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High Temperatures and Humidity Can Profoundly Affect the Health and Safety of Older Adults, Who Remain at High Risk for COVID-19 The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) is urging older New Yorkers and their family members to take precautions in extreme heat, as high temperatures and humidity, coupled with COVID-19, can create hazardous conditions for older adults. Exposure to extreme heat can cause a variety of health problems, including heat stroke and death. “Extreme heat and humidity can be serious, and can be particularly dangerous for older adults, who are also at highest risk for COVID-19,” said NYSOFA Acting Director Greg Olsen. “Older adults, especially those who are low-income, live alone, have chronic conditions or who take certain medications, are more susceptible to heat-related illness. In these summer months, particularly during a heat wave in this pandemic, neighbors and family members should check in with older individuals daily to make sure they are healthy and safe.” According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heat causes more than 600 preventable deaths in the United States yearly. And COVID-19 presents particular challenges this summer since many places where people generally go to cool off, including cooling centers, libraries, and malls may be closed. Finding ways to stay cool and safe, both at home and outside, are more important than ever in this environment. Staying cool during extreme heat and COVID-19
Those most at risk for heat-related illnesses and COVID-19 While everyone is at risk for heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk and should be sure to take special precautions, especially in these times of COVID-19. These populations include:
Protect family, friends, and neighbors
Prepare for, and help prevent, power outages
What to do during a power outage
Swimming Locations New York State pools and beaches across the New York State Park system are open for individuals to cool off during hot days.
For more information on how to stay safe during periods of excessive heat , please visit the New York State Department of Health website. For information on long term care services and supports for older adults and caregivers, please visit NY Connects or call 800-342-9871. ###
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NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ANNOUNCES RESUMPTION OF LIMITED VISITATION TO NURSING HOMES7/10/2020 Visits Limited to 2 People per Resident; Temperature Checks, PPE, Social Distancing Required Resumes Ombudsman Program in all Nursing Homes; Ombudsmen Must Test Negative Within Last Week, Wear PPE, Undergo Temperature Checks ALBANY, N.Y. (July 10, 2020) - State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker today announced nursing homes and long term care facilities in New York will be allowed to resume limited visitations for facilities that have been without COVID-19 for at least 28 days, a threshold set by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Residents in these facilities will be allowed two visitors at a time, and the visitors must undergo temperature checks, wear face coverings and socially distance during the visit. At least one of the two visitors must be at least 18 years of age or older. For each facility, only 10 percent of the residents can be allowed visitors at any time; for example, in a 100-bed facility no more than 10 residents can have visitors per day in order to maintain proper social distancing and ensure safe compliance. Nursing Homes accepting visitors will be required to send their visitation plan to NYSDOH and affirmatively attest that they are following the guidance outlined here. The Health Commissioner also announced the resumption of on-site visitation for the state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, which provides additional support to residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, effective July 15, 2020. Ombudsman staff must utilize appropriate PPE for the duration of the visit, and must be screened as if they were a staff person of such nursing home, including having to present a verified negative test result to the nursing home within the past week. The Department of Health will make adjustments to the visitation policy as appropriate based on facts and data following this initial phase to ensure the health and safety of residents, staff and visitors. View State DOH guidance for resumption of limited visitation at nursing homes, adult care facilities and pediatric skilled nursing facilities. “With the knowledge we now have about how COVID-19 came into nursing homes – mainly through asymptomatic staff and visitors through no fault of their own – it is critical that as we resume visitations to these facilities we do it in a smart and cautious way to ensure the health and safety of residents and staff,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation in each facility, and make adjustments based on the facts and data moving forward. I know how painful it has been for residents of these facilities to endure such a long period of time without seeing family and loved ones, and my hope is that this adjustment to the visitation policy will provide some comfort to everyone.” In June, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued guidance saying: "Nursing homes should continue to follow CMS and CDC guidance for preventing the transmission of COVID-19, and follow state and local direction. Because nursing home residents are especially vulnerable, CMS does not recommend reopening facilities to visitors (except for compassionate care situations) until phase three when: There have been no new, nursing home onset COVID-19 cases in the nursing home for 28 days.” -###-
Poughkeepsie, NY … Though the COVID-19 pandemic has postponed a variety of events throughout the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced the Dutchess County Office for the Aging (OFA) will continue providing socialization opportunities for local seniors by offering socially distant, drive-through Senior Picnics in a dozen communities over a six-week period, in lieu of the traditional, in-person picnics the OFA has held since 1993.
