Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s AGING NEWS For the week of March 22nd

Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

For the week of March 22nd

To receive updates when COVID-19 vaccine appointments are available, or to update information you previously submitted, go to www.dutchessny.gov/VaccineInfoForm

Got your shots and want to get off the vaccine e-mail list? Go to https://www.dutchessny.gov/vaccination-Information/Vaccine-Status-Update.aspx

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

Todd N. Tancredi, Director

Dutchess County Office for the Aging

SPRING CLEANING BEGINS WITH SAFE MEDICATION DISPOSAL

You may have accumulated a lot of junk over the past year, maybe more than usual given the COVID-19 pandemic’s restriction on activities we previously took for granted. This year, our advice is to start small by safely disposing of outdated, unwanted or expired medications. Safe disposal keeps medications away from children and persons with substance use disorder, and out of public water supplies and groundwater.

Among the 11 drop-off locations in Dutchess County, seven are open 24/7 for medication drop-offs:

  • Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center, 108 Parker Ave., Poughkeepsie
  • New York State Police, Troop K Headquarters, 2541 Route 44, Salt Point
  • City of Beacon Police Department, 1 Municipal Plaza, Beacon
  • East Fishkill Police Department, 2468 Route 52, Hopewell Junction
  • Hyde Park Police Department, 3 Cardinal Road, Hyde Park
  • Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, 19 Tucker Dr., Poughkeepsie
  • Wappingers Falls Police Department, 2628 South Ave., Wappingers Falls

 

Three other drop-off locations have limited hours available:

  • Village of Millerton Police Department, 21 Dutchess Ave., Millerton

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, noon-midnight; Sunday, 4 p.m.-midnight

  • Village of Red Hook Police Department, 7467 South Broadway, Red Hook

Daily, 8 a.m. to midnight

  • Village of Rhinebeck Police Department, 14 Center St.

Daily, 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

  • Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Pawling substation, 9 Memorial Ave.

Call 845-486-3000 to arrange a drop-off.

The following items are accepted for disposal:

  • Prescription drugs, medicinal patches, samples, pet medications, and over-the-counter medications including vitamins;
  • Properly sealed prescription ointments, lotions and liquid medications; and
  • Pet medications.

Items NOT accepted for disposal are:

  • Needles and other sharps;
  • Aerosol cans or inhalers;
  • Biohazard or infectious waste;
  • Hydrogen peroxide or alcohol;
  • Thermometers; and
  • Food items.

 

The Sheriff’s Office and Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board also accept prescription drugs for disposal at every Office for the Aging Senior Picnic. The picnics will be in drive-thru form again this year, with the 2021 schedule to be released in April.

According to the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency, needles, lancets and sharps from Dutchess County households can be taken to area hospitals for proper disposal. Many local drug stores also maintain a safe sharps-disposal unit. For more information, call (845) 463-6020. Before disposal, sharps must be placed in a rigid, puncture resistant container with a secure closure.

Dutchess County will announce the 2021 schedule for Household Hazardous Waste Disposal events in early April.

 

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

STILL SPOTS AVAILABLE AT “PANCAKES IN THE PARK” (Fri 3/26)

There’s still time to join the Office for the Aging’s first outdoor seniors’ event of 2021: “Pancakes in the Park,” organized with Dutchess County Parks. It’s happening from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Bowdoin Park, 85 Sheafe Rd. in Poughkeepsie.

Seniors can enjoy free drive-through pancakes and turkey sausage, accompanied by maple syrup from Bowdoin Park’s own sugar maples. A limited supply of Bowdoin Park maple syrup is available for separate purchase, while supplies last.

Space is limited, so registration is required. Call OFA at (845) 486-2555 to save yourself a space.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED AT APRIL 12TH OFA RHINEBECK VACCINE CLINIC

This past Monday, March 15th, the Office for the Aging and Rite-Aid were able to provide nearly 600 first doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Dutchess County seniors, at The Pavilion at Brookmeade in Rhinebeck.

When those seniors return for their second dose of the vaccine on Monday, April 12th, you can help direct them to suitable parking spots, and help guide them through the process of getting their second shot.

If you are able to volunteer on Monday, April 12th, at any time between 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., please contact OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov.

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS WANTED

The Office for the Aging’s Home Delivered Meals program continues to search for volunteer midday delivery drivers throughout Dutchess County. Particular areas of current need include the Cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie, and northwestern Dutchess (Rhinebeck/Rhinecliff – Red Hook/Tivoli – Staatsburg/Clinton – Milan). Email bjones@dutchessny.gov to learn more.

If you’re looking for additional volunteering options, Poughkeepsie-based Friends of Seniors (www.friendsofseniors.org, 845-485-1277) is seeking volunteer drivers to assist seniors with transportation to non-emergency medical appointments. Contact Friends of Seniors for more information.

ENROLLING NOW: OFA TAI CHI PROGRAM, AND “A MATTER OF BALANCE” – REMOTE AND SOCIALLY-DISTANCED CLASSES BOTH AVAILABLE

(volunteer leaders wanted, too!)

