A Nonprofit Place for Senior Living (Aired on April 4, 2021)

Executive Director Ericka Von Salews of the Vassar-Warner Home, the only nonprofit senior living residence in Dutchess County, visits RadioRotary co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell-Claitor for a program describing the services and remarkable story of this historic institution. The beautiful building dates from 1835 when it was built as s boys’ academy, but in 1871 it became a home for senior women. Originally Johnathan Warner operated The Old Ladies Home at the site, but in 1974, with financial help from the Smith Brothers (of cough-drop fame) the building was expanded and merged with the Vassar Home for men. Today the Vassar-Warner home, with some help from the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, is a recognized charity, which allows the home to treat and care for each resident as a member of the family rather than as a customer whose care and services are transactions. Residents do pay rent and board (low-income men and women may have it partly subsidized), and there are two levels of care available—adult homes for those in little need of medical assistance and assisted living for those who may require more help, although Vassar-Warner Home is not a nursing home, the next higher level of care.

Learn more:
Vassar-Warner Home: https://vassarwarner.org/
Adult Care Facilities (NYS): https://profiles.health.ny.gov/acf
Dutchess Country Office for the Aging: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/Office-for-the-Aging.htm

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April 25, 2021 · Posted in Aging, Housing Assistance, Quality of Life  

Protecting Homes with Smoke Alarms (Aired on November 29, 2020)

Poughkeepsie South Rotarian Christina Boryk, Executive Director of Dutchess Rebuilding Together, and Kelly Formoso, Executive Director of Hudson Valley Red Cross, visit RadioRotary through Zoom for this fascinating discussion of home safety measures, especially smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms. Rebuilding Together is in the business of improving homes, both with major renovations (such as a new roof) and general in-home safety measures. Red Cross, which aids people after disasters, in Dutchess County most often helps families recover from house fires. So it made sense in 2016 when the idea of working together was broached that the two organizations would combine to provide free smoke alarms to homeowners and renters. Since then they have
installed over a thousand smoke alarms and saved the lives of at least 7 persons. Listen to the details of how this remarkable team began and continues to work together and how you can make your home protected from fire and carbon-monoxide poisoning.

Learn more:
Rebuilding Together (Dutchess County): http://www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org/
Red Cross (Hudson Valley): https://www.redcross.org/local/new-york/eastern-new-york/about-us/locations/mid-hudson-valley.html
Fire Safety: https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/emergency-preparedness/fire
Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club: https://www.rotarydistrict7210.org/clubInfo/poughkeepsie-south

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December 9, 2020 · Posted in Aging, Housing Assistance, Service Organizations  

Fall Prevention Week (Aired on September 13, 2020)

Trauma Injury Prevention Coordinator at Vassar Hospital Jill Bubel visits RadioRotary to promote the Lower Hudson Valley Fall Prevention Week, a series of online events devoted to teaching older persons how to avoid those often traumatic and sometimes deadly falls, the most common cause of serious injury or mortality in persons over 60. The events are sponsored by the offices for the aging of the counties in the lower Hudson Valley and include a balance class based on the Kovacs exercises, classes in Tai Chi, information about making homes safer, and much more. Programs for the week include materials for fall prevention from Rebuilding Together, students from Stoney Brook, and Northwell Health.

Learn more:
Lower Hudson Valley Fall Prevention Network: https://www.facebook.com/lhvfallprevention
Fall Prevention from National Institute on Aging: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/prevent-falls-and-fractures
Trauma Center at Vassar Hospital: https://www.healthquest.org/poughkeepsie/trauma.aspx
Tai Chi for Health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-health-benefits-of-tai-chi 

More Resources:

The Zoom and Facebook Live technology review designed to help older adults to use these virtual platforms with more ease: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=769120840538658

The presentation by Dr. Neal Smoller, holistic pharmacist from Woodstock about “Medication and Fall Risk”:  https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__drive.google.com_file_d_1-5FUOl-5FXyX8UIdKYXfVSuGVrVArhqZhGsL_view-3Fusp-3Dsharing-5Feil-26ts-3D5f69150a&d=DwMFaQ&c=y10fAQ-MjRVdTmbaCO4gBbko2jPu1Pu3w_E_ih7sRcg&r=-nxR3e22jWnzT9Us-N9deLHG_a-C0cykXD4hE5o324U&m=dqugmcW6o-K3GoDsZijHUjzTo0vjH2H1ZXD5Vf0As-s&s=FKPWYmmjUVWFScOzqzcUUGaWN1HOt4ofUzf_SmYpkxA&e=

