Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of September 12
GETTING YOUR MEDICARE KNOWLEDGE IN ORDER FOR 2023
The annual Medicare open enrollment season, October 15th to December 7th, is on its way.
While it’s often likely that your current coverage will continue working for you in 2023, remember that both Medicare and private insurance plans often alter what’s covered from year to year.
It’s essential to make any adjustments during the open enrollment period. It’s the only time of year most Medicare beneficiaries can do that. If you’re not yet retired, and just entering Medicare eligibility, you could have questions about how Medicare can best complement your existing insurance.
The jargon describing coverage can be a bit much, even for those who are trained in the field, especially when so much of it appears in fine print.
We can help you understand that fine print.
The Office for the Aging provides volunteer counselors from HIICAP – the Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program, who can help you with free, unbiased, confidential assistance on Medicare, Medigap policies, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage plans, and other forms of insurance.
What can you expect in a HIICAP counseling session? The process includes a complete review of an individual’s current and anticipated medical and prescription drug coverage needs. HIICAP staff and volunteers are not associated with any insurance company, and do not sell insurance products.
EXTRA OFA MEDICARE CLASSES THIS FALL
OFA offers “Medicare 101” classes year-round, on the fourth Monday of every month, at the Pavilion at Brookmeade (34 Brookmeade Dr., Rhinebeck, just off Route 308); and on the third Wednesday of every month, at the Poughkeepsie Galleria Community Room. For Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment seasons, October 15th to December 7th, we’ve added many more classes around the county. You can find up-to-date schedules at www.dutchessny.gov/Calendar-Page.htm. For libraries that offer online class registration, the calendar page will provide the appropriate links.
Space is limited at all OFA Medicare classes, so registration is required. Those who wish to register by phone can call OFA during business hours at 845-486-2555, unless otherwise indicated.
For the first time, OFA is also offering Medicare classes in Spanish, both at Adriance Memorial Library (93 Market St., Poughkeepsie).
- Thursday, September 29, 9 am – Navigating the Medicare Website / Navegando el sitio web de Medicare
- Thursday, October 27, 9:30 am – Open Enrollment / Apertura de inscripciones de Medicare
To register by phone for all classes at Adriance and/or Boardman Road, call 845-485-3445; use extension 3380 for English-language classes and extension 3321 for Spanish-language classes.
Subscribe to OFA email alerts and you’ll find out about each Medicare class when it’s announced. To find out more, email bjones@dutchessny.gov.
Those of you who aren’t online won’t be left out; we also publish Medicare class announcements in this column and in the upcoming OFA Medicare Spotlight, coming at month’s end.
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
CLERICAL AND “GOLDEN GATHERING” VOLUNTEERS WANTED
OFA is busy this week preparing our Fall 2022 THRIVE60+ newsletter for mailing, and volunteers are welcome to join the effort, at OFA headquarters in the City of Poughkeepsie. Contact OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov or 845-486-2544 for details on availability.
OFA is also participating in the Drive-Thru “Golden Gathering” on Saturday, September 24th, along with New York State Senator Sue Serino. The senator’s office is looking for assistance during the week leading up to the Golden Gathering, in assembling about a thousand goodie bags for the older adults who have registered to participate.
And if you can handle being on your feet outdoors for a few hours, we’re also looking for volunteer assistance at the Golden Gathering itself. If you’re available to help on the morning of Saturday, September 24th, contact OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov or 845-486-2544 for details.
Older adults looking for information on registering for seasonal flu vaccinations at the Golden Gathering can call 914-962-2624. Leave a message and a representative from Serino’s office will return your call.
“THRIVE60+” NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE
The Fall 2022 edition of the Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s quarterly “THRIVE60+” is being mailed to thousands of homes this month, packed with information to help older adults and their caregivers prepare for the rest of this year and get ready for 2023.
If you’d like to read the newsletter online, it’s available on the OFA home page at www.dutchessny.gov/aging.
In a few weeks we’ll have the annual Medicare Spotlight ready for publication, so that you can prepare for Medicare’s annual October 15 – December 7 Open Enrollment season.
FALLS PREVENTION WEEK – SEPTEMBER 19-23
Fall begins on Thursday, September 22nd, and the first day of fall coincides every year with Falls Prevention Week. This year that’s the week of September 19th – 23rd. In Dutchess County, Mid Hudson Valley Fall Prevention Week is hosted by the Office for the Aging along with New York State Senator Sue Serino, Lower Hudson Valley Fall Prevention Network, and the Vassar Brothers Medical Center Trauma Department. OFA is participating in three falls prevention week events this year. Contact OFA to sign up for any of the following:
Monday, September 19th, 11 a.m. – Freedom Park, 212 Skidmore Rd., LaGrange
Tuesday, September 20th, 1 p.m. – Boyce Park, 6420 NY 55, Wingdale
Thursday, September 22nd, 1 p.m. – Lions Club Pavilion, 101 Stissing Ave., Pine Plains
Visit www.facebook.com/lhvfallprevention for a full calendar of events.
A very small number of spaces remain in the “A Matter of Balance” classes beginning this month. Classes meet once a week for eight weeks. Walk-ins cannot be accepted, so class participants will be informed of class venues and times once their registration is complete.
Can’t make an eight-week commitment right now? OFA Exercise classes are available year-round and countywide, with volunteer instructors welcome – training is provided. Contact OFA to find out more; look at www.dutchessny.gov/seniorexercise for a look at the full range of what’s available to help older adults stay active.
OFA PUBLIC COMENT FORUMS IN OCTOBER
OFA’s annual Public Comment Forums have returns in in-person form for 2022. While you can contact OFA at any time with your questions and concerns, the Public Comment Forums are unique opportunities to speak directly to OFA leadership and members of the OFA Advisory Board, at the following dates and locations:
Tuesday, October 4, 10:30 am
OFA Friendship Center
114 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie
Friday, October 7, 10:30 am
Beekman Recreation Park Community Center
29 Recreation Center Rd., Poughquag
If you are unable to attend either Public Comment Forum, you can mail written comments to the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.
You can also email comments to ofa@dutchessny.gov
Other news:
Could jellyfish have something to teach us about aging?
“If you aren’t aging, you aren’t living” – what do you think?
With this week’s death of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96 comes a change in the tradition of sending 100th-birthday cards to centenarians throughout the UK. Future centenarians will receive a card from King Charles III: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/woman-who-turned-100-tuesday-27951553
This week’s birthdays:
9/11: Singer/dancer Lola Falana (80)
9/12: Actress Rachel Ward (65)
9/13: Chef Alain Ducasse (66)
9/14: Star Trek actor Walter Koenig (86)
9/15: Baseball Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry (84)
9/16: Actor/boxer Mickey Rourke (70)
9/17: Mountaineer/explorer Reinhold Messner (78)
Of course we have a Bad Joke to wrap things up:
Q: Why did the banana go to the dermatologist?
A: He was peeling really bad.
