Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s AGING NEWS For the week of October 24th

Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

For the week of October 24th

2022-2023 HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE INFO

Every fall, there’s an unofficial competition among households to see who can go the longest before turning on the heat when the weather gets cold – but this year there’s added urgency, because of the eye-popping numbers so many of us have seen in our energy bills this year.

As winter gets closer, the Office for the Aging is ready to help qualifying older adults stay safe and warm, through the Home Energy Assistance Program, better known as HEAP. For those of you who might be learning of HEAP for the first time, Regular HEAP is a one-time payment to the fuel supplier of households who meet the eligibility requirements.

The 2022-2023 Regular HEAP season is scheduled to open on Tuesday, November 1. That’s the first day new applications will be available and can be accepted. Applicants over age 60 can contact OFA’s HEAP division at 845-486-2553 or zserrano@dutchessny.gov. An online application option will be available at mybenefits.ny.gov. Under 60 and looking for HEAP info? Contact the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services at 845-486-3000.

If you were a HEAP beneficiary during the 2021-22 season, the routine may be familiar. You should have received your “early outreach” application in the mail earlier in the fall and should have submitted the completed application by now. Contact OFA if you need help with that.

There’s some key paperwork you need to gather so that approval can be expedited:

– ID for household members.

– Proof of residency and vendor relationship (a copy of the applicant’s utility bill is preferred).

– Last 30 days of wages/proof of income prior to application date.

GET AHEAD OF EMERGENCIES

The 2022-2023 Emergency HEAP Season is due to open on Monday, January 3, 2023, and no emergency HEAP benefits will be available before that date.

That’s why it’s crucial to ask for assistance before you are out of heating fuel or your gas/electric service has been terminated. It’s particularly important for rural older adults who heat their homes with oil, who may find it difficult to get emergency deliveries from their regular supplier. Pay attention to what day of the week your deliveries take place; and keep an eye on the level of oil in your tank. The tank should be equipped with a measurement gauge, although older tanks sometimes aren’t. Some providers only deliver to rural locations once a week.

From our experience with Office for the Aging HEAP clients, we generally recommend contacting another oil company that delivers to your community on a different day of the week.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Remember to also discuss assistance options with your local utility company, whether it’s Central Hudson (cenhud.com, 845-452-2700) or NYSEG (nyseg.com, 800-572-1111), the two utilities that serve Dutchess County.

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

ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE” SCREENING TODAY (Fri 10/21, 1pm)

We’d like you to join us today (Friday, October 21st), at 1 p.m., for a free screening of the unique documentary “All the Lonely People” at the Boardman Road Library, 141 Boardman Rd., Town of Poughkeepsie. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can call OFA Friday morning at 845-486-2555 with questions.

It’s a helpful experience not only for older adults, but caregivers, family members, and anybody of any age with concerns about social isolation and how to overcome it.

Presented in cooperation with the Putnam County Office for Senior Resources, New York State Office for the Aging, and Leading Age NY, it’ll be followed by discussion and Q&A with a panel of regional experts and the film’s producers.

You can watch the movie trailer at www.allthelonelypeoplefilm.com. We’d love to see you at Boardman Road Library today at 1:00!

UPCOMING OFA MEDICARE CLASSES AND COUNSELING SESSIONS

Call 845-486-2555 during business hours to reserve a seat, unless otherwise indicated.

  • Tuesday, October 25th, 5:00 pm – Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield St. (Insurance counseling)
  • Tuesday, November 1st, 5:00 pm – Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield St. (Insurance counseling)
  • Wednesday, November 9th, 3 pm – Medicare 101 – Hyde Park Free Library, 2 Main St.
  • Thursday, November 10th, 10:30 am – Medicare 101 – Red Hook OFA Friendship Center, 59 Fisk St. (Red Hook Community Center)
  • Tuesday, November 15th, 11 am – Medicare 101 – Beacon OFA Friendship Center, 1 Forrestal Heights
  • Saturday, November 19th, 11 am – Medicare 101 – Hyde Park Free Library, 2 Main St.
  • Saturday, November 19th, 1:30 pm – Medicare 101 – Red Hook Public Library, 7444 S. Broadway (Rte. 9) – Reserve this class at 845-758-3241

iHEALTH COVID TEST KIT BEST-BY DATE EXTENSION

If you received an iHealth brand COVID-19 test kit at an OFA event this summer or fall, don’t throw it out just yet even if the best-by date has passed.

As the Food and Drug Administration learns more about the shelf life of these new test kits, they’ve been able to extend the best-by dates by at least six months. For example, if you received a kit with the lot number “222CO20125” and a best-by date of July 24, 2022, its new best-by date is January 24, 2023.

You can check your iHealth kits’ best-by dates at this link: https://ihealthlabs.com/pages/news#expiration

COUNTY/FEDERAL HOLIDAYS FOR THE REST OF 2022

The Office for the Aging and Dutchess County Government offices will be closed in observance of the following three holidays in November:

Tuesday, November 8th – Election Day

Friday, November 11th – Veterans Day

Thursday, November 24th – Thanksgiving Day

OFA will be open for regular office business on “Black Friday,” Friday, November 25th; however, OFA Friendship Centers will be closed, and no Home Delivered Meals (HDM) service will be available. HDM clients will receive a meal in advance of the 25th, as they do for other holidays.

The day after Thanksgiving can be a key day for many caregiving family members, who may not get to see their older-adult relatives in person other than during holidays. Please get in touch with OFA with any concerns and observations.

If you’re traveling for the holidays, keep in mind that as a rule, aging services in New York State are based on where the older adult’s residence is located; for example, if you live in Beacon but your 67-year-old mother lives in Newburgh, questions about her services would be handled by Orange County’s OFA. Every county in New York State outside New York City has an Office for the Aging, or an agency with a similar title. New York City and the City of Yonkers also offer OFA services to their older residents.

The Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays will be observed on Monday, December 26th and Monday, January 2 (2023), respectively.

Other news:

The minimum wage for home care aides in New York State has increased as of this month. (NYS Department of Labor press release)

Why young people should care about Social Security no matter how far away they are from eligibility.

Tips on managing medicines for a person with Alzheimer’s disease.

Is aging a disease, or not? The debate continues.

This week’s birthdays:

10/23: Soccer legend Pelé (82)

10/24: Actor/singer Kevin Kline (75)

10/25: Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jon Anderson (Yes) (78)

10/26: Brazilian singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Milton Nascimento (80)

10/27: Author Fran Lebowitz (72)

10/28: Actress Annie Potts (70)

10/29: Guitarist/singer Denny Laine (Wings, Moody Blues) (78)

Here’s a Bad Joke to share with…hey, where’s everybody going?

When it comes to promoting the benefits of dried grapes, it’s all about raisin awareness.

Author: Harlem Valley News