Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of May 31st
Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
VACCINES FOR HOMEBOUND SENIORS
Tens of thousands of Dutchess County seniors have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but a key task remains – getting the vaccine to seniors who, because of disability or frailty, cannot get to a traditional vaccine site, pop-up clinic or doctor’s office.
Here’s the challenge being met by the Office for the Aging and our public health nurses who administer the vaccine to homebound seniors: All the vaccines being used come in multi-dose vials. Once a vial of vaccine is opened, there’s only a short window before the entire vial is spoiled, about two hours in most cases. Accounting for the 15 minutes we wait with a senior after each shot is administered, plus travel time between seniors’ homes, keeping spoiled vaccine to a minimum requires a mix of pinpoint planning, proximity…and good luck on the roads. We’re happy to report we’ve been maximizing our opportunities to immunize Dutchess County seniors against this potentially deadly virus.
Vaccinating homebound seniors is necessarily more time-consuming than a trip to a vaccination site, so we continue to encourage seniors who are able to travel to a vaccine site to continue using that option when available. Ultimately, this is the way we’ll get the vaccine fastest to all Dutchess County seniors for whom it’s recommended.
If you’re 60+ and still need vaccination, or if you have questions about the vaccination process, we’re here to listen and help you protect yourself and the people close to you. Please contact the Office for the Aging at 845-486-2555 or ofa@dutchessny.gov.
IN-PERSON SENIOR EVENTS RETURNING IN 2021?
“We hope so” is the short answer to the question Dutchess County seniors have asked us about the Office for the Aging’s many programs aimed at improving seniors’ social engagement: the county’s eight Senior Friendship Centers, events like the Senior Prom, and many more – including our annual Senior Picnic program.
The 2021 Senior Picnic season will remain in drive-thru format, but we’re keeping our eyes on opportunities for more in-person contact. At any picnic venue where there’s sufficient parking and outdoor seating, there will be an option available for seniors to remain onsite with their to-go meals. If you have questions for Office for the Aging staff, it’s a lot easier to ask when you’re seated at a picnic table instead of in a car.
The full picnic schedule is at www.dutchessny.gov/OFApicnics.
If you’re a senior who hasn’t saved your place at a Senior Picnic, call the Office for the Aging to arrange a pick-up time. We mail out save-the-date reminder cards a few weeks before each picnic, but you can make a reservation without having a card.
For seniors who like the physical safety of the drive-thru format, we’re exploring the possibility of keeping a grab-n-go option for the 2022 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
MANY ROADS LEAD TO HELP WITH MEDICARE
Are you new to Medicare, or eligible soon? Looking for information to understand how Medicare works, the parts of Medicare and your options for coverage – and who pays for what? If so, one good way is by contacting the Office for the Aging’s Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) for a session with one of our trained volunteer counselors. HIICAP provides free, individual and unbiased information on Medicare and associated programs.
There are also “Medicare 101 via Zoom” classes that take place on the fourth Monday of every month. The next one takes place on June 28th. Classes begin at 4:00 p.m. Space is limited to 20 participants per class. Register by calling the Office for the Aging: (845) 486-2555.
Another good way to brush up on your Medicare knowledge is to join the upcoming Medicare Virtual Fair on Wednesday, June 23, from 3-7 p.m., hosted by the SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Programs) National Technical Assistance Center. You will need a computer or mobile device to participate.
This is a free event for people turning 65, retiring, or joining Medicare because of a disability. At the event, you’ll learn about Medicare and all its parts to help you in your enrollment decisions. You can join online for any length of time.
There will be expert presenters on Medicare eligibility, enrollment, and coverage options. The event agenda and registration are available in English and Spanish.
To register, go to www.shiphelp.org. Email questions to info@shiphelp.org.
OFFICE FOR THE AGING PICNIC VOLUNTEERS OF ANY AGE ARE WELCOME
Many OFA volunteers are senior retirees, but there are opportunities for younger volunteers as well. Our countywide Senior Picnic program is now underway, taking place every Wednesday until September 1st (with a dog-days-of-summer break for August 4, 11 and 18).
OFA volunteering is an excellent way for teens to meet their school’s and/or house of worship’s community service requirements. Volunteers can be available for just one picnic, or as many as they can get to.
More information is available from OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov. Volunteers under age 18 will need a parent or guardian to sign a basic waiver, in addition to completing the standard volunteering application.
A printable volunteering application is available at www.dutchessny.gov/aging.
Other aging news online:
June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month: https://oig.ssa.gov/newsroom/blog/2019/06/june-world-elder-abuse-awareness-month
Slow the aging process with appropriate diet and lifestyle changes? It just might work: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/ijl-act052721.php
What are the consequences of the world’s aging population? Hard to say but still worth considering: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ebauer/2021/05/26/what-are-the-long-term-consequences-of-our-aging-population-its-all-guesswork/?sh=3a9537c74818
Once in a while you just need an internet time-waster: www.patatap.com
This week in senior birthdays:
5/31: Actor/director/producer Clint Eastwood (91)
6/1: Actor/producer Morgan Freeman (84)
6/2: Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts (80)
6/3: Musician/actress Suzi Quatro (71)
6/4: Therapist/author Dr. Ruth Westheimer (93)
6/5: Singer/songwriter/violinist Laurie Anderson (74)
6/6: Astronaut David Scott (Apollo 9 and 16): (89)
What week would be complete without a Bad Joke?
(All of them, but never mind that.)
Somebody broke into my house and only stole my coffee, my lamp and my parrot. I don’t know how they sleep at night.
