Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s AGING NEWS For the week of March 6th

Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s

AGING NEWS

For the week of March 6^th

Note: Daylight Saving Time resumes at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 12^th. Remember to set your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed on the night of Saturday the 11^th.

NEW YORK’S NEW TELEMARKETING LAW – WILL IT HELP PREVENT SCAM CALLS?

One New York state law taking effect March 6th requires telemarketers operating in the state to offer the option of being added to that seller’s do-not-call list at the outset of certain calls, rather than at the end.

What effect this will have on scam callers is unclear at best. Phone scammers, by definition, are breaking the law, and have a history of adapting their pitches to the news of the day. When one tactic no longer works, they find another. It would be no trouble at all for them to impersonate legitimate telemarketers, trying to trick you into giving up personal information under the guise of putting you on a do-not-call list.

Wasn’t This Supposed To Be Gone By Now?

That was what federal regulators hoped when they required telephone carriers to authenticate calls using their networks, starting in 2021. The new rules are working but can only disable one method in scammers’ seemingly bottomless bag of tricks.

Our advice remains the same: when you see an unfamiliar number appear on your Caller ID screen, either ignore the call, or screen the call until you’re certain who’s calling. If you’ve picked up by force of habit and you suspect a scammer, just hang up. No need to talk to them, no need to push the buttons they want you to push, no need to call the number they want you to call. Just hang up.

Advice for Landline Users

If you only have a non-internet landline phone with no Caller ID or voice mail, so that you must pick up to find out who’s calling, many common spam-blocking techniques are unavailable because they’re internet-based. Scammers know this and send even more calls to landline numbers.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends checking your phone provider’s website or calling their customer service number to find out what your options are, or if there’s a service they recommend. Some phone providers offer these services for free, but some charge a fee. There are also hardware call blocking devices available at a cost of $70 and up. We’re unsure how much help they can be. The blockers come pre-programmed with thousands of known scammers’ phone numbers; but, to a scammer, changing phone numbers comes as naturally as breathing.

Whether scammers target us with phone calls, the mail, your home computer or mobile device, and whether they’re targeting somebody who’s 91 or 19, scammers have one overarching goal: to manipulate our emotions with stories that sound plausible only on the surface, and to keep us nervous about imaginary consequences. Don’t play their game; you’ll only lose. Ignore them – or just hang up.

If you’re still worried about the pretext a scammer used to try fooling you, there is a printable Scam Prevention Resources sheet available at

dutchessny.gov/aging, which includes local contact information on how to report a wide variety of scams.

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

MARCH 6 OFA EXERCISE/FRIENDLY CALLS EVENT RESCHEDULED

The presentations on OFA’s Friendly Calls and Exercise programs originally scheduled for Monday, March 6^th are being rescheduled to a new date later in the spring. Participants who have already signed up will be notified of the new date and time of the event.

We’re still accepting applicants for Friendly Calls volunteers as well as Exercise program participants and volunteer leaders. If you’re interested in either or both programs, contact OFA at 845-486-2555 or ofa@dutchessny.gov.

SPRING “A MATTER OF BALANCE CLASSES” ALMOST FULL

Only a few spots are left for the Spring 2023 eight-week sessions of our “A Matter of Balance” falls prevention classes. One session is being held in the Town of Beekman (starting March 13^th) and the other in Poughkeepsie (starting March 14^th). Contact OFA at 845-486-2555 to reserve your spot.

Classes meet once a week for eight weeks. Location and time of classes are provided to applicants upon acceptance in the program. “A Matter of Balance” cannot accept walk-ins.

If the classes become fully booked, applicants will be offered the option of a spot on a waiting list for sessions in the autumn.

GET TO KNOW OFA AND “ELLI*Q” (Wed 3/8)

The Dutchess County Office for the Aging is holding a free demonstration and discussion of a new voice-operated smart technology companion for older adults, that goes by the name “ElliQ” (pronounced ELLY-Q). It’s the first-ever proactive and empathetic care companion.

You can meet ElliQ on Wednesday, March 8^th at 1 pm at the Lexington Club at Galleria (1964 South Rd (Route 9), Poughkeepsie. Space is limited to 50 participants, so please RSVP to 845-486-2555 if you can be there.

We’re working to identify older adults who would most benefit from the technology.

ElliQ is designed with input from older adults, to foster independence and provide support through daily check-ins, assistance with wellness goals and physical activities, connection to family and friends, and more using voice commands and/or on-screen instructions. The technology, which recently launched commercially after years of pilots and early production deployments, has shown unprecedented engagement levels with older adults. Users have an average of 20 daily interactions.

View a demonstration at www.elliq.com.

OFA VETERANS RESOURCE FORUM (Tue 3/14)

The Dutchess County Office for the Aging (OFA) invites veterans of all ages and their families to its Veterans Resource Forum on Tuesday, March 14th at the Pavilion at Brookmeade, 34 Brookmeade Drive in Rhinebeck (just off Route 308, east of the village), from 1 to 4 p.m. This free event will offer veterans and their families important information and connections to various agencies, including the County’s Division of Veterans’ Services, and service providers. Space is limited; reserve your seat by calling OFA at (845) 486-2555 during business hours.

