annual Picnic at Pavilion 2 at Bowdoin Park in Poughkeepsie (85 Sheafe Rd.). There’ll be games, activities, food and fun, and new kinship families are encouraged to attend. The event is rain or shine.

RSVP by Friday, July 6 with the number attending from your family to jmc646@cornell.edu or (845) 677-8223 ext. 137; or to tomasine@affcny.org, who can also be reached at (845) 679-9900.

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

Unless otherwise indicated, call (845) 486-2555 for more information

Tue 6/26, 11 a.m. – “Nutrition and Traveling”

With OFA nutrition coordinator Nimesh Bhargava

Red Hook Senior Friendship Center (59 Fisk St.)

Sat 9/22, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – at the Golden Gathering

Arlington High School, 1157 NY 55, LaGrangeville

(845) 229-0106 or email goldengathering41@gmail.com for information

Mon 10/15, 12 noon – 4 p.m. – Office for the Aging Senior Prom

Villa Borghese, 70 Widmer Rd., Wappinger

This year’s theme: “The Big Game” – dress as a spectator or participant in your favorite sport or athletic activity. Any other questions? Emailbjones@dutchessny.gov.

(We’ll have prom entry forms in future issues of the Aging News coming up later this summer.)

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.

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!

THE SENIOR PROM: OCTOBER IS SOONER THAN YOU THINK

We’ve had it on the Aging News calendar for a while, but in July we’ll start selling seats to the Monday, October 15 OFA Senior Prom, being held once again at Villa Borghese, 70 Widmer Rd. in Wappinger.

The event will take place from noon until 4, and this year’s theme is…THE BIG GAME.

And what’s that?

It means that should you choose to dress in a costume…you don’t have to, but a lot of people certainly do…pick something that would be suitable if you were either attending a sporting event, or playing in a sporting event.

It can be any sport you’d like – but keep in mind that ice skates and golf spikes are not allowed on the dance floor.

Once again, the full Bob Martinson Band will be playing your favorites from the 40’s onward, and there’ll be plenty of prizes, and a 50-50 raffle to benefit the Office for the Aging.

Tickets will be the same price as last year – $20 per person ($200 for a table of ten) until September 14 or when the event sells out, whichever comes first. After that date, the price increases to $30 per person.

Event sponsorships are sold out, but local businesses interested in providing prizes for prom guests in exchange for publicity at the venue and on the prom program can email bjones@dutchessny.gov or call (845) 486-2555.

Our sponsors this year are The Pines at Poughkeepsie (band sponsor), Northwestern Mutual, EverCare At Home, Wingate Healthcare, and Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Other aging news online:

A key molecule related to aging has been discovered: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180620125933.htm

UK health officials are expecting a massive rise in cancer cases by 2035, because of an aging population: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/21/number-elderly-people-cancer-tipped-soar-next-20-years/

Tips for relating to your children and grandchildren who are now adults: https://newsok.com/article/5598798/5-tips-for-relating-to-your-now-adult-child

This week in senior birthdays:

6/25: TV/stage actress June Lockhart (93)

6/26: Singer Billy Davis, Jr. (80)

6/27: Businessman/politican Ross Perot (88)

6/28: Comedy legend Mel Brooks (92)

6/29: Actor Gary Busey (74)

6/30: Mets/Yankees outfielder Ron Swoboda (74)

7/1: Actress Olivia de Havilland (102)