The live Introduction to Tai Chi class from Bowdoin Park: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__drive.google.com_file_d_1wgLZAKlLR4PluN144G8Dvk9wlk0IiHBr_view-3Fusp-3Dsharing-5Feil-26invite-3DCN7ymNYJ-26ts-3D5f6ff97a&d=DwMFaQ&c=y10fAQ-MjRVdTmbaCO4gBbko2jPu1Pu3w_E_ih7sRcg&r=djsh2P2ZWvPyC5xAuko2PTRBLPGepCAVPmlC1RO-caY&m=BfA6j-ZQILoWIvNBs5lE2mCIRQcdwOaiXahD1dOcZDo&s=eOetNFaReihmTtYZAv8arv4a1pVX5pmK1l4VL_lMPpY&e=

The home safety tour from Rebuilding Together:  https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__youtu.be_BrCaGUy5MXA&d=DwMFAg&c=y10fAQ-MjRVdTmbaCO4gBbko2jPu1Pu3w_E_ih7sRcg&r=djsh2P2ZWvPyC5xAuko2PTRBLPGepCAVPmlC1RO-caY&m=TOmDpWNbzK73e81gncfhRSHIAo3VxGD7VV5uXA4bHUQ&s=JB1E-PpYu4uXz2jlXv4BGT252JNcehmRISYm_W7o9rM&e=

A link to a home safety checklist: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org_sites_default_files_PDF_2020-5FRTDC-2520Home-2520Safety-2520Checklist.pdf&d=DwMFAg&c=y10fAQ-MjRVdTmbaCO4gBbko2jPu1Pu3w_E_ih7sRcg&r=djsh2P2ZWvPyC5xAuko2PTRBLPGepCAVPmlC1RO-caY&m=HhOtohe0O0d8geneiUE0WFDKE4B9LzZCWlhL6IYpPC0&s=mqkjdZjdUaaVLL7ui_PCxgsL3IQMksUUgkuUVnHIVNg&e=

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September 18, 2020 · Posted in Aging, Events, Health, Quality of Life  

Grace Year—A Time to Do Good (Aired January 18 and 19, 2020)

Jessica Davis is interviewed about her experience of taking a “gap year” after graduating from
SUNY New Paltz. She is living with other young persons who are working to help others in a
program called “Grace Year.” Grace Year allows recent college graduates to spend a year
of intentional living from a base in Grace Episcopal Church in Millbrook, NY, focusing on
spirituality, religion, and justice It is a year-long opportunity to live in a small community
of young adults as they prepare for lifelong journeys of sustained leadership for the
common good. During the year, the fellows live together along with the program leader,
Abby Nathanson, in the Grace Church vicarage while they volunteer to work with local
nonprofits. These include a preschool; youth programs for teens; EPIC (Engaging
People in Change), a bilingual leadership program for high-school students; programs
for immigrants; local farms; Hudson River Housing; and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem
Studies. Ms. Davis is helping senior citizens by working with the Church Alliance senior
residence and Millbrook at Home, which helps senior citizens who are aging in place.
When her Grace Year has passed, Ms. Davis plans to attend graduate school with the
intention of becoming a guidance counselor.

Learn more
Grace Year: http://www.graceyear.org/
Grace Year Program (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/graceyearprogram/
EPIC (Engaging People in Change): https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit/e04b940c57a74a4da68d634d44982d1e-engaging-people-in-change-epic-millbrook
Church Alliance of Millbrook Gardens: https://www.nyconnects.ny.gov/services/the-church-alliance-of-millbrook-gardens-bartel-place-housing-sofa45301
Millbrook at Home: http://www.millbrookathome.org/
Grace Episcopal Church in Millbrook: https://www.gracemillbrook.org/

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February 4, 2020 · Posted in Aging, Humanitarian Service, Support Groups, Youth  

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