Fall Prevention Awareness Week is Sept. 20-Sept. 24

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.  

The week kicks off with Community Panel livestreamed on www.facebook.com/lhvfallprevention on Monday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m., discussing increasing fall injuries in the region. You can see the full region-wide calendar of free Fall Prevention Week events at the same Facebook page. 

Reserve your spot for Thursday, Sept. 23, as OFA offers a special “Sample Day” of many of our great exercise and activity options. Take part in a live Tai Chi class, a walk with a naturalist hosted by Sen. Serino, Bingocize and a senior exercise class demonstration at Bowdoin Park (85 Sheafe Road, Poughkeepsie). The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Capacity is limited, so registration is required. Call 845-486-2555 to register.

Other highlights of the week’s calendar include:

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 10-11 a.m. — Kovacs balance class with Hudson Valley Regional Community Health Centers, via Zoom; register by emailing drmarckaplan.gait@gmail.com or call 845-278-6930.

Friday, Sept. 24, 3 p.m. — finale, livestreamed on Facebook.

To find out more about Fall Prevention Awareness Week, contact Jill Bubel at jill.bubel@nuvancehealth.org or call 845-797-6768.

One month until 10-digit dialing

The days of area-codeless local phone calls will go away in Dutchess County on Sunday, Oct. 24. That’s the day when 10-digit local dialing will become mandatory for all phones using the 845 or 914 area codes. Ten-digit dialing has been mandatory for a few years already, in the 518 area code that covers northeastern Dutchess County and regions to our north, along with the many area codes that cover New York City. 

The change will apply to cell phones, landlines and VoIP systems. If you slip up and dial a seven-digit number out of habit after Oct. 23, you’ll hear a recorded message asking you to try again — and include the area code. Ten-digit dialing has been enabled since April, so use the next month or so to learn new dialing habits.

The switch to 10 digits is needed as part of the process of making it easier for people in need of immediate mental health assistance to call the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline. 

Last summer, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline be reachable at the three-digit number 988, starting in July 2022. If you or a loved one is in crisis now, the national lifeline’s number is 1-800-273-8255. That number will remain active even after 988 becomes available. 

Closer to home, Dutchess County’s 24/7 mental health and substance use crisis number is available, by calling or texting 845-485-9700. And 24/7 walk-in assistance is available at the Dutchess County Stabilization Center, 230 North Road in Poughkeepsie. They can be reached at 845-486-2849. No appointment or referral is needed.

Golden Living is prepared by Dutchess County OFA Director Todd N. Tancredi, who can be reached at 845-486-2555, ofa@dutchessny.gov or via the OFA website at www.dutchessny.gov/aging.