Representatives from Mental Health America of Dutchess County, Rhinebeck at Home and the County’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health’s (DBCH) Mental Health Subcommittee are among the participating organizations that will be available to meet with veterans and their families and provide information on a wide range of topics, including mental health resources and veterans’ benefits. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the services available to them, ask questions and connect with other veterans and their families.

The County’s Division of Veterans Services (www.dutchessny.gov/veterans) ensures Dutchess County veterans and their families receive their maximum eligible benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies at all levels of government. In 2022, the Division rendered 20,212 contact services to Dutchess County Veterans and their families regarding services and entitlements available from federal, state, and local government.

Mental Health America of Dutchess County offers numerous programs for veterans – including the Vet2Vet; Housing, Employment, Reintegration and Outreach Program (HERO); Veterans Employment Training & Transitions Assistance Program (VET-TAP) and Weekend 4 Warriors programs – that offer local veterans emotional support, educational information, referrals to useful services, information about support groups, Social Events, advocacy and short-term care management.

Rhinebeck at Home (www.rhinebeckathome.org) is a locally based, non-profit organization with members dedicated to helping each other to remain in their own homes and stay connected to their community as they grow older.

A branch of the County’s Mental Hygiene Board, the Mental Health Subcommittee advises the DBCH Deputy Commissioner and Director of Community Services about issues in the community and suggests ideas for inclusion in the Department’s Service Plan, which is submitted to New York State annually.

CITIZENS PREPAREDNESS FOR OLDER ADULTS, CAREGIVERS (Tue 3/21, 10am)

The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, with the Office for the Aging and Town of Hyde Park, have scheduled a free Citizens Preparedness Training for Older Adults and Caregivers event at Hyde Park Town Hall (4383 Albany Post Rd. (Route 9)), at 10 am on Tuesday, March 21st. Space is limited. Dutchess County residents over age 60 and their caregivers can sign up for this event by contacting the Office for the Aging at 845-486-2555 during business hours.

During the training, participants will learn resources and skills necessary to better prepare for any type of disaster, how to respond accordingly in a disaster, and how to recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions. Each household will receive a free Citizens Preparedness Response Starter Kit, along with information on Office for the Aging services.

To keep up with OFA’s listings of activities, subscribe to the weekly Aging News e-newsletters by emailing bjones@dutchessny.gov to be placed on our email list.

For those who are not online, we mail quarterly THRIVE60+ newsletters throughout Dutchess County. If you’d like to get on the mailing list or would like to update the address we have on file, call 845-486-2555. The Spring 2023 issue will be distributed soon!

WOMEN’S SAFETY CLASSES (Thu 3/21, 2pm or 6pm)

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) of Dutchess County (www.dutchessny.gov/mrc) invites you to participate in a FREE training in Women’s Safety Awareness on Tuesday, March 21^st, at either 2pm or 6pm, at the county’s Emergency Response headquarters, 392 Creek Rd., Poughkeepsie.

Presenters for both events are Town of Poughkeepsie Police

Detective Lindsay Chomicki and Officer Kristen P. Norbom.

Attendees will learn to:

-Encourage and empower women and raise awareness of safety measures

-Know the important role your instincts and gut reaction(s) play

-Discover potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them

-Learn how to make a safety plan

-Decrease the odds of becoming a victim

PANCAKES IN THE PARK AND MAPLE WEEKEND (Thu 3/23)

March means it’s time for the FREE annual OFA “Pancakes in the Park” event for older adults (60+), co-hosted by Dutchess County Parks, at Bowdoin Park (85 Sheafe Rd., Wappingers Falls), starting at 10:30 am on Thursday, March 23^rd. Advance registration with OFA is required; call us at 845-486-2555.

We’ve transitioned to a sit-down format for this year’s event, which will be held at the auditorium at the Bowdoin Park administration building. Each participant gets a pancake breakfast accompanied by a splash of maple syrup tapped from Bowdoin’s own trees. A limited amount of syrup will be available for purchase. We’ll also play some “Maple Bingo” and

“Pancakes in the Park” is part of Maple Weekend at Bowdoin, March 23-26. For more information on the weekend, visit this link:

Other news:

Five exercises to keep an aging body fit.

Advocates for older adults have some issues with the proposed 2023-24 New York state budget as currently constituted.

The top challenges facing older drivers, according to AAA.

Signs of depression in older adults. (en Español)

There are differences between a typical aging brain and a brain with dementia.

Aging workers are said to be key to keeping the economy humming along.

There’s a trick to making lasting memories with grandkids.

This week’s birthdays:

3/4: Actress/comedian Catherine O’Hara (69)

3/5: Magician/actor/author Penn Jillette (68)