Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of October 10th
Note: The Office for the Aging and all OFA Friendship Centers are closed on Columbus Day, Monday, October 10th. Clients of OFA’s Home Delivered Meals program receive their meals in advance of the holiday.
Office for the Aging Presents ‘All The Lonely People’: A Local Film Screening and Community Conversation on Social Isolation
The Dutchess County Office for the Aging OFA presents a local screening of All the Lonely People, a social-impact film examining the epidemic of loneliness. The in-person screening is free and open to the public on Friday, October 21st at 1 pm, at the Boardman Road Library (141 Boardman Rd., Town of Poughkeepsie). It will include a facilitated Q&A with the film’s producers and local officials, including OFA Director Todd Tancredi, offering a forum for community discussion about strategies to combat social isolation.
Seating is limited, so reserve your spots by contacting the Office for the Aging during business hours at 845-486-2555. The event is part of a statewide screening tour organized by the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), the Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY), and locally by the Dutchess County OFA.
In 2017, the U.S. Surgeon General declared social isolation to be a “global epidemic” – one that has only worsened in the COVID-19 health emergency. According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, social isolation drives $6.7 billion in additional associated Medicare spending per year. The health consequences of loneliness and isolation are equivalent to smoking almost a pack of cigarettes daily. The added stress of feeling alone increases heart disease and even earlier onset of dementia. In Dutchess County, loneliness and isolation can be exacerbated especially in rural settings where services can be harder to access, and human contact more difficult to come by.
All The Lonely People follows a handful of people from different walks of life as they overcome social isolation and chronic loneliness, including New York residents Ari Rossen and Tony Westbrook, as well as people like Mary Hill, an 89-year-old caregiver who faces isolation in the rural countryside of England.
You can help reduce isolation and loneliness in Dutchess County’s older adults by volunteering for an upcoming OFA phone-companionship initiative. For more information, contact OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at 845-486-2544 or bjones@dutchessny.gov.
And if you’re the lonely one, wishing that things were different than what they are? OFA can help you reconnect in many ways, including through any of our eight OFA Friendship Centers, in Beacon, East Fishkill, Millerton, Pawling, Pleasant Valley (Tri-Town), Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, and South Amenia/Wassaic. Most centers are open Monday through Thursday, and feature nutritious midday meals, companionship and satisfying use of free time. You can read more about our Friendship Centers at dutchessny.gov/OFANutrition, or call us at 845-486-2555.
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
LOW-PRICE OFA SENIOR PROM ADMISSION OFFER EXTENDED TO FRI 10/14
If you’re a Dutchess County older adult who’s just finding out about the OFA Senior Prom now, we have some good news – we’ve extended the deadline for lower-priced $20-per-person admission by one week, from Friday, October 7th to Friday, October 14th – or when the prom reaches capacity, whichever comes first.
The Prom takes place at Villa Borghese, 70 Widmer Rd in the Town of Wappinger, on Monday, October 24th from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Admission includes a noon buffet lunch and an afternoon of dancing and fun, with music from the full Bob Martinson Band. The theme for this year’s prom is “Silver Anniversary” – wear silver if you’d like!
A printable prom entry form is available at www.dutchessny.gov/prom. Advance payment is required; we cannot accept walk-ins.
CLERICAL VOLUNTEERS WANTED THIS WEEK AT OFA (Tue-Thu 10/11-13)
We’re preparing the annual Medicare Spotlight for mailing to about 2000 households countywide, and if you are able during any of the following dates/times to help label and prepare the newsletters…
Tue 10/11 – 9a – 12:30p
Wed 10/12 – 9a – 4p
Thu 10/13 (if necessary) – 9a – 2:30p
…please reach out to OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov or 845-486-2544. Thanks!
“READY DUTCHESS” APP NOW AVAILABLE
The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response (DER) is helping residents plan for emergencies with new tools, including the “Ready Dutchess” mobile application for planning and updates, and a new voluntary Access & Functional Needs (AFN) Registry for those who may need additional assistance leaving their home in the event of an emergency evacuation.
The “Ready Dutchess” app provides anyone with a smartphone or tablet the latest information during an emergency – from push notifications about local road or facility closures and severe weather updates, to planning tools and checklists. The app provides users various resources and links, including:
- A “My Emergency Plan” tool for building a plan to know what to do before, during and after any kind of emergency;
- Live traffic updates from New York State’s 5-1-1, which provides up-to-the-minute transit information from the State’s Department of Transportation;
- A map that will display countywide emergency shelters and cooling/warming centers, when open;
- Links to local closing and delay information for local school districts, businesses and events, including cancellations and delays for Office for the Aging Friendship Centers and Home Delivered Meals (HDM) services;
- Links to utility companies NYSEG and Central Hudson for updates on power outages;
- Calendar and registration information for upcoming Citizens’ Preparedness and Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County trainings open to the public;
- A link to the County health department’s HELPLINE application; and
- Information on emergent health issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or monkeypox.
The app also includes a link for users to register for the County’s new Access & Functional Needs (AFN) Registry. Residents who have a physical or mental disability and would need assistance leaving their home quickly in the event of an emergency are encouraged to sign up so resources can be planned accordingly during an emergency event. The AFN registry is intended for those who live independently or without live-in support who would require additional assistance such as transportation, mobility support or a place to stay if a major emergency or disaster required evacuation.
This voluntary list will only be shared with local municipalities, County, State and Federal agencies involved in emergency response efforts to identify who is in need and where to focus resources. Registration and additional information are available online at dutchessny.gov/AFNRegistry or by calling DER at 845-486-2080. or by calling DER at 845-486-2080.
The “Ready Dutchess” mobile app is available for free download through the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, and the app complements the Dutchess County HELPLINE app, designed to help people recognize warning signs of suicide and provide numerous behavioral health resources, information and assistance for those struggling with addiction, substance use issues and/or mental illness.
“THRIVING IN RHINEBECK” RETURNS (Sat 10/22)
“Thriving in Rhinebeck: a Showcase of Services and Resources for Older Adults” will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at Rhinebeck High School (45 North Park Road, Rhinebeck).
Among the invited attendees are health care / home care organizations, cultural / educational resources, transportation services and an array of civic groups with programs targeting older adults. Organizers hope to attract 200+ people – older adults, their families, their caregivers, and others interested in this sector. There will be printed programs for attendees with the names of all participants. There is NO CHARGE for participating or attending. The Office for the Aging will be represented at “Thriving in Rhinebeck” as well.
If you have any questions as a prospective attendee, whether as an individual or on behalf of an organization, please contact Nina Lynch or Anne Brueckner at Rhinebeck @ Home, at 845-379-1114 or office@rhinebeckathome.org.
Other news:
Video: Is forgetfulness “normal” or not? (English / Spanish)
Dazzle your inquisitive grandchildren with this factoid: before we understood electricity, an electric eel was called a “numb-eel.”
This week’s birthdays:
10/9: Ex-Yankee player and coach Joe Pepitone (82)
10/10: Actor/singer/dancer Ben Vereen (76)
10/11: Singer/songwriter Daryl Hall (76)
10/12: Yankees shortstop/sportscaster Tony Kubek (87)
10/13: Disc jockey “Cousin Brucie” Morrow (87)
10/14: Singer/songwriter/teacher Thomas Dolby (64)
10/15: Painter/Dutchess County resident Brice Marden (84)
And here’s a Bad Joke:
I used to work on an assembly line making stuffed toy Draculas. There was only myself and one other person, so I had to make every second count.
