Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s AGING NEWS For the week of October 7th

Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

For the week of October 7th

Note: the Office for the Aging and OFA Senior Friendship Centers will be closed for the Columbus Day holiday on Monday, October 14th. Clients of our Home Delivered Meals program will receive shelf-stable meals in advance of the holiday weekend.

Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers

Todd N. Tancredi, Director

Dutchess County Office for the Aging

 

ONLY A FEW SEATS LEFT FOR THE OFA SENIOR PROM

                Seats and time are both in short supply for this month’s 24th annual Office for the Aging Senior Prom, being held Monday, October 21st from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at Villa Borghese in Wappinger, with key support from The Pines at Poughkeepsie.

                Admission is now $30 per person. As of press time, a few seats were left.

        This year’s theme is “The ‘70s,” which means you can bring out the leisure suits, bell-bottoms, caftans, designer jeans, wide collars, and anything else you never thought would come back into style. Dressing up to match the theme of the Senior Prom is strictly optional, but if you choose to dress up you’ll be in the running to become this year’s Duke or Duchess of the Prom.

MEDICARE – OPEN ENROLLMENT GETS UNDERWAY SOON

                Medicare’s Annual “Open Enrollment” Period starts on October 15 every year. It’s your annual opportunity to match your medical and drug needs to the available plans.

                Dutchess County residents with Medicare can choose from available Medicare Prescription Drug plans and Medicare Health Plans.  Whether you are interested in staying with original, traditional, fee-for-service Medicare and finding the best available drug plan, or interested in considering the Medicare Advantage Plan options, you can start looking now.  2020 plan information is now available on the Medicare website, www.medicare.gov.

                The opportunity to enroll will end on December 7th.  Remember, this is for plan coverage to begin on January 1st, 2020.

                All Medicare beneficiaries are encouraged to review their plan’s options for 2020.  Remember, what was good for you this year may not necessarily be your best choice in 2020.  Many things can change, including covered prescriptions, premiums, deductibles, etc. Some current plans available in 2020 may be discontinued, while some new plans may be available for 2020. Just as you get your own personal health “checkup,” you should “check up” on your health insurance benefits – and the Office for the Aging can help you with this process.

                To arrange a meeting with one of our HIICAP (Health Information, Insurance, Counseling and Assistance Program) counselors, contact us using the information at the end of this column.

                HIICAP is your local source for impartial information about Medicare.  HIICAP provides information about Medigap insurances designed to “fit” with Medicare and can help individuals understand the supplemental choices offered by a retiree plan.  HIICAP is also a resource for information about Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), New York State EPIC Program, benefit programs and long-term care insurance.

                HIICAP is federally funded through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Administration on Aging.  HIICAP is administered by the New York State Office for the Aging, and is staffed locally by Dutchess County Office for the Aging staff and certified counselors.

Golden Living is prepared by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, telephone (845) 486-2555, email: ofa@dutchessny.gov website: www.dutchessny.gov/aging

 

Office for the Aging events schedule

To find out more, see the events calendar at www.dutchessny.gov/aging

or call (845) 486-2555 (unless a different number is indicated)

(All events subject to change)

 

Mon 10/7, 11:00 a.m. – Scam Prevention

                With OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones

                Millerton Senior Friendship Center, 28 Century Blvd.

Tue 10/8, 1:00 p.m. – Successful Aging

                With OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones

                Red Hook Community Center, 59 Fisk St.

Thu 10/17, 6:30 – 8 p.m. – Medicare 101 On The Road

                With OFA Aging Information Services Specialist Maggie Kwet

                Poughkeepsie OFA Senior Friendship Center, 114 Delafield St.

                Space is limited; call (845) 486-2555 to sign up

Mon 10/21, 12 noon – 4 p.m. – The Office for the Aging Senior Prom

                Theme: “The ‘70s”

                Villa Borghese, 70 Widmer Rd., Wappingers Falls

                $20/person if paid before 9/27 or the event sells out

$30/person after 9/27

                Maximum 10 guests per table

                Printable entry form available at this link: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Docs/promentry2019.pdf

Tue 10/22, 6 – 7:30 p.m. – Medicare 101 On The Road

                With OFA Aging Information Services Specialist Maggie Kwet

                Red Hook Community Center, 59 Fisk St.

Thu 10/24, 6:30 – 8 p.m. – Medicare 101 On The Road

                With OFA Aging Information Services Specialist Maggie Kwet

                North East Community Center, 51 S. Center St., Millerton

Sat 11/2, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – OFA at Thriving in Rhinebeck

                (A showcase of services and resources for older adults and caregivers)

                With OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones

                Rhinebeck High School, 45 North Park Rd.

                (845) 379-1114 or www.rhinebeckathome.org for information

Thu 11/7, 9:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. – OFA Senior Seminars

                New Hackensack Reformed Church, 1380 NY 376, Wappinger

                Speaker schedule on page 6 of the fall Spotlight on Seniors, at this link: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Docs/NewSpotlightFall2019.pdf

                Seating is limited; reservations at (845) 486-2555

LONGTIME (and short-time) MILLERTON-AREA RESIDENTS WANTED (Sat 10/12)

                Across the Centuries: Stories about Life in the 20th and 21st Centuries is a program that collects the stories of Millerton area residents who grew up in the 20th century and the early 21st century.  The hope is for them to trade and record stories about growing up in the area in two different centuries to find points of similarity and difference as well as collecting stories that can be used for archiving, research and programming.

