Golden Living

It may not have been a jolly holiday season for seniors who live alone.

If you use the internet, you may have more than a passing hunch that the service you’re paying for is neither as fast nor as reliable as advertised, even if you’re not an advanced internet user.

Poor internet service is much more than an inconvenience.

Adapting to new technology is a double-edged sword for seniors: While it opens vast new possibilities for seniors to stay connected, the speed of advances in technology may not quite register with seniors who came of age in an era of built-to-last products.

Dutchess County seniors who’d like to get their exercise in this winter, without running the added risks of winter travel, can now sign up for remote Tai Chi and/or Bingocize classes this winter. As mentioned in last week’s Golden Living, the Office for the Aging (OFA) is also offering a remote “A Matter of Balance” class this winter.

Before long, snow will fall here in Dutchess County and may make travel difficult, especially for seniors. Before that happens, check up on the absolute safety basics that no home should be without, especially as more seniors stay home during the winter:

When’s the right time for a senior and their family and caregivers to plan for the legal issues that could face them in later life?

Fall begins on Wednesday, Sept. 22. The Office for the Aging (OFA) marks the season change every year with Fall Prevention Awareness Week, Sept. 20 through Sept. 24, in conjunction with New York State Senator Sue Serino (R-41), Lower Hudson Valley Falls Prevention Network and Vassar Brothers Medical Center Trauma Department.  

Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Office for the Aging (OFA) was providing daily midday meals to 130 seniors at OFA’s eight Senior Friendship Centers (with one in Millerton and one in Amenia), and delivering another 300 meals to homebound seniors throughout Dutchess County.