Beginning on July 28th, and continuing each Tuesday and Thursday through Sept. 3rd, the County will welcome seniors from individual communities to a central gathering point to drive up and receive a bag lunch to take home and enjoy – providing seniors with a balanced meal, important information about aging and interaction with OFA staff and volunteers, while maintaining social-distancing guidelines. Local establishments will prepare the lunches for each drive-through picnic; seniors can drop off unused/unwanted medications for safe disposal at each event; and County Executive Molinaro and local leaders will attend picnics, greeting seniors in their cars. County Executive Molinaro said, “While the pandemic has altered the way Dutchess County Government has delivered many programs and services to residents, our commitment to our seniors is unwavering, and we’ll continue to provide a picnic experience, albeit it slightly different than in years past. Our ‘drive-thru’ Senior Picnics will provide our residents with a nutritious meal, which they’ve received at OFA picnics for decades, while still providing fresh air and socialization as they pass through to pick up their lunch and say, ‘Hello.’ We look forward to welcoming thousands of seniors this summer, and we’ll continue to find ways to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on residents as we continue restarting Dutchess.” Earlier this month, OFA staff began mailing invitations to residents 60 years of age and older, inviting them to the drive-through picnic in their respective community; OFA staff will provide seniors a designated time to pick up their lunch when they RSVP. Reservations to each picnic are limited, and there is an $8 fee for those under 60 who wish to receive a lunch. The schedule of picnics is as follows: Tuesday, July 28th Pleasant Valley West Road School 181 West Road, Pleasant Valley Thursday, July 30th Beacon Memorial Park ballfield Robert Cahill Drive, Beacon Tuesday, August 4th Town of Wappinger, Village of Wappingers Falls Wappingers Junior High School 30 Major Macdonald Way, Wappinger Thursday, August 6th Town of Poughkeepsie Bowdoin Park 85 Sheafe Road, Poughkeepsie Tuesday, August 11th North East, Pine Plains, Stanford and Washington Stissing Mountain High School 2928 Church Street, Pine Plains Thursday, August 13th City of Poughkeepsie St. John’s Church 55 Wilbur Boulevard, Poughkeepsie Tuesday, August 18th Clinton and Hyde Park Regina Coeli Church 2 Harvey Street, Hyde Park Thursday, August 20th Town of Fishkill, Village of Fishkill Geering Park Geering Way, Fishkill Tuesday, August 25th Beekman and LaGrange Freedom Park 212 Skidmore Road, LaGrange Thursday, August 27th East Fishkill Hopewell Recreation Park 890 Route 82, Hopewell Junction Tuesday, September 1st Milan, Red Hook, Rhinebeck Dutchess County Fairgrounds 6636 Route 9, Rhinebeck Thursday, September 3rd Amenia, Dover, Pawling, Union Vale Boyce Park 6420 State Route 55, Wingdale The OFA’s 2020 Senior Picnic Series is sponsored by Evercare at Home and Home Energy Consultants, Inc. Residents who would like to volunteer at any of this summer’s Senior Picnics can contact the OFA at ofa@dutchessny.gov or (845) 486-2555. More than 3,800 residents attended the dozen OFA Senior Picnics held in 2019, and 190 pounds of unwanted/unused medications were collected for safe disposal at last year’s picnics. The OFA plans, coordinates and provides an array of community-based services to seniors and persons who require assistance in the long term care system, in an effort to promote independence, dignity and quality of life. In 2019, OFA staff served more than 13,000 residents through a variety of services and programs. More information about the OFA and its critical work is available on the County’s website.
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