On Saturday, October 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a training session at the North East-Millerton Library (75 Main St.) to teach the methods of interviewing from the perspective of a folklorist/anthropologist as opposed to a journalist, including how to use apps on smartphones to record the interviews through both audio and video and to take pictures. Organizers will supply each participant with a “story kit” including interview tips and prompts, notebook, pen, releases of information and fieldnote sheets to fill out and return post story sessions. After each story collection, the folk arts program manager will meet with each pairing (both individually and together) to talk about the experience and go over the collected information. The folk arts program manager and the participants will work together to identify themes and to plan and present the culminating program.

RSVP to the library at (518) 789-3340.

                In December, an event will be held to share with the community what was collected.

FREE SENIOR CARNIVAL AT THE PINES (Thu 10/17)

                Seniors can enjoy a free carnival at The Pines at Poughkeepsie (100 Franklin Ave.) on Thursday, October 17th, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with food trucks, games, live music and prizes.

                Due to limited parking, a free shuttle bus will run between the Pines and additional parking at 35 Montgomery St., the parking lot of the former YMCA.

                For more information, call (845) 454-7945.

ADVANCED CARE PLANNING EVENT IN PAWLING (10/22)

                What does “advanced care planning” mean in terms of health decisions, and what are the forms I need to know about? What is the difference between a Living Will and a MOLST form? Do I need a DNR and a Health Care Proxy? Laura Palermo from Hudson Valley Hospice will review and explain these forms and answer any questions you may have about them.

                At the Pawling Free Library (11 Broad St.) on Tuesday, October 22nd, from 6-7 p.m. Registration is required for all programs. Call the Pawling Library at 845-855-3444 to register, or send an email to Donald at adult@pawlinglibrary.org.

SENIOR ADULT DAY CARE OPTIONS EXPAND IN DUTCHESS

                For caregivers who are able to look after elderly friends or family members before and/or after work, but who struggle to find an appropriate option for daytime supervision, adult day care may be an option not previously considered.

                Perhaps the following example sounds familiar: your 72 year old dad is recovering from a stroke, and while you’re handling his morning and evening care without too much trouble, he still needs help during the day while you’re at work. Somebody in your dad’s situation is an ideal candidate for adult day care, which can improve the well-being of caregiver and senior alike.

                Seniors in adult day care can socialize and enjoy activities with each other, and can receive meals and other services.

                Dutchess County’s options in adult day care expanded recently with the opening of EverCare Life’s new social adult day care center at 61 Page Park Drive in the Town of Poughkeepsie. The space is handicapped-accessible. Amenities include a yoga studio, movie theatre, social media center, café, socialization areas, and bathing facilities with personal lockers. They can be reached at (845) 337-4159.

                We’ve found that many caregivers are not aware of adult day care options that could bring them some much-needed piece of mind, but there are now at least six such options in Dutchess County and two more in nearby counties. If you have questions about adult day care issues, contact the Office for the Aging.

KOREAN PROGRAM AT MILLBROOK LIBRARY (Sat 10/19)

                The members of the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project will be on hand at the Millbrook Library (3 Friendly Ln.) to help you make a lovely lotus flower lantern using colorful paper and wire frames. A short documentary film on Korean artistic tradition will be shown as an introduction on the aesthetics of Korea. Traditional Korean refreshments will be served.

Registration is required, and can be done by contacting the library at (845) 677-3611.

Other aging news online:

More seniors are working after traditional retirement ages – some because they want to, others because they need to. And for some, it’s a bit of both: https://www.npr.org/2019/10/02/751797229/the-new-realities-of-work-and-retirement

One underused feature of Medicare is the nutrition counseling available for seniors living with diabetes: https://medshadow.org/millions-of-diabetes-patients-are-missing-out-on-medicares-nutrition-help-dietitian/

Providing care for seniors who want to age in place is a challenge even in a partially-urban, partially-urban, and partially rural county like Dutchess. Imagine the challenge for a place like Wyoming: https://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/politics-wyoming-talks-aging-in-place-and-other-news/article_b4786820-cf3f-5b97-8391-0b33d0bd5ebc.html

For you gadget fans, something that might make living independently slightly easier on trash day. Introducing the self-driving trash can; it rolls out the garbage out to the curb so you don’t have to: https://smartcan.app/#hero

This week in senior birthdays:

10/7: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu (88)

10/8: Australian actor/comedian Paul Hogan (79)

10/9: Yankees first baseman/outfielder Joe Pepitone (79)

10/10: Singer/songwriter David Lee Roth (65)

10/11: Singer/songwriter Daryl Hall (73)

10/12: Yankees shortstop/sportscaster Tony Kubek (84)

10/13: Disc jockey “Cousin Brucie” Morrow (84)

Here’s a Bad Joke to share with one and all, at least until they tell you to stop:

I can’t believe somebody broke into my garage and stole the limbo stick. Seriously, how low can you go?

Brian Jones
Outreach Coordinator

Dutchess County Office For the Aging

114 Delafield St.
Poughkeepsie NY 12601
Main office: (845) 486-2555
Direct line to my desk: (845) 486-2544

Author: Harlem Valley News