Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of May 10th
TEN-DIGIT DIALING COMES TO DUTCHESS
If you’re a lifelong Dutchess County resident over the age of 70 or so, you may remember your childhood home’s phone number having just three or four digits. A seven-digit number like “Pennsylvania 6-5000” as immortalized by Glenn Miller? That was for fancy city folks.
With the nation growing increasingly connected by phone by the mid-1950s, Dutchess County had joined the fancy city folks with seven-digit numbers. You could dial the numbers yourself without needing an operator. Even if you’ve moved several times over the years, chances are you still remember your first seven-digit phone number as well as you remember your own name. Come October, there will be three additional numbers to remember: the 845 area code that covers most of the county. As of October 24, 2021, ten-digit dialing will be required for all calls, for all phone numbers with 845 or 914 area codes, the way it already is for much of the country. Readers in Pine Plains and Millerton with 518 area code phones already know how this works, since they’ve been under ten-digit dialing rules for several years now.
For example, if you’re accustomed to calling the Office for the Aging at 486-2555, you’ll need to dial 845-486-2555. Outside the 845 area code, our toll free 866-486-2555 will remain available.
The change is necessary because of last year’s Federal Communications Commission ruling creating a new “988” number, similar to the 911 emergency number, for the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline. For the lifeline to work correctly, phone switching equipment needs to direct all calls beginning with 988 to the lifeline.
Seven-digit dialing will remain available until October 24th; after that, dialing seven numbers will get you an automated reminder to use the ten-digit number.
OFA SENIOR PICNIC REMINDER CARDS
Thousands of postcards reminding Dutchess County seniors about OFA’s upcoming season of free Drive-Thru Senior Picnics are beginning to arrive in seniors’ mailboxes. If you’re a Dutchess resident over age 60, your household should receive a reminder card 4-6 weeks before the picnic serving your community – but you don’t need to have the card in hand to reserve a spot at your community’s Drive-Thru Senior Picnic. Call OFA at 845-486-2555 to reserve your space. A limited number of meals are served at each picnic, so we’re unable to accept “walk-in” picnic guests. An $8 fee applies to picnic guests under the age of 60.
This year’s to-go picnic meals will feature hot food along with traditional picnic side dishes. Many thanks to Wingate Healthcare for their support of the 2021 picnic season.
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
“HEAP” COOLING ASSISTANCE UNDERWAY
Spring weather in Dutchess County can be anything from a windy, raw 40-degree day to a hot, humid 90-degree day – sometimes both within a few days.
That’s a key reason why the cooling assistance feature of New York’s Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is now underway.
If you are eligible, you may receive one Cooling Assistance benefit per applicant household for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner or a fan to help your home stay cool. In circumstances where an air conditioner cannot be safely installed, a fan will be provided.
Only one air conditioner or fan, not to exceed $800 with installation, will be provided per applicant household.
HEAP cooling assistance may be particularly useful to HEAP clients already accepted into the 2020-21 program, who have an illness or health issue that would be worsened without a working air conditioner or fan.
Seniors (60+) seeking to learn more about HEAP benefits for cooling and/or heating can contact the Office for the Aging at 845-486-2555, or email zserrano@dutchessny.gov.
MAY 17 VIRTUAL ALZHEIMER’S COMMUNITY FORUM
Join the Office for the Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association on Monday, May 17th from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for a free virtual forum covering Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and memory loss. Invite friends and caregivers who have been affected by disease, and share your thoughts about how people in the community can be helped. Registration is required; call (800) 272-3900 for more information.
This is a virtual program presented via webinar and phone. When registering for the webinar, be sure to register using a valid email address. Those who register to participate by phone will receive call-in participation instructions when they sign up.
DRIVE-THRU FOOD DRIVE FOR VETERANS (Wed 5/26)
With food insecurity growing during the pandemic for many veterans and their families, The Pines at Poughkeepsie (100 Franklin St.; 845-454-4100) is hosting a Drive-Thru Food Drive this month benefitting local veterans, in partnership with the Dutchess County Division of Veterans Services and Mental Health America (MHA) of Dutchess County’s Vet2Vet program.
The drive culminates at The Pines on Wednesday, May 26th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you can’t drop off a donation at that time, The Pines is accepting donations at its Poughkeepsie facility through May 25th.
Here’s a rundown of their donation “wish list”:
PROTEIN FOODS GRAINS PANTRY HYGIENE APPAREL HOUSEHOLD
Tuna (canned in water) Rice & Rice Side Dishes Coffee Razors Socks Cleaning Products
Chicken (canned in water) Canned Pasta Meals Tea Soap Hats Paper Products
Canned Beef Stew Noodle Side Dishes Mayonnaise Q-Tips Gloves Clorox Wipes
Bean Soups Dry Noodles & Pastas Mustard Band-Aids
Baked Beans Boxed Mac & Cheese Ketchup Shampoo
Beans (canned or dried) Noodle Side Dishes Salt & Pepper Wash Cloths
Peanut Butter Dry Noodles & Pasta Snacks
Pork & Beans Baked Potato Dishes
Nuts Tuna & Chicken Helper
Protein Shakes Low Sugar Cereals
Trail Mix Bran Cereals
Canned Chili Pancake Mix
Oatmeal
Muffin Mix
Whole Grain Crackers
Granola Bars
Other aging news online:
Stories of aging and companionship from the 1969 Mets: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31317684/friendship-memories-year-1969-new-york-mets
Earlier onset of Type 2 diabetes could raise dementia risk: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/well/mind/diabetes-dementia-Alzheimers.html?action=click&module=Science%20%20Technology&pgtype=Homepage
Successful aging, space probe style: https://www.popsci.com/story/space/nasa-voyager-1-final-days/?fbclid=IwAR3HHi3Q37GGbKDFUUh6A7rHW7I6sBn_v3viYn7WjvoAnoTZ9BnCDvVD7c4
This week’s virtual museum tour: the Frick Collection, NYC: https://www.frick.org/interact/virtual_tours/tfc
This week in senior birthdays:
5/10: Singer/songwriter Donovan (75)
5/11: Singer/songwriter/actor Eric Burdon (80)
5/12: Singer/songwriter/guitarist Steve Winwood (73)
5/13: Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer Stevie Wonder (71)
5/14: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Tony Pérez (79)
5/15: Painter/sculptor Jasper Johns (91)
5/16: Actor Danny Trejo (77)
And here, the Bad Joke:
You’d think a snail might move faster without a shell, but it turns out it’s more sluggish that way.