Office for the Aging exercise and tai-chi classes are a great way to stay physically and mentally active while remaining physically safe – and our “A Matter of Balance” classes provide valuable help in preventing falls and potentially serious injury.

There are spaces available NOW for participants in both remote and socially-distanced in-person classes. Classes are beginning soon!

You can join as a volunteer class leader as well. Specifically, an OFA class in LaGrange is seeking a volunteer leader for its Tuesday and Friday morning socially-distanced one-hour sessions. Classes take place at 9:00 a.m., starting later this month.

For more information about volunteering as an exercise and/or tai chi leader, or questions about OFA volunteering opportunities in general, email bjones@dutchessny.gov or call (845) 486-2544.

For more information about participating in OFA classes, including the “A Matter of Balance” fall prevention program, call the OFA front desk at (845) 486-2555. Both socially-distanced and remote classes are available.

HEAP” EXTENDED TO LATE APRIL

New York’s 2020-2021 HEAP program is open until April 30th. Qualifying seniors who haven’t applied over the previous winter are encouraged to.

Eligibility and benefits are based on household size, household income, and primary heating source. For a household of one, income must not exceed $2610/month. For a household of two, that number is $3413/month. Clients can call/email OFA to request an application and review their eligibility. They can also apply online via MyBenefits: https://mybenefits.ny.gov/mybenefits/begin

Clients who have already been approved for HEAP and who need additional assistance can apply for an “Emergency HEAP” benefit. Emergency HEAP can assist in paying past due Central Hudson and NYSEG bills, even if it’s not the client’s primary heating source. They can also assist clients in scheduling additional fuel deliveries, but cannot pay past due fuel bills. We currently have two different Emergency Benefits open. Clients apply via a phone interview with an OFA HEAP examiner. They can also call/email OFA to see if they might qualify for an Emergency Benefit in the future.

HEAP’s Clean and Tune program is also still open! Clients who are homeowners, have received a HEAP approval letter, and do not have a current service contract, may be eligible for a free furnace cleaning once every 12 months. Not all HEAP vendors offer cleanings, so they may have to choose a different vendor to apply. Clients can call/email OFA’s HEAP division to request information or an application.

Phone: (845) 486-2553 Email: zserrano@dutchessny.gov

FREE VIRTUAL BALANCE CLASS (Wed 3/24 and 3/31)

(Note: this is different from OFA’s “A Matter of Balance” classes mentioned earlier.)

If you’ve already taken OFA’s “A Matter of Balance” classes, or aren’t able to sign up, there’s a different free balance class available remotely via Zoom, on the next two Wednesdays, March 24th and March 31st. Both classes take place at 10:00 a.m.

If you participate via a mobile device, be sure that Zoom is downloaded on your mobile device before joining the class. It’s also possible to participate over the phone.

Here’s the technical particulars:

Zoom Meeting Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85401478842?pwd=dG1XNTN5Smp3b3czMkxSTEtQYndRZz09

Zoom App/Online information:

Zoom Meeting ID: 854 0147 8842 Passcode: special

Join Zoom by Phone/landline – audio only – call 1-646-558-8656

Meeting ID: 85401478842

Password: 5295607

For additional information, email dmtsantes@gmail.com. To find out more about “A Matter of Balance,” contact the Office for the Aging.

TELEPHONE TOWN HALL WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE – MARCH 24th

It’s great to see more Dutchess County seniors adapting to new technology, especially for how it helps them stay connected when they can’t see friends and family in person during this pandemic. But it’s essential to remember seniors who remain offline, whether by choice or circumstance. There are still large cell signal “dead zones” in much of rural Dutchess, and in many communities it’s a challenge to find a reliable high-speed home internet connection at a manageable price.

If you’re offline, you can participate in the next in County Executive Marc Molinaro’s series of Telephone Town Halls on Wednesday, March 24th from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. You can listen and participate by calling (845) 765-7121 during that time.

The event will also be available on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/dutchesscogov, and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters from Mid-Hudson Interpreter Service will be on screen to sign the questions and answers.

The full schedule of Telephone Town Halls and Facebook Live events is available on the calendar at www.dutchessny.gov.

Other aging news online:

With more seniors living to be 100, you may need to revise your plans for financing retirement: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/06/business/living-to-100-retirement.html

National Parks Week is coming up in April, and with exercise being key to successful aging, our local National Historic Sites are among the areas with a role to play: https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/campaigns-initiatives/national-park-week?utm_source=goparks&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=goparks3-21

This week’s virtual museum tour…the Sistine Chapel and Vatican: https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html

 

This week in senior birthdays:

3/22: Actor/singer/starship captain William Shatner (90)

…and still working! https://www.palmspringslife.com/senior-moment-movie/

3/23: Singer-songwriter Chaka Khan (68)

3/24: Fashion designer Bob Mackie (82)

3/25: Singer-songwriter Elton John (74)

3/26: Singer/songwriter Diana Ross (77)

3/27: NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough (82)

3/28: NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry (77)

Of course there’s a Bad Joke!

Corduroy pillows are quite fashionable. They’re making headlines.

Author: Harlem Valley News