Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of November 25th
Note: the Office for the Aging will be closed for the Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday, November 28th. There will be no OFA Home Delivered Meals service on the 28th and on Friday, November 29th. HDM clients will receive shelf-stable meals as needed in advance of the holiday weekend.
The Office for the Aging will be OPEN on Friday, November 29th, but all OFA Senior Friendship Centers will be closed on the 29th.
Next week’s Aging News emails will be delivered on Wednesday, November 27th.
Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
For seniors, a fall is the incident that most often leads to a rapid decline in quality of life – but falls are not an inevitable part of aging. The fear of falling can be just as dangerous as falling itself, because restricting physical activity out of fear of falling is a sure recipe for both physical and mental decline – including even more falls.
Statistics show that in any given year, one in three adults over 65 will fall at least once, with the risk of a fall increasing with age. By age 80, the risk increases to one in two. In Dutchess County, falls account for more than half of all emergency room visits.
You have the power to reduce your risk of falling.
The Office for the Aging is now taking applications for its spring 2020 “A Matter of Balance” classes. Available in Dutchess County since 2015, “A Matter of Balance” is an award winning, research-based program aimed at helping older adults reduce their risks for falling.
The classes help participants in many ways, including how to:
- view falls and fear of falling as controllable;
- set realistic goals for increasing activity; and
- change their environment to reduce fall risk factors.
The program is comprised of eight weekly sessions and also promotes exercise to increase strength and balance. Thirty minutes of exercise are included in each two-hour class, beginning with the third session. Those most likely to benefit from “A Matter of Balance” include older adults who are concerned about falls; have fallen before; restrict activities because of concerns about falling; are interested in improving flexibility, balance and strength; and who are at least age 60, ambulatory and able to problem-solve.
The spring series of classes will be held throughout Dutchess County. Likely sites will be in the City and Town of Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls, Fishkill, Rhinebeck, Pleasant Valley and Dover Plains. Other sites may be added, depending on demand. Classes are generally held in the spring and fall.
Class applications are available at www.dutchessny.gov/aging, by email at ofa@dutchessny.gov, or by calling the Office for the Aging at 845-486-2555. Callers should request an application for “A Matter of Balance.” Each session is limited to 14 participants.
In the meantime, here are a few simple tips to reduce your risk of falling at home:
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- Clear your floors of tripping hazards like boxes and electrical cords;
- If you need a step stool to reach a commonly used household item on a shelf, move that item to a lower shelf;
- Move coffee tables, ottomans and plant stands away from high-traffic areas;
- Clean up spills right away, especially if they’re greasy or oily;
- Repair any loose carpeting or floorboards;
- Make sure your bathtub includes a non-skid mat, and perhaps grab bars and/or a bath seat;
- Light your living spaces well, especially your bedroom, bathrooms, hallways and stairs. Two-bulb fixtures are a great idea, because if one bulb goes out, you’ll still have partial lighting; and
- Have flashlights available in multiple strategic locations in the event of power outages.
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)
Tue 11/26, 11:00 a.m. – Healthy Cooking for the Holidays
With OFA Nutrition Services Coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
Beacon Senior Friendship Center, 1 Forrestal Heights
Tue 11/26, 11:00 a.m. – Home Safety and Fire Prevention
With Dave Surico, Rebuilding Together Dutchess County
Millerton Senior Friendship Center, 28 Century Blvd.
Wed 11/27, 11:00 a.m. – Healthy Cooking for the Holidays
With OFA Nutrition Services Coordinator Nimesh Bhargava
South Amenia Friendship Center, 229 South Amenia Rd., Wassaic
Tue 12/3, 11:00 a.m. – Home Safety and Fire Prevention
With Dave Surico, Rebuilding Together Dutchess County
Tri-Town Senior Friendship Center, 110 S. Grand Ave., Poughkeepsie
NOMINATE A 2020 SENIOR CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
Every May, the Office for the Aging honors Dutchess County seniors whose remarkable efforts on behalf of the community are worthy of public recognition.
You can nominate a senior for a “Senior Citizen of the Year” honor, which will be awarded at the “Celebration of Aging,” tentatively scheduled for May 18th at Villa Borghese in Wappinger Falls.
In early April, a subcommittee of the OFA Advisory Board will choose the honorees from all nominations received by the March 27, 2020 deadline.
Qualifying is simple: a nominee must be at least 60 years old, a resident of Dutchess County, and not a previous “Senior Citizen of the Year” honoree. Previous nominees who were not selected for honors can be nominated again.
We’ve attached a nomination form (PDF format) to this Aging News email. It will also be posted at the Office for the Aging website (www.dutchessny.gov/aging), and will be included in the Winter 2019/20 issue of our “Spotlight on Seniors” newsletter, due out in early December.
SENIOR PROM VIEWING ON “PANDA” PUBLIC ACCESS TV
TV viewers with access to PANDA (Public Access Northern Dutchess Area), channel 23, will be able to see video of October’s OFA Senior Prom on the following dates at the following times:
November 30th, 9 a.m.
December 1st, 8 p.m.
December 6th, 9 a.m.
December 7th, 12 noon
December 8th, 4 p.m.
December 11th, 2 p.m.
Other aging news online:
If you head out to cut down a Christmas tree, there’s still a chance you could pick up a disease-carrying tick along the way despite the colder weather. An upstate research facility has released some new information along with some tips. They’d also like a look at the tick, if you kept it: https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/upstate-professor-releases-findings-from-statewide-tick-study/?fbclid=IwAR0s131oOUOKK7_wbVAY2xk2BxHX6a-kn9bBkVbA9rJbc3ImS33eBijgezA
We’d really like to go a week without letting you know about a new scam…but the scammers don’t quit, so neither will we. Here’s some new scam prevention information from Social Security: https://blog.ssa.gov/beware-of-social-security-scams/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
For those of you who hunt, information on venison donation in New York: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8351.html
Men who maintain muscle mass in middle age might benefit later, thanks to a lower risk of heart disease: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2019-11-18/muscle-in-middle-age-might-help-mens-hearts-later
A farewell to African-American aviation legend Azellia White, at age 106: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/azellia-white-trailblazer-for-african-american-women-in-aviation-dies-at-106/2019/11/18/3cc150fc-0a05-11ea-bd9d-c628fd48b3a0_story.html
For seniors in South Korea, there’s nothing like an afternoon at…the disco? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/seoul-music-pensioner-discos-take-south-korea-over-65s-dance/
This week in senior birthdays:
11/25: NFL coach/racing team owner Joe Gibbs (79)
11/26: Comedian/impressionist Rich Little (81)
11/27: Fashion designer Jil Sander (76)
11/28: Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Jr. (90)
11/29: Retired sportscaster Vin Scully (Brooklyn/LA Dodgers) (92)
11/30: Actor/singer Mandy Patinkin (67)
12/1: Golf legend Lee Trevino (80)
You didn’t fill up on bad Thanksgiving jokes before the main course, did you? Because now that the big day is this week, we have a few more…and after this week you’ll have to quit the Thanksgiving jokes cold turkey:
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Norma Lee.
Norma Lee who?
Norma Lee I don’t eat this much.
April showers bring May flowers, and May flowers bring pilgrims.
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Tamara.
Tamara who?
Tamara we have leftovers.
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
