Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR SENIORS OF THE YEAR
You have under four weeks to nominate a deserving senior for the 2020 Dutchess County “Senior Citizen of the Year” award. Nominations are being accepted through March 27th in the categories of Senior Male, Senior Female, or Senior Citizen Couple of the Year.
The awards are presented at the annual Celebration of Aging luncheon, held Monday, May 18th at Villa Borghese in Wappingers Falls in observance of Older Americans Month. The nomination form and more information are available by emailing bjones@dutchessny.gov or calling our office at (845) 486-2555. It can also be found on Page 4 of the Winter 2019-20 “Spotlight on Seniors newsletter,” available while supplies last at libraries throughout Dutchess County; and online at www.dutchessny.gov/aging.
You may nominate as many people as you wish, in any or all three categories. Eligible nominees must be over age 60 and live in Dutchess County, and must not have won the award before. If they’ve been nominated in the past but haven’t won, feel free to nominate them again. We hear from the friends, families and colleagues of many worthy nominees every year. Submit whatever material you think will help us learn more about your nominees; however, keep in mind that we cannot return any original submitted material, so send us copies of newspaper clippings rather than originals. Honorees are chosen in April by a subcommittee of the Office for the Aging Advisory Board.
The Celebration of Aging also honors residents of Dutchess County who have achieved rare feats of successful aging. Call or email to let us know of any Dutchess County resident you know who will turn 100 or older any time this year, or a couple living in Dutchess County who will celebrate their 70th or greater wedding anniversary during 2020. We would like to invite them to be our guests at the Celebration of Aging. They don’t have to make up their minds about attending right away.
It’s always a treat to hear the wisdom and stories shared by the few among us who are elders to virtually everybody reading this column. Over the years we’ve heard from, for example, a 100-year old man who still mows his own lawn; and a 102-year-old woman who still makes snow angels during the winter. She’s 104 now, going on 105, and since there hasn’t been much snow this winter, we’re looking forward to finding out what else she’s been up to.
We hope to see you at the Celebration of Aging on May 20th; we’ll start taking reservations from the public when the Spring 2020 “Spotlight on Seniors” is published this week. You can find an online copy of the new Spotlight at www.dutchessny.gov/aging, and printed copies will be mailed out to homes and delivered to libraries countywide within the next two weeks.
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
SENIOR EXERCISE CLASS OPENINGS IN POUGHKEEPSIE
A few spaces remain in the Office for the Aging Senior Exercise classes taking place in the City of Poughkeepsie. To sign up for this OFA Senior Exercise class, or to learn more about OFA Senior Exercise elsewhere in Dutchess County, call (845) 486-2555.
Other aging news online:
A new report from the US General Accounting Office says the Veterans Administration needs to improve plans for providing long-term care to an increasing number of aging veterans: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/02/20/gao-va-must-improve-plans-for-providing-long-term-care-to-aging-veterans/?fbclid=IwAR0lBUo9vxB2D8DH63SQxSrD7PsMaULua70QKrv682XemkbrzH1q1xbwPoo
Can hearing aids help prevent dementia? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/magazine/hearing-loss-dementia-alzheimers.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage
Farewell to two legends who both lived beyond 100…NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson died late in February at age 101: https://www.nasa.gov/content/katherine-johnson-biography?fbclid=IwAR3CV5ynv4-7Z0UAcALVfJ4KXbFFO99876TCRQ9S9JRa527LLxXNvZZOQrY
…and Tao Porchon-Lynch of Westchester County, certified by Guinness as the world’s oldest yoga teacher, also passed recently at age 101: https://www.today.com/popculture/tao-porchon-lynch-world-s-oldest-yoga-teacher-dead-101-t174482
89-year-old jazz legend Sonny Rollins can’t play the saxophone any more, but says he feels better than he’s ever felt: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/24/magazine/sonny-rollins-interview.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage
This week in senior birthdays:
3/2: Musician/songwriter John Cowsill (64)
3/3: Singer/songwriter Jennifer Warnes (73)
3/4: Actress Paula Prentiss (82)
3/5: Magician/actor/author Penn Jillette (65)
3/6: Actor/director/producer Rob Reiner (73)
3/7: TV personality Willard Scott (86)
3/8: Writer/Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton (81)
And, as is traditional, a Bad Joke to share with the grandkids:
Q: How fast can a grandmother bake cookies?
A: In nana-seconds.
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
