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I have been hunting since I was 12 years old and still enjoy it, though I am now in my 70s. The key to hunting when one gets older is to think safety at all times and try not to over-challenge oneself. Do not hunt alone. I have a cabin 25 miles up Alexander Creek from its confluence with the Susitna River. Now that I am in my 70s I limit my river trips to higher water. Gone are the days when I could pull an 18-foot boat with gear and engine through shallow water. This year we had high water, so...
At its November 2017 board meeting, Older Persons Action Group’s board of directors voted unanimously to accept two new members. Anne Gonzalez, of Willow, and Susan LaBelle of Anchorage. Welcome! Other board members include Yvonne Chase (president), Pam Yeargan (vice president), Mike Dryden (treasurer), Jan Carolyn Hardy (secretary), Ken Farrow, Leonard T. Kelley, Sharon White-Wheeler, Robert Bracco and Christian Montana....
Will Social Security be in your future? The short answer is “yes.” The other short answer is “maybe.” Let’s start at the beginning. Who cares if Social Security has a future? About 61 million people, or more than one in every six U.S. residents, currently collect Social Security benefits. They care. About 40 percent of Americans age 65 and older would have incomes below the poverty line without Social Security benefits. With Social Security benefits, 9 percent do. They certainly care. The median retirement account balance is $2,500 for all w...
In the nation’s capital, where politicians are always wearing partisan political jerseys, the nomination of Alex Azar to be the new Health and Human Services Secretary may offer the hope of a fresh start on health care issues. President Trump’s recent nominee to run HHS, the largest agency in the federal government, has steadfastly opposed President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), which Azar often describes as “circling the drain.” So the 50-year-old Indiana native is not likely to get many Democrats on his side when the Senate votes on...
By all accounts, Bharti Parikh, 66, has led an exciting life: from a childhood in the tiny village of Patton in Gujarat, India, to a law degree and fulfilling years in America that included working for the City of New York, being invited to be an artist at President Clinton's inauguration, and being a singing star on TV. However, there's also another sadder, more stressful side to her story, one that is unfortunately shared by so many older adults in America. Bharti Parikh is a caregiver, and ha...
My Anchorage neighborhood had been chattering about packages disappearing from doorsteps. Security camera footage was posted to Facebook of people stealing boxes. So I was not stunned when one of ours went missing late November. The delivery service tracking information showed it being left by our front door, but it vanished. "We call them porch pirates, stealing packages from front porches," says Michelle Tabler, Better Business Bureau Alaska Regional Manager. "We've heard reports that these thieves actually follow the UPS and FedEx trucks...
The American Lung Association Mat-Su Office is recruiting participants for a pilot project aimed at improving lung health through simple changes. The Healthy Homes Mat-Su Program focuses on seniors with chronic lung disease like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). Our trained staff will conduct an in-person assessment of the air quality inside your home to identify health hazards such as mold and mildew, dust mites and ventilation issues. Based on our findings, we recommend simple, low-cost solutions to improving the air...
Dear Savvy Senior: If the prescription label says “take with meals,” does it matter what you eat? I currently take eight different medications for various health problems and would like to know if there are any foods I need to avoid. -- Over Medicated Dear Over: It depends on the medication. Many meds should be taken with food – any food – to increase their absorption and reduce the risk of side effects. But some foods and medications can interact, reducing the medications’ effectiveness or increasing the risk of harmful side effects....
Some of the costs for Medicare will hold steady in 2018 and others will see some increase. Medicare Part A Also known as Hospital Insurance, Part A covers in-patient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, skilled home health care and hospice care. Premiums. Most people pay no monthly premium for Part A because they have 40 credits on file with Social Security by paying FICA taxes through their employment. However, some people will pay for Part A. If you have between 30 and 40 credits, you...
The holiday season is a joyous and festive time of the year for most folks. But some in our community don’t feel celebratory due to depression. Be it because of long term illness, the loss of a spouse or, worst, a child, the loneliness of deep winter could be the tipping point for someone considering ending their life. September was National Suicide Prevention month, but the holiday season and its aftermath are a particularly vulnerable time for our relatives and neighbors who are going t...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s meeting topic: “Financial Fraud and Today’s Senior.” Jan. 2, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 9, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 16, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 17, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m. Jan. 23, open house at Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program...
Dear Savvy Senior: As a divorced woman, am I entitled to my ex-husband’s Social Security benefits? I was married for 14 years and would like to know how this works. - Happily Divorced Dear Divorced: Yes, you may very well be eligible for divorced spouses Social Security benefits if you meet certain criteria. Here’s how it works. A divorced spouse can collect a Social Security retirement benefit on the earnings record of their ex-husband (or ex-wife) if you are at least age 62, were married for at least 10 years, are unmarried, and are not eli...
