Golden Living

The emergency phase of the nation’s response to COVID-19 is set to end on Thursday, May 11. The Dutchess County Office for the Aging and Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) have been preparing to meet the needs of Dutchess County older adults beyond that date, so we all can anticipate the expected changes.

Low-income older New Yorkers are leaving billions of dollars of federal assistance on the table every year. It’s adding extra difficulty to lives that are already difficult, according to the abstract of a new study by the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis at The New School in New York City.

One New York state law that took effect March 6 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.

The days get longer in January, but nowhere as quickly as many of us would like. This week we enter the meteorological “dead of winter,” the coldest part of winter. Here in New York, that’s usually from mid-January to mid-February.

The Dutchess County Office for the Aging celebrates 50 years of operation in 2023. We have lots to celebrate, and just as much work to do. Most notably, we expect continued significant growth in demand for services as the baby boom generation continues to age. Even the youngest “boomers” will turn 60 in 2024.

Adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids, according to a National Institutes of Health study released this month.

You can do simple things around the interior of your home to lower your risk of falls. First, do basic decluttering as noted in our previous column on this topic. Then, move on to specific room-by-room issues, as suggested by the National Institute on Aging. First, your floors, stairs, and hallways:

Whether you’re an older adult or somebody who’s caring for an older family member, most of us want to live out our lives in our own homes, for as long as it’s safe to do so. The key is to make the “safe to do so” part last, and we can start toward that goal by adapting the home with an eye on safety.