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

Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

For the week of January 25th

THE LATEST PHONE SCAM…

…resembles a lot of other common phone scams. Scammers follow the headlines and craft their fraudulent messages accordingly. This time around, a scammer tried threatening a Dutchess County senior with “cancellation” of her prescriptions unless she gave the scammer personal information. She didn’t, and instead reported the scam attempt to the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.

The scammer’s goal is to frighten victims into revealing personal and financial information. Your goal, then, is to remain calm. Don’t answer the phone until you’re certain of who’s calling. Caller ID information can be faked by scammers so that it looks like it’s coming from a legitimate local source, so take your time about verifying who’s calling. Let an answering machine or voice mail pick up if necessary. Many scammers will simply disconnect upon reaching any form of automated answering.

Another reason to verify a caller before picking up is that scammers sell and share records of who picks up their phone, and who’s been victimized before. They call these records “suckers lists.” Just the name should make it clear that they’re the kind of lists you don’t want to be on. Pick up, and you run the risk of winding up on a suckers list – and getting even more scam calls.

Phone scam operations are difficult to stop because many are based overseas, beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement and federal Do Not Call rules. That’s another reason why it’s essential to be sure of who’s calling -before- answering.

If a senior you know has only a landline phone with no Caller ID feature, what can they do? Cybersecurity experts say it’s difficult. Call-blocking devices can be installed on a home phone line, but there’s a cost involved and a learning curve for programming a call-blocker. Alternatively, many carriers offer a call screening service that allows a user to only allow calls from certain numbers – but a senior’s list of family, friends, health care providers and other essential contacts may be quite long, which could complicate setting up the call screening.

For a printable list of scam prevention resources, visit this Office for the Aging link: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Docs/ScamPreventionResources.pdf

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

Todd N. Tancredi, Director

Dutchess County Office for the Aging

FINALLY FIXING THAT NAGGING HOME-REPAIR ISSUE

In last week’s Golden Living column, we discussed preparing your home to make it as aging-friendly as possible. While you were checking your home, it’s possible you may have spotted an issue in need of minor repair that’s beyond your own DIY skills. Some examples: a loose stair tread, worn-out caulking, a bathroom in need of a grab bar installation, a sagging gutter, and so forth.

Rebuilding Together Dutchess County (RTDC) is accepting applications for their no-cost Handyman Programs, which have been adapting to COVID-19 requirements. RTDC recently completed four Handyman projects at the end of 2020, and are open to new referrals. They continue to monitor the COVID numbers in our area and adjust their home visits accordingly.

Among the general criteria for application eligibility are:

• Income 80% or less of Dutchess median household income;

• Own and reside in the Dutchess County home for which repairs are sought;

• The homeowner’s mortgage and taxes must be current;

• The homeowner must have homeowner’s insurance.

Applications are available online at www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org or by calling (845) 454-7310. Because they accomplish their work through the generosity of volunteers, they are unable to offer services on an emergency basis.

ANOTHER RESOURCE

Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County has a Brush With Kindness exterior home preservation program, as well as a Critical Home Repair interior/exterior program aimed at alleviating critical health, life and safety issues, as well as code violations. For detailed eligibility and documentation information, visit www.habitatdutchess.org or call (845) 475-9336.

OFA VOLUNTEERS – NEEDED AND APPRECIATED

If winter and pandemic “cabin fever” are getting to you a bit, becoming an Office for the Aging Home Delivered Meals (HDM) volunteer is one way to safely spend some time in the community while helping the county’s homebound seniors continue living independently. You’re not only helping them maintain good nutrition, you’re providing a moment of companionship for those among us who need it most.

We work around your schedule. You can volunteer for as much or as little time as you have available, anywhere in the county. Historically, our greatest need for volunteers is in the cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie, along with rural Dutchess County.

Volunteer and substitute drivers are typically needed on weekday mornings, for about 2-3 hours. We screen drivers every day for COVID symptoms. The drivers wear face coverings, use hand sanitizer regularly, and our meal deliveries are contact-free. Drivers are insured, and mileage reimbursement is available for volunteers who use their own vehicles.

Find out more by contacting OFA at (845) 486-2555, or email ofa@dutchessny.gov.

 

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

You haven’t missed your shot

People 65 years of age and older are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, according to the guidelines set by New York State – that’s more than 50,000 Dutchess County residents who fall into that category.

However, demand for vaccine far exceeds supply. New York State estimates it will take up to 6 months for all current eligible residents to receive their vaccinations, so we ask for your patience.

For information about COVID-19 vaccinations, and to sign up to receive email notifications when appointments at vaccinations sites operated by Dutchess County Government become available, head to www.dutchessny.gov/covidvaccine and sign up for “COVID-19 Info & Vaccine Updates” at the top of the page.

Information about mass vaccination sites run by the state is available by calling the New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline, 1-833-697-4829, which is available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week, or online at www.bit.ly/Am_I_Eligible for more information and the state-run site nearest you.

This is a fluid process which will take several months, and we will continue to update residents as developments change.

Follow Dutchess County Government on social media (https://twitter.com/DutchessCoGov and https://www.facebook.com/DutchessCoGov/) for the latest information.

PREVENTING TYPE 2 DIABETES

Westchester Independent Living Center (www.wilc.org) is hosting a free “Prevent Type 2 Diabetes” program for qualified individuals and seniors. WILC provides services throughout the mid-Hudson, including Dutchess County. For more information on this free diabetes prevention program, email aparks@wilc.org or call 845-2280-7457 extension 1106.

Requirements:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Be overweight (body mass index ≥25; ≥23 if Asian)
  • Have no previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes
  • Take the Could You Have Diabetes quiz to assess your risk OR
  • Have a blood test result in the prediabetes range within the past year:
  • Hemoglobin A1C: 5.7%–6.4% or
  • Fasting plasma glucose: 100–125 mg/dL or
  • Two-hour plasma glucose (after a 75 gm glucose load): 140–199 mg/dL OR
  • Be previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes

An application is available at this link: https://www.putnamils.org/diabetes-prevention-program-intake-form/

Other aging news online:

Got arthritis of the knee(s)? A randomized trial of various shoes recommended for people with osteoarthritis of the knee has some interesting findings: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/well/live/shoes-knee-arthritis-pain.html?action=click&algo=bandit-all-surfaces&block=trending_recirc&fellback=false&imp_id=720479719&impression_id=0ace01e7-5a62-11eb-b89c-25608a046895&index=7&pgtype=Article&region=footer&req_id=887592322&surface=most-popular&variant=1_bandit-all-surfaces_daysback_4

A few people get to age 100 and are still mentally sharp – but how? https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/dementia/90720?xid=nl_mpt_SRNeurology_2021-01-19&eun=g1261622d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NeuroUpdate_011921&utm_term=NL_Spec_Neurology_Update_Active

This week in senior birthdays:

1/25: Jazz composer/saxophonist Benny Golson (92)

1/26: Sportscaster/baseball player Bob Uecker (87)

1/27: United States Chief Justice John Roberts (66)

1/28: Swedish sculptor Claes Oldenburg (92)

1/29: Talk show host Oprah Winfrey (67)

1/30: Singer/songwriter/drummer Phil Collins (70)

1/31: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan (74)

And a Bad Joke to wrap up the week:

Q: When is a door not a door?
A: When it’s ajar.

Author: Harlem Valley News