Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of August 16th
THE LEGACY YOU SHOULDN’T LEAVE BEHIND
When asked where they prefer to live out their lives, repeated surveys of seniors overwhelmingly say the same thing: in their own home. They’ve lived there for decades. It’s where they raised their children, and where they still gather for holidays.
All the same, keeping a home in good condition can easily become more than seniors can handle on their own. Imagine you live to 100. Now imagine being 100 and climbing a ladder to clean the gutters.
There’s no shame in asking for help to prepare your home for the future, whether the home will be kept in the family or sold. “Successful aging” is a term we’ve used in this column before, and it applies to homes as well as the people who live in them.
In every decade between 1930 and 1980, Dutchess County saw double-digit population growth. Along with that growth came tens of thousands of new houses. Your home may date to that era. Is it aging as gracefully as you?
THE STORY OF PETE AND LUCY
Pete and Lucy are in their late 80s and have been married for almost 60 years. They moved up from Queens to a new home on a quiet back road in rural Dutchess in 1962. They’ve been retired since the late 1990s and could afford preventive work on their home – if they knew what needed doing. They don’t know that the kitchen lights are flickering because squirrels have been chewing on the wiring. It’s a fire waiting to happen. The roof was last replaced in the 70s. It leaked during July’s heavy rains, but not where Pete and Lucy could see it. Now, there’s mold growing behind the walls.
The home has certainly appreciated in value, but is it right to leave these issues to their adult children, who have their own homes and families? More immediately, it’s increasingly unsafe for the parents to live in a deteriorating house. The bill to bring everything back into good repair is likely to be huge, right when the costs of caregiving can be expected to grow.
HAVING THE CONVERSATION
What can adult children do to avoid the situation Pete and Lucy are in?
- Ask aging parents about home maintenance history, including any problems they’ve noticed.
- Offer to help. It may be easier for adult children to locate contractors, who have been in short supply since the pandemic.
- Fix it while parents are alive, rather than trying to do it after they’re gone.
HELP FOR INCOME-QUALIFIED HOMEOWNERS
Rebuilding Together Dutchess County (RTDC) is accepting applications for their home repair and accessibility modification programs. These services are provided at no cost to qualified homeowners to help ensure that individuals can live safely and independently.
The deadline for applications to be considered for the 2022 Rebuilding Day program is September 30, 2021. Income-qualified Dutchess County homeowners, especially seniors, persons living with a disability, military veterans, or parents with school aged children, are encouraged to apply. Call 845-454-7310 or visit www.rtdutchess.org for details and applications.
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
SENIOR WALK #2 AND DISC GOLF AT WILCOX PARK (Thu 8/19, Thu 9/2)
Last week’s first-ever Senior Walk at Wilcox Park (off Route 199 in Milan, just east of the Taconic Parkway) was a success, as we started early and finished up before the hottest part of the day.
Another Senior Walk is planned for Wilcox this week: Thursday, August 19th at 9:00 a.m. Sign up in advance by calling the Office for the Aging at 845-486-2555. We’ll meet up outside the Wilcox Park office.
Wilcox is home to one of the region’s finest disc golf courses as well, and a Senior “Learn to Disc Golf” event is taking place on Thursday, September 2nd, at 10:00 a.m. Again, sign up at 845-486-2555 and meet up with us at the Wilcox Park office.
Veteran Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) competitor, tournament director and course designer Dan Doyle, who designed the 27-hole disc golf course at Wilcox, will be there to provide pointers.
A TIP FOR SENIOR WALKERS – TREKKING POLES
As seniors, maybe the joints in your knees, hips and spine aren’t as cooperative as they used to be – but there are ways to adapt and keep yourself active.
Two of the participants in the recent seniors walk at Wilcox Park brought trekking poles with them. They look a lot like ski poles, and are used to take some of the load off sensitive joints. They come in various designs: trekking poles, walking sticks, hiking canes and so forth, all with the same basic function of enabling you to direct your weight away from fragile joints. There are specialized poles to accommodate the needs of people with inflamed hips, Parkinson’s, hand arthritis and other conditions.
Next time you have an appointment with your doctor or physical therapist, ask if these devices would be suitable for you.
