Home health care takes center stage

Stefanik faces possible censure over Jan. 6 “hostages” comment

By Ken Tingley

Eleven years ago, The Post-Star ran a five-week series called “Who will take care of us?”

It warned that the impending retirement of an army of Baby Boomers would test the limits of healthcare, nursing homes and home health care. It asked people to prepare for the future.

The future is here.

Based on 2020 statistics, Warren County is the fifth oldest county in New York. The average age has risen to 47.5.

Whether you are already retired or hoping to retire in the near future, the reality is that you need to be planning for a world where home help may be difficult to obtain, and perhaps unavailable.

“There is already a crisis in home health care,” said Connie Bosse, co-president of the Adirondack chapter of the American Association of University Women. “Even if you want to stay in your home, it won’t matter if you can’t get help.”

I know, this isn’t the most uplifting view of the future, and probably not something a lot of us want to talk about, but it needs to be addressed.

“The other thing that is important is the fact that 23 percent of the people in Warren County are 65 or older,” said Bosse. “So you can see what is coming.”

The American Association of University Women are hosting an event on Friday, Feb. 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. at SUNY Adirondack that asks this critical question: Are you or a loved one prepared to age in place at home?

Robert Martiniano, the senior program manager for the Center for Health Workforce Studies, will be the keynote speaker.

The workshop will address the current status of home health care, the needs of home health care agencies and workers and how to plan for the future if you want to stay in your home.

The event will include perspectives from home health care administrators, and the results of caregiver focus groups from the North Country.

Finally, there will a panel discussion that will discuss the cost of future home care, potential solutions and a question and answer period.

For further information, contact Lee Alekel (leealekel@gmail.com) or Linda Fusco (lindafuscophd@gmail.com).

The workshop is free and open to the public. You must register for the event by Monday, Jan. 22.

Extremism in North Country

Emily Russell and Zach Hirsch of North Country Public Radio are continuing their  reporting on right-wing extremism in the North Country.

The latest story is on the Lewis County sheriff who has ties to the Oath Keepers and believes he does not have to enforce New York State laws. His only loyalty is to the U.S. Constitution. Apparently, he has plenty of support.

It is another excellent piece of reporting that is worth your time.

Stefanik called out

New York City congressman Dan Goldman introduced a resolution in Congress Wednesday to censure Rep. Elise Stefanik for peddling claims that led to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and then referring to those convicted of the attack in a Meet the Press interview as “hostages.”

“In putting her personal ambitions over her integrity, Congresswoman Stefanik has been Donald Trump’s biggest congressional cheerleader, even though our mutual home state of New York overwhelmingly opposes him,” Goldman said. “By echoing Trump’s reference to the criminally convicted January 6 insurrectionists as ‘hostages,’ Congresswoman Stefanik both demeans the actual hostages currently held in captivity in Gaza and provides support for those who attacked the Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, caused the death of five law enforcement officers, injured more than 100 others, and threatened violence against members of Congress and their staffs.”

Stefanik's Executive Director Alex DeGrasse, who I once banned from The Post-Star newsroom for harassing my staff, called Goldman a “corrupt radical New York Democrat.”

That seems to be the rationale when ever Ms. Stefanik’s is called out for her misbehavior.

Monahan trial

The most shocking piece of information to come out of the Kevin Monahan murder trial so far has been defense lawyer Arthur’s Frost claim that the shotgun used in the killing was “defective” and had fired accidentally.

But the Times Union reported on Wednesday, Victoria O’Connor, a State Police forensic scientist, told jurors she did not notice anything out of the ordinary when she conducted tests on the shotgun.

“Is this gun as submitted in good working order?” Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan asked O’Connor.

“Yes,” O’Connor replied. “It is not defective based on the work I conducted.”

Frost is expected to call his own expert witness later in the trial.

Baltimore Sun sold

The Baltimore Sun, once one of the most respected newspapers in the country, has struggled in recent years under the ownership of hedge fund giant Alden Global Capital.

It returned to local ownership this week when David D. Smith took control.

But the new owners brings his own baggage. Smith is the executive chairman of Sinclair broadcasting chain and an active contributor to conservative causes. Sinclair, which owns CBS 6 Albany - WRGB in Albany, regularly commands its stations to conduct unscientific polls on its website and run conservative commentaries.

The Baltimore Banner reported that Smith had a tense three-hour meeting with staff on Tuesday and said he stood by comments in which he referred to the print media as “so left-wing as to be meaningless dribble.”

The Banner also reported Smith acknowledged paying at least $100 million for a paper he had only read four times, and was noncommittal about the continuation of the print product as well as the retention of staff.

He also said he wanted the paper to emulate his local Sinclair station, and continue to engage readers’ interests with daily unscientific polls.

Banning dictionaries?

The Free Speech Center reported this week nearly 2,000 books were pulled off the shelves of schools in Florida’s Escambia County just outside of Pensacola.

The action was prompted by a new state law which prohibits schools from carrying books that describe sexual content include five dictionaries and eight different sets of encyclopedias.

Hard to believe this is happening in America.

January book tour

My next event will be at the Moreau Community Center on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m.

I’ll be talking about newspapers, journalism and the events and people that shaped the Glens Falls region over the past two decades.

I’ll be signing my latest book “The Last American Editor, Vol. 2” afterward.

Hope to see you there.

Comprehensive plan

Warren County will be trying to lure citizens to SUNY Adirondack on Monday at 6 p.m. with pizza and sodas.

Warren County officials will be pitching the importance of its work on a comprehensive plan.

The workshop will be an opportunity for Warren County residents, business owners and visitors to provide input on the project as well as to learn about the work done to date. There will be a presentation from the project consultant, and attendees will learn more at various stations set up on different aspects of the project.

Supporting theater

For 30 years, Glens Falls has been lucky to have the Adirondack Theater Festival every summer.

It’s not just great entertainment, it is original theater with professional actors and actresses from New York City. It is special.

ATF will be holding its annual winter fundraiser with a “Pep Rally” theme on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The host will be Adirondack Thunder MC Billy Floyd and include food, drinks and live songs performed from musicals developed at ATF.

This year’s summer lineup will also be introduced.

Tickets are $90 person for the Wood Theater event. There will be thematic appetizers and drinks and pep rally attire is encouraged.

Tickets are available at the Charles R. Wood Theater box office at 518-480-4878 or https://woodtheater.org/events/