September 2026 Edition
September 2026 Edition
On Sunday, Sept. 25, 1932, the Russell Hyde Merrill Memorial Beacon was dedicated at Merrill Field. Bought with money raised by the Anchorage Women's Club, it was a memorial to a pioneer airman. Three years before, he had disappeared almost without a trace. Merrill, a pivotal figure in Alaska's early aviation history, was honored with not only Anchorage's Merrill Field and memorial beacon but also the mountain pass he discovered, Merrill Pass. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1894 to a prominent...
What started out to be a day of garden tours was unexpectedly disrupted by yard sale detours. I had looked forward to this day for weeks, partly because I'd missed a smaller half-day tour in June. I hadn't been able to attend the annual tour last summer either. And the weather forecast was exceptionally cooperative-neither too hot nor too cold and no rain. Last month, a self-guided tour was sponsored by both the Valley Garden Club (of which I am a member) and the Mat-Su Master Gardening...
There are moments in dementia care that can feel almost like a door opening. A familiar song begins to play. Someone who has been quiet starts tapping a foot. A few words of a chorus emerge. A smile appears. Perhaps a story follows about a childhood home, a wedding, a parent, or a song once heard on the radio. For families living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, moments like these can be powerful. They are also helping researchers better understand the remarkable relationship...
Could someone steal your credit card information while it's still in your wallet? Technically, yes. But before you panic, you should understand what tap-to-pay is, how these scams work, and if the risk is significant enough to worry about. Tap-to-pay technology Contactless cards use a secure, short-range form of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology that transfers information between a card and a card reader via radio waves. Despite what many people think, using tap-to-pay doesn't...
Recently, I accompanied a 75-year-old woman from my building to the emergency room. On a Friday, I was alerted by another resident that she looked "bad." Certainly, her sheet-white face indicated something was not right. I went downstairs to the lobby where she always hung out and asked if I could take her oxygen level -it was 85, a level that indicated she was beginning to have insufficient oxygen for her organs to function. She refused to go to the hospital, but would on Monday if it was...
For those of us enrolled into Original Medicare (Parts A & B), most of us have also enrolled into one of Medicare’s Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). Each year, we may make changes to this prescription coverage during Medicare’s Open Enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, for changes which will then go into effect from Jan. 1 onward. Leading up to this open enrollment, you will start to receive notices with information relating to any changes in your plan for the...
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled devices are significantly changing how older adults are receiving medical care. Doctors and nurses are finding that AI can save time, improve workflows, and support faster decisions. This may allow your health team to care for more patients on a daily basis. Adults 50 and older are part of this sea change in medicine. AI is reshaping how individuals prepare for and participate in their care. Researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School have...
Providence St. Elias Specialty Hospital was recently reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International. This means its stroke specialty program and brain injury specialty program were recognized for their excellence in specialized rehabilitation services. Providence St. Elias Specialty Hospital was also recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as Alaska’s top rehabilitation hospital and among the top 50 nationally among the 1,131 rehabilitation hospitals evaluated. Alaska has one of the...
If you're looking for ways to improve your brain health, it's important to pay attention to your diet. But how do you know which diet is best? "The MIND diet is one that I focus on because it has been shown in research studies to lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Sandra Darling, a preventive medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The MIND diet emphasizes plant-based foods like berries, leafy greens, whole grains, beans and nuts. The diet also favors fish and poultry...
Independent living in Alaska brings beauty and adventure, but it also brings risks that can lead to injuries right in your own home. A simple fall or a cut in the kitchen can turn serious with a quickness. Knowing how to stop bleeding and when to call for help can save your life. First, let's talk about when bleeding needs emergency care. If blood is spurting or pouring out and does not slow down after a few minutes, call 911 right away. If you feel dizzy, weak, or confused while bleeding,...
This is part 2 of 3 of a couple rediscovering each other after their children moved out. Chiang Mai is where Thailand slows down and softens around the edges. Inside the Old City, a square framed by a moat and crumbling 13th-century Lanna walls, one wanders past ancient temples and modern cafés. For empty nesters, it's the perfect place to trade homework checks and packing lunches for slower days, shared discoveries, and the quiet realization that you're a couple first again. Arrival, curry,...