PICNIC VOLUNTEERS WANTED (8/18, 8/25, and/or 9/1)
We’re coming down the home stretch of the 2021 OFA Senior Picnic season, and would like a few more volunteers to assist with set-up and meal distribution at the season’s last three drive-through picnics:
- Wednesday 8/18 at Hopewell Recreation Park on Route 376 (East Fishkill senior picnic)
- Wednesday 8/25 at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 55 Wilbur Blvd., Poughkeepsie (City of Poughkeepsie senior picnic)
- Wednesday 9/1 at Freedom Park, 212 Skidmore Rd., LaGrange (Beekman/LaGrange senior picnic)
Volunteers of all ages are welcome; volunteers under 18 will need a signed waiver from a parent or guardian.
Please contact OFA before volunteering; email bjones@dutchessny.gov or call 845-486-2555. A printable volunteering application is available at www.dutchessny.gov/aging.
SCAM CALL LOSSES CONTINUE TO SKYROCKET
The annual Truecaller Insights US Spam and Scam report shows that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t slowed down scammers in the least; in fact, the numbers have grown more disturbing.
The new report indicates almost 60 million Americans report having lost money to phone scammers in the past 12 months, up from 56 million in the previous year. Total losses for the 12 months ending midyear this year are at nearly $30 billion.
The report has a bit of encouraging news for seniors: younger people are more likely than older people to be victimized. The 18-34 and 35-44 age groups were most victimized, with the 65+ age group least commonly victimized.
The full report in PDF format is available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13cVi1wX2umtw20OVaxf2vtVmX-OZHDxC
If your group of seniors and/or caregivers would like to learn more about scam protection, the Office for the Aging offers continually updated scam prevention group presentations. To schedule a presentation for your group, contact OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov or 845-486-2544.
SENIOR FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION COUPONS GOING FAST
Demand has been strong for 2021 New York State Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) coupon books, and not many are left.
Age and income are the qualifying factors for SFMNP benefits. Coupon booklets for 2021 will be distributed to qualifying seniors, while supplies last, at the Office for the Aging’s main office, only on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Contact the Office for the Aging to learn more about the program.
For seniors who live far from Poughkeepsie, a limited supply of SFMNP booklets is available at OFA Senior Friendship Centers throughout the county – but seniors must first call the Senior Friendship Center nearest them to arrange a pickup time. A list of Senior Friendship Centers with contact information is available at this link: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Docs/flyer-sfc21-7of8.pdf
Eligible recipients must personally sign the Statement of Eligibility Form to receive SFMNP checks. Checks cannot be mailed to eligible older adults. Proxies may not pick-up and sign for checks. A valid Power of Attorney (POA) may sign for checks and pick up books for an eligible older adult. POA must bring proof of their being someone’s POA. While the client must sign in person for the booklet, a caregiver or family member, or another person, may shop at the farmers market for them using their coupons. Eligible seniors may receive one coupon booklet per calendar year.
Coupons can be used until November 30th, 2021, or whenever a participating market closes for the season, whichever comes earlier.
For statewide updated lists of participating SFMNP markets, go to www.agriculture.ny.gov/farmersmarkets.
MUSIC AND A MOVIE AT WILCOX (Fri 8/20)
Dutchess County Parks presents “Music and a Movie” at Wilcox Park on the evening of Friday, August 20th.
At 6 p.m. it’ll be music by Vito Petrocitto and Little Rock Quartet, followed by the 8:30 feature movie “Yogi Bear.”
Discounted Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome coupons will be available attendees. For more information visit www.dutchessny.gov/parks.
Other aging news online:
Sleep tips for people living with dementia: https://www.alzheimers.gov/life-with-dementia/tips-dementia?utm_source=nia-eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alzgov-20210810#sleep-tips-for-people-living-with-dementia
The Veterans Administration will not be adding the new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm to its formulary: https://endpts.com/exclusive-va-decides-against-adding-biogens-aduhelm-to-its-formulary-as-pbm-shuns-controversial-alzheimers-drug/
Summertime is a busy time for bears in New York, including in Dutchess County. Here’s lots of tips on how humans and bears can both be kept safe, at home or out on a walk in the countryside: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6995.html?fbclid=IwAR3LxntXsFkNI0EbYoiU15PASQJTDrCvD-jeBXku2lNhqbSYVWcivGfx3WI
This week in senior birthdays:
8/16: Actress/dancer Julie Newmar (88)
8/17: Actor/director Robert De Niro (78)
8/18: 41st First Lady Rosalynn Carter (94)
8/19: Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson (86)
8/20: Boxing promoter Don King (90)
8/21: Actor/director/screenwriter Melvin Van Peebles (89)
8/22: Former Giants/Jets coach Bill Parcells (80)
And a Bad Joke, with a picture for the first time. Do you know what this is?
It’s the clam before the storm.
