Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of January 1
OFA ENHANCES SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS
For every older adult in Dutchess County there is, or will eventually be, at least one caregiver. Everyday tasks that were once simple for an older adult become more challenging, especially without the help of a caregiver. Often, it’s an unpaid family member who takes on the role of caregiver, in addition to their roles as parent, spouse, and all-around helper.
An older adult’s resistance to accepting help can also be a challenge. That’s why OFA continually reminds older adults that independence does not mean going it alone without help. A key part of an older adult’s goal of aging gracefully is to accept help gracefully.
It’s a reminder that works for caregivers, too.
Many caregivers don’t think of themselves as such, especially when caring for a family member. They’re simply caring for parents and grandparents who cared for them as children. Regardless of the nature of the relationship between the carer and the person being cared for, the rewards of caregiving can be outweighed by caregiving’s physical, emotional, financial, and mental stresses.
Much as a family member might love the person being cared for, an overstressed caregiver can become like a candle whose wick has burned away; there’s nothing left with which to give enough light.
To address the potential for caregiver burnout, we need to first define what a caregiver is: a person who provides physical or psychological care to someone else. For the Office for the Aging’s purposes, these are the most common caregiving scenarios:
Are you over the age of 18 and caring for an older adult (age 60+)?
Are you over the age of 18 caring for an individual (any age) with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder (e.g., dementia, traumatic brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, chronic traumatic encephalopathy)?
Are you over the age of 55 and living with and caring for a child (not biological) under the age of 18?
Are you over the age of 55 and living with and caring for an adult (can be a biological child) aged 18-59 with a disability?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the above questions, you’re a caregiver. It’s also possible to be more than one kind of caregiver at the same time. The classic example is the “sandwich generation” caregiver, who’s raising their own children – and sometimes grandchildren – while also caring for an older adult.
OFA can help Dutchess County caregivers take the next step, to measure the risk for caregiver stress and burnout. This is why we’ve created dutchessny.gov/ofacaregiver, to help a caregiver get a better understanding of their unique role and find out more about supports available to them through OFA.
For caregivers who aren’t online, call OFA at 845-486-2555 during business hours to find out more.
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
HARDLY ANY SNOW YET, BUT WHEN IT COMES…
…how do older adults find out about weather related cancellations and postponements?
For Office for the Aging activity cancellations, including Friendship Center operations, follow Dutchess County Government on social media at www.facebook.com/DutchessCoGov or www.x.com/DutchessCoGov.
Subscribers to OFA’s weekly emails (if you’re reading this, you’re a subscriber) will also have weather-related advisories emailed to them.
For those who aren’t online, we send advisories to area radio and TV broadcasters; however, not all radio stations read cancellation lists over the air.
Each OFA Friendship Center maintains a phone tree where clients can be contacted when their Friendship Center is closed. OFA Home Delivered Meals clients receive shelf-stable meals in advance of inclement winter weather.
“SENIOR PARK PRINTS” IN POUGHKEEPSIE, MILLERTON, EAST FISHKILL
Dutchess County Parks and the Office for the Aging are collaborating again this winter on the free Senior Park Prints Art Series taking place throughout the county, where older adults can pick up painting skills they may have never known they had.
Dutchess County older adults (60+) can sign up for any one of the following sessions. Registration opens at 9 am Wednesday, January 3rd:
- Thursday, January 18th – 2:30-3:45pm – Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie
- Thursday, February 1st – 2:30-3:45pm – Millerton Northeast Millerton Library Annex, 28 Century Blvd., Millerton
- Friday, February 16th – 2:30-3:45pm – East Fishkill Community Center, 890 Route 82, Hopewell Junction
All supplies will be provided, but space is limited to 12 participants per event. Registration is required by calling OFA during business hours at 845-486-2555.
IS YOUR GROUP LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER FROM OFA?
The Office for the Aging can send a representative to speak with your seniors’ group, faith community, caregivers’ group or civic organization on issues of interest to older adults and caregivers. We cover all kinds of topics:
Successful Aging;
Caregiving Resources;
Scam Prevention;
Senior housing issues;
Office for the Aging Services;
Topics related to nutrition;
Preventing falls and safety at home…and more!
We’re available anywhere in Dutchess County for presentations during weekday business hours, and on a case-by-case basis for evening and weekend events.
For more information about speakers from the Office for the Aging, email Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at bjones@dutchessny.gov.
YOGA FOR OLDER ADULTS AT SOUTH AMENIA FRIENDSHIP CENTER
Eastern Dutchess older adults looking for an exercise option in the Harlem Valley can add the yoga class at the Office for the Aging Friendship Center in South Amenia (229 South Amenia Rd., Wassaic). Classes meet for an hour, every Tuesday at 10:45 am. For more information and to get signed up, contact OFA at 845-486-2555, and visit www.dutchessny.gov/seniorexercise for a closer look at all OFA exercise options.
“SAIL” REMOTE EXERCISE CLASSES RETURN FROM HOLIDAY BREAK
OFA’s remote “SAIL” (Staying Active and Independent for Life) exercise classes resume for 2024 on Wednesday, January 3rd. SAIL’s regularly schedule classes take place on Wednesdays at 10 am and Fridays at 2:30 pm. To learn more about SAIL, contact OFA or visit www.dutchessny.gov/seniorexercise.
“FRIENDLY CALLS” ORIENTATIONS THIS WEEK
Interested in becoming a volunteer for OFA’s Friendly Calls program? We have two orientations scheduled for this week at OFA headquarters (114 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie). Pick one:
Wednesday 1/3, 1:30 pm
Thursday 1/4, 10:00 am
To schedule your orientation and learn more about Friendly Calls, call OFA at 845-486-2555 during business hours or email bjones@dutchessny.gov.
Other news:
12 workouts to consider for 2024. (And if you want to know more, visit dutchessny.gov/seniorexercise.)
At OFA we try to use terms like “older adults” and “adults over 60,” and “senior” less often, because not every older adult thinks of themselves as a senior. Getting the terminology right can be tricky.
The factors other than chronological age that can affect the likelihood of dementia.
This week’s birthdays:
12/30: Brooklyn/LA Dodgers Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax (88)
12/31: Actor/director Sir Anthony Hopkins (86)
1/1: Actor Frank Langella (86)
1/2: Baseball player/sportscaster David Cone (61)
1/3: Actor Dabney Coleman (92)
1/4: Singer/songwriter Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) (64)
1/5: Actor/director Robert Duvall (93)
Did you think 2024 meant no more Bad Jokes? Think again.
A man went into a seafood restaurant and asked for a lobster tail. The waitress smiled sweetly and said, “Once upon a time there was this handsome lobster…”
