Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of December 7th
Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
OFA “CAR-AOKE” AT BOWDOIN PARK
The Office for the Aging has one more drive-in event planned before fall becomes winter. Join us on Tuesday, December 15th at 1:00 p.m. for OFA Holiday “Car-aoke” at Bowdoin Park, 85 Sheafe Rd. in Poughkeepsie. Barring any early-season snowstorms, we’ll be gathered near Pavilion 1, near the end of the park road, for holiday singalongs, trivia games, hot apple cider and more. Advance registration is required for this free event; register by calling the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555. The rain date is Thursday, December 17th.
EPIC AND MEDICARE PART D
The open enrollment period for Medicare closed on December 7th, but for seniors with Medicare Part D there is another way to save money on prescription drug coverage. EPIC (Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage), is a New York State program that provides supplementary drug coverage and premium assistance for seniors with Medicare Part D. As an added benefit, EPIC enrollees may change their Part D plan outside of the open enrollment period once, any time during the year.
EPIC is open to any New York State resident who is age 65 or older and has an annual income up to $75,000 if single or $100,000 if married. To receive EPIC benefits, you must be enrolled in a Part D plan. EPIC may even help pay the Medicare Part D drug plan premiums for members with qualifying incomes. Higher income members are required to pay their own Part D premiums, but EPIC provides premium assistance by lowering their EPIC deductible.
Seniors with Medicare Advantage health insurance can only join EPIC if they have Part D drug coverage included in their plan.
It is very important to show both your EPIC ID card and the Medicare Part D plan card at your pharmacy to receive the maximum prescription benefits.
Two other important things to know:
- A senior who receives full Medicaid benefits is not eligible for EPIC;
- If your Part D drug plan has an annual deductible, you must pay the deductible before EPIC coverage will begin.
You can find an EPIC application, as well as more information about the program, at the state Department of Health website, health.ny.gov/health_care/epic, by calling EPIC toll free at 1-800-332-3742, or by writing to EPIC, P.O. Box 15018, Albany, NY 12212-5018.
OFA TAI CHI – NOW ENROLLING
The Office for the Aging is enrolling seniors in a ten-week Tai Chi class via Zoom, with twice-a-week one-hour sessions beginning in mid-December. Tai chi is an ancient Chinese exercise that can help older adults improve their balance and lower their fall risk. You move from one pose to another gradually, shifting your weight and extending your limbs to challenge your balance. It looks like a graceful, slow-motion dance.
For a printable class application, call the Office for the Aging or visit this link: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Docs/TaiChiApplicationAndRelease.pdf
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
“GO LIGHT YOUR WORLD” AT WILCOX PARK IN MILAN (Sat/Sun 12/5-6)
Seniors looking for a safe way to enjoy the holiday weekend can head to Wilcox Park in Milan for Dutchess County Parks’ “Go Light Your World” Holiday Illumination Weekend. You and your family can safely enjoy beautiful holiday light displays set up by our light partners throughout Wilcox Park from the safety and warmth of your car, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.
Please note, Wilcox Park will be closed Saturday and Sunday during the day for display set-up and safety precautions. Gates will open at 6:00 pm for drive-through traffic only.
Directions from the Taconic Parkway: Take the Parkway to Exit 67 (Route 199), and drive 0.9 miles on 199 east to the park entrance on Wilcox Park Road.
From Rhinebeck/Red Hook/Milan: Take Route 199 east, and turn right at Wilcox Park Rd., approximately 0.9 miles past the Parkway overpass.
From northeastern Dutchess: Take Route 199 west from Pine Plains. Park entrance at Wilcox Park Road is 5.8 miles from the light in the center of Pine Plains.
CENTRAL HUDSON IMPERSONATORS ATTEMPTING PHONE SCAMS
From the utility’s Facebook page:
“Beware – phone scammers are on the prowl again! They are calling our customers to say utility service will be terminated if payment, using a prepaid card, is not made immediately. The scammers are instructing people to call an 800 number to pay the bill. Please … DO NOT fall victim to this scam. NEVER share your account or banking information. If in doubt about a person’s identity, hang up and call Central Hudson at (845) 452-2700.
More here: https://www.facebook.com/centralhudson/posts/3820639567966536
A few Dutchess County residents have received mailings from the U.S. Census Bureau’s “American Community Survey” and got in touch with us, asking “but isn’t the Census over? Is this legit?”
The short answer: Yes, it’s legit. And yes, the Census count is over. But let’s go through the details before you fill anything out.
The 2020 Census has completed its count, it’s true, BUT the American Community Survey (ACS) is different from the Census you completed this year.
Scammers did try to take advantage of the Census this year, to sow confusion and defraud people, and they’re likely to try the same with the ACS – so before you fill anything out, if you’re uncertain about the survey’s legitimacy or need help completing it, the ACS toll-free number is 1-800-354-7271. If you see that phone number inside the mailer, you’ve got the real ACS form.
As described by the Census Bureau, the ACS is “an ongoing survey that provides vital information on a yearly basis about our nation and its people. Information from the survey generates data that help determine how more than $675 billion in federal and state funds are distributed each year.” Within that $675 billion are funds for programs for Dutchess County seniors and caregivers, including Office for the Aging programs.
The 2020 Census attempted to contact every person living in the U.S., while the ACS initially contacts a representative sample of just over 3.5 million residences across the country.
More information about the ACS here: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html
Other aging news online:
Lots of handy pandemic-coping tips here, customized to New York: https://nyprojecthope.org/cope/
A company has started selling a test that aims to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, although the test has yet to be FDA-approved and is not covered by insurance or Medicare: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/aging/first-blood-test-help-diagnose-alzheimer-s-goes-sale-n1249355
16 things that make cleaning your house more difficult: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/things-that-make-your-home-harder-to-clean/?_cmp=diytipshintsnl&_ebid=diytipshintsnl1222020&_mid=384446&ehid=E5A2D3A1DC657B4453A1383B3A7A9DABB820DFAF
This week in senior birthdays:
12/5: Novelist Joan Didion (86)
12/6: “Craigslist” founder Craig Newmark (68)
12/7: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench (73)
12/8: Irish flute player James Galway (81)
12/9: Actress Dame Judi Dench (86)
12/10: Actress Susan Dey (68)
12/11: Businessman/philanthropist Aaron Feuerstein (95)
Here’s a combination Bad Joke and practical joke:
You: Someone we know is possessed by an owl.
Other person: Who?
You: Aha – so it’s YOU.
