Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of December 26th
Holiday Advisory:
Dutchess County government observes Christmas Day on Monday, December 26 th ;
and New Year’s Day on Monday, January 2 nd , 2023. Offices and Friendship Centers
will be closed both days.
Clients of OFA’s Home Delivered Meals program will receive meals in advance of
each day that friendship centers are closed.
TALK TO OFA BEFORE YOU NEED TO TALK TO OFA
Too often, the first time many people ever hear of their Office for the Aging is
when they or their older parent has a household emergency: a fall; a scam or
financial exploitation; a new physical or mental frailty; or a housing issue; to name
a few of many.
Every county in New York State has an Office for the Aging (OFA), or an agency
with a similar name and role as the gateway to home and community-based
services aimed at helping older people age independently for as long as it’s safe
for them to do so. The services originate in the older adult’s county of residence:
For example, if you’re a resident of Hyde Park but your 76-year-old mom lives in
Cold Spring, you’d contact the Putnam County Office for Senior Resources. If the
locations were reversed, you’d contact the Dutchess OFA. There’s also a New York
State Office for the Aging
I’M 66 AND I FEEL FINE – WHY DO I NEED OFA?
Aging well includes being ready for the times when you no longer feel fine,
since aging well also includes accepting help in its intended spirit.
It’s much less stressful to anticipate difficulties happening, than to react to
them once they’ve happened.
OFA offers services to older adults and caregivers that are unbiased, non-sales-
oriented, and serving the individual needs of older adults throughout Dutchess
County. You can reach us at 845-486-2555 or look at what we offer at
www.dutchessny.gov/aging. Our general email address is ofa@dutchessny.gov, if
you prefer to ask your questions that way.
THE HUMAN TOUCH
“Your call is important to us…”
Is it? How many times have you lingered for hours in customer-service limbo,
wondering what magic combination of numbers on your phone will get you to a
living, breathing human representative?
Call OFA during business hours, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays, and
it’s refreshing:
“Good morning, Office for the Aging / NY Connects… How may I direct your
call?”
And then, you can ask us…pretty much anything. Aging issues can quickly
become complex, and OFA can help you start getting things sorted.
Don’t know the first question to ask about aging issues? Not a problem. There
are over 60,000 older adults living in Dutchess County, which means there are
over 60,000 individual stories for us to learn from. If it turns out we’re not the
right agency to answer your questions, we can get you pointed to the right
agency, whether it’s within County, state, federal or local government.
WHAT’S NY CONNECTS?
NY Connects (nyconnects.ny.gov) serves older individuals and individuals with
disabilities of all ages. Help is available for individuals, families, caregivers, and
professionals. You can get help linking to long term services and supports
regardless of diagnosis, age, or payor source. NY Connects also coordinates with
other agencies to guide you through eligibility and application processes.
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
HOLIDAYS AND FALL PREVENTION
Falls are more likely to happen during the holidays, with more people
shopping (where they can slip on icy surfaces), cooking (where they can slip in the
kitchen), and decorating (where they can fall from a ladder or stepstool).
You can learn how to prevent these situations with free “micro-learnings”
from the New York Caregiving Portal, provided in partnership with the Association
on Aging in New York and Trualta. Visit this link for more information.
OFA MEDICARE CLASS IN RHINEBECK (Mon 12/26)
Although OFA and our Friendship Centers will be closed in observation of
Christmas Day on Monday, December 26 th , the monthly OFA Medicare 101 class in
Rhinebeck is on as scheduled on the 26 th , at 4:00 pm, at the Pavilion at
Brookmeade, 34 Brookmeade Dr. off Route 308 in Rhinebeck.
Registration for the class is required; call 845-486-2555 to register.
VOLUNTEERING IN DECEMBER AND OVER THE HOLIDAYS
Interest in volunteering often grows during end-of-year holidays. The Office
for the Aging is ready with options, whether it’s for yourself, a family member, or
a college student home for winter break.
Demand for volunteer drivers throughout Dutchess County in our Home
Delivered Meals program is a year-round need, and during winter our Home
Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) needs clerical volunteers here at OFA offices in
Poughkeepsie.
If you’re available for HEAP clerical assistance on Thursday, December 29 th
any time from 9 am to 4 pm, please contact OFA’s Outreach division at
bjones@dutchessny.gov or 845-486-2544.
Looking ahead to 2023, our various OFA Exercise programs are looking for
volunteer instructors, and we’re preparing to launch a “Friendly Calls” program
aimed at improving social connections for Dutchess County’s socially isolated
older adults.
You can read about all of OFA’s volunteering options and fill out a printable
volunteering form at www.dutchessny.gov/ofavolunteer, and if you have follow-
up questions you can email bjones@dutchessny.gov or call 845-486-2544.
Other news:
If you’re getting together over the holidays with a loved one with Alzheimer’s
disease, here are some communication tips.
A test invented at the University at Albany can detect Alzheimer’s in saliva, in
seconds. It’s about five years away from market.
How to walk in the snow? Like a penguin. With video demonstration. (From the
provincial government in Alberta, Canada, where they are eminently familiar with
snow, although not as much with penguins.)
The holidays can be rough on people with hoarding disorder.
There’s a subtle genetic imbalance that may drive human aging.
Here’s how light resets a person’s internal clock – even in those who are blind.
What does one do with a 30-year-old holiday fruitcake? This upstate Office for the
Aging is about to find out. (Note: the Dutchess County Office for the Aging is in no
need of fruitcake. Volunteers we’ll accept with delight. Fruitcake, not so much.)
This week’s birthdays:
12/25: Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett (76)
12/26: Singer Abdul “Duke” Fakir (The Four Tops) (87)
12/27: Yankees outfielder/coach Roy White (79)
12/28: Actor/director Denzel Washington (68)
12/29: Actor/producer Ted Danson (75)
12/30: Brooklyn/LA Dodgers Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax (87)
12/31: Actor/director Anthony Hopkins (85)
And the final Bad Joke of 2022
I was doing some holiday shopping and saw a television on sale with a sign that
said “TV for sale, $5, volume stuck on full.” I thought “well, I can’t turn that
down.”