3-D printed implants may help with hearing loss The New Year is ushering in some significant new medical advances. Researchers using CT scans and 3-D printing have created accurate, custom-designed prosthetic replacements for damaged parts of the middle ear, according to a new study. The technique has the potential to improve a surgical procedure that often fails because of incorrectly sized prosthetic implants. Hearing works partly through the transmission of vibrations from the ear drum to...
Fairbanks' Morris Morgan is 96 years old. He has been painting his entire life but he never sells his artwork, because he never knows when he might want to improve upon a piece. "I think a lot of people start painting and want to sell them right away," he said. "I was keeping them around to see what a mess I'd made of it. I try to learn from that painting, to the next one." His first-ever art exhibit didn't happen until 2015, and no one was more surprised to see all his work on display than...
Mabel T. Caverly Senior Center and Services in Anchorage seeks volunteers for its Phone Pal program. Volunteers will make calls from their home to seniors needing an extra friend to talk with them occasionally. Also, the program is looking for people who would like to receive a call from a Phone Pal. Call the Mabel T. Caverly office at 276-1496, or email director@mabeltcaverly.orgdirector@mabeltcaverly.org....
Anchorage and Fairbanks area-seniors can now sign up for winter session classes offered by Opportunities for Lifelong Education (OLÉ) in Anchorage, and the Osher for Lifelong Learning (OLLI) in Fairbanks. For 2018, OLÉ offers a fascinating roster of interesting courses for the winter term. Beginning Jan. 8, classes run four or eight weeks, with additional four-week courses beginning Feb. 6. Whether it’s “Learn to Read Music,” “Crafting a Mystery,” or “The Sociology of Food,” there’s something for everyone. Learning “Social Media Basics” or “Ala...
In late November I sat with my son and his friend enjoying the ambience of the historic Paramount Theater in downtown Denver. We waited with quiet anticipation along with the rest of the sold out crowd. After a while the house lights went down and a spotlight followed three men as they walked across the stage. First Nikos Kilcher sang a beautiful song he had written for his wife, then brother Atz Lee sang his song titled "Rain" while playing his double bass. Father Atz Kilcher followed up by...
The Senior Environmental Employment Program, also known as SEE, assists the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal, state and local agencies in meeting their environmental mandates by using the talents and experience of workers 55 years of age and older. In the 1970s, farsighted EPA staff recognized that experienced workers age 55 and older were extremely underrated. As a result, the EPA created the concept of what was to become a national showcase for the skills of mid-career and older professionals who are now acknowledged...
Seward Senior Center members will once again visit the Alaska SeaLife Center in January for the "FREEzing Wednesday Picnic". The annual event takes advantage of the free admission the SeaLife center offers on Wednesdays during the cold months, says Seward Senior Center director Dana Paperman. Meal "baskets" are provided, courtesy of the senior center's lunch program, and the visitors are introduced to new exhibits, animal feedings and behind the scenes tours at the SeaLife Center. The picnic clo...
Santa’s Senior Center in North Pole is temporarily moving while work is done on the building. Beginning in January, activities will take place at Moose Lodge, 300 South Santa Claus Lane, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This includes the usual midweek lunches and Monday and Friday exercise sessions and potlucks. Office hours will remain 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Staff request callers use the usual phone number and messages will be answered as soon as possible. The new location is expected to be used from January through June. Call 4...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Interagency Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The January meeting is Jan. 10, hosted by Maxim Healthcare Services. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on these events or to be added to our e-mail reminder list,...
Juneau became the capital of the 49th state on Jan. 3, 1959, after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the statehood act into law. It became the only state capital not accessible by road. But Juneau was not the capital of the Last Frontier when Alaska became part of the United States in 1867. Sitka was the center of government for Russia-America. So why did the Americans choose to move government offices to Juneau? The discovery of gold deposits in the area that became Juneau-Douglas in...
Starting out as an assistant director on "I Love Lucy" in the late 50s probably wasn't a bad introduction to Jay Sandrich's television career behind the camera. "I wrote a letter to Lucy's company (Desilu) and was invited for an interview," recalled Sandrich from Los Angeles. He was immediately offered the job despite possessing only a film degree from UCLA and a couple of years' experience working on army documentaries. "It was my first real job in the business," he said. "The only reason I...
SStaff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Jan. 9 and 23), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Jan. 3 and 17), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Jan. 4, 11, 18 and 25), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s Southeast communities can call the Jun...
I was hoping this month's column would be about the changes to the tax code and how that effects estate planning. No such luck -- the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is still pending in Congress, subject to last-minute negotiations, and my deadline is nonetheless upon me (the Senior Voice editors are brutal taskmasters. The last time I was late with my column, I woke up to find a severed horse's head in my bed). So, let's have a little fun instead. Let's look at somebody who did it his way – and did it r...
