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“Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Anchorage Senior Activity Center and Older Persons Action Group, Inc., returns Jan. 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This free event will be in-person at the senior center, with appetizers and refreshments provided. This month’s program features Anchorage audiologist and author Dr. Thomas McCarty, who will talk about how treating hearing loss and tinnitus can contribute to a healthy brain, promote independence as we age and may reduce the risk of dementia. Doors open with a li...
Puppy scams remain consistently profitable for scammers because their multi-tiered setup allows them to convincingly go back to a consumer several times to ask for money, according to a Better Business Bureau study update. So far this year, while pet scams in North America appear to be on the decline, consumer losses are expected to exceed $2 million. That total is down by a third since the peak of more than $3 million during the pandemic in 2020-2021, according to BBB Scam Tracker. Average monetary losses in puppy scams are climbing, however,...
AARP Foundation Tax Aide Program in Alaska is happy to announce we will be open to prepare taxes this season beginning February 1 through April 18, 2023. We have many sites in Anchorage and other Alaska communities, with the most current information on the site locator at www.aarp.org/taxaide or by calling Alaska 2-1-1 information and referral line by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-478-2221. This season Tax-Aide will have multiple service delivery models. It will be important for tax clients to review the service delivery models for each site before...
Many of us are not fans of New Year’s resolutions, so I prefer to look at it as setting goals for the new year. Some of those goals end up being accomplished – some not, for a variety of reasons that reveal themselves during the new year. Bonus is that sometimes writing down our goals can make a big difference in our outlook on life. Here are a few ideas to get started thinking about what you may want to accomplish in 2023: Make new friends (or stay in better touch with current friends). Plan more activities with others. Maybe in the pro...
One of the biggest obstacles in achieving health equity for diverse populations is the lack of diversity in clinical research. Although gender equity advancements have been made through the inclusion of white women, clinical research lacks diversity, with minimal representation from racial and ethnic minority groups. In the last three decades, older adults, pregnant and lactating individuals, LGBTQIA+ populations, and people with disabilities have also remained underrepresented-and even...
Swimming is the fourth most popular sports activity in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). However, it is much more popular in Alaska than many other states for a host of reasons. In the winter, swimming can be more than just exercise. Water fitness groups tend to be extensive, welcoming families consisting of seniors, young adults and everyone in between. Amanda Hanley is the aquatics director for the YMCA in Anchorage and said swimming is one of the best...
"Don't be afraid of the dietitian." – Amy Urbanus You eat every day, but are you eating the right stuff? Find out here. And don't be afraid of the dietitian. Amy Urbanus has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for 22 years. During that time, she did employee wellness for a large regional grocery store chain, worked at Southcentral Foundation as an outpatient dietitian, put in some time at the Providence Diabetes and Nutrition Center at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, and lots more. C...
Medicare and Marketplace health insurance can easily be confused, but the two are different federal benefit programs. The Health Insurance Marketplaces were created by the Affordable Care Act. These Marketplaces allow people to buy insurance who do not have (or do not have enough) health insurance. You can access the Marketplace online at www.healthcare.gov or by calling 800-318-2596. Plans sold through Marketplaces are also known as Qualified Health Plans. Many people who have a Marketplace...
My name is Lee Coray-Ludden. I am a Certified Medicare Counselor through SHIP, the State Health Insurance Program. They provide the training and supervision. I serve the State of Alaska by phone and have been traveling around Alaska – it’s been fun and educational. My office is in the Soldotna Senior Center, that is also how the phone will be answered. My number is 907-262-2322. I work Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Just ask for Lee. I look forward to finding answers and possible solutions together. Currently there is a lot of...
Q: In the new year I am looking for volunteer opportunities. Any ideas? A: Mentoring can be an incredibly rewarding experience, both for the mentor and the mentee. If being mentored, it is one of the most important investments a person can make in themselves. Whether needing a mentor to develop professionally, grow business, increase personal agency, or to become a better leader – mentorship is an invaluable asset. Not only does it provide perspective on the journey as a mentee, but also gives t...
A mind-controlled wheelchair can help a paralyzed person gain new mobility by translating users’ thoughts into mechanical commands. Researchers have demonstrated that individuals with the inability to voluntarily move the upper and lower parts of the body can operate mind-controlled wheelchairs in a natural, cluttered environment after training for an extended period. “We show that mutual learning of both the user and the brain-machine interface algorithm are both important for users to suc...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will continue its peer support meetings into 2023. Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If you are helping a family member or friend by being a caregiver, learn what kind of help is available. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. Call with suggestions and ideas for upcoming trainings or follow on Facebook, @KPFCSP. The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program office is located...
If you're new to pickleball, or just need a refresher course on how to behave (you know who you are), here are well-accepted rules for behavior before, during and after play. These basic rules were taken from www.woodbridgepickleballclub.org, and I've embellished them. 1. Begin each game by acknowledging the other players and introducing yourself if you don't know them. This is what helps makes pickleball the great "social" game that it is. By making an effort to introduce yourself you're...
During my recent bout with COVID-19, books helped keep my sanity. I enjoyed reading during the long weeks of recovery, when I had little energy to do much else. I have loved books for as long as I can remember. My parents read to me from a very early age. They gave me an oversized, full-color picture dictionary for my seventh Christmas in 1962. Oh, how I treasured that book and spent hours poring over the details. As a young girl growing up in Glennallen, I remember looking at books in the...
Mat-Su Senior Services' new Golden Heart Computer Lounge is open inside the Mat-Su Senior Services (aka Palmer Senior Center) building at 1132 S. Chugach Street in Palmer. Thanks to a donation from the MTA Foundation, the lounge will offer three computers, four tables, and two smart TVs, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get online, or just recline and enjoy. For more information, call 907-745-5454....
Health fairs will resume in January 2023. Visit our website to sign up to receive our newsletter, and we will notify you when the new schedule is published. We thank all of you, our clients, volunteers, and partner agencies, for another successful season as we celebrate our 42nd year of service. We wouldn’t be able to deliver important health education and screenings to thousands of Alaskans statewide without the strength of our amazing volunteer force. Your support keeps our organization strong and thriving. We are always looking for new v...
Many images come to mind when one thinks of gold rush days in Alaska: bearded prospectors swishing pans filled with water as they search for specks of gold; saloons beckoning the hardworking boys to forget all their troubles with a slug of whisky and a game of chance; and ladies known as "Lil" leaning against pianos, offering to help miners lighten their leather pokes. An image that doesn't usually come to mind is that of four nuns mingling with the masses on the virtually lawless streets of...
With a new 400+ page autobiography recently published, Bill Mumy's "Danger Will Robinson: The Full Mumy – A Memoir," is crammed with fascinating facts and stories recalling his long acting and musical career (see www.NCPBooks.com). "'Lost in Space' is definitely covered and certainly Will Robinson is the character most people identify with me," said Mumy from Los Angeles. But despite the book's title, the author examines much more than just the galaxy-wandering Robinson family. Riveted to his o...
Many years ago, a physicist named Werner Heisenberg formulated a rule called the “Heisenberg uncertainty principle.” No, it has nothing to do with cooking meth. It is a useful principle in physics, and it has to do with not being able to accurately measure the position of an object, and its direction, at the same time. But for my purposes today, we don’t need to get too far into the science. For scientists, a recognition of uncertainty – the limitations of measurement, the effect that measuri...
Q. I have promised myself that 2023 is the year I finally organize my passwords. What do I need to know? A. The list of things we have to remember grows longer each year. As phones have become the center of our digital lives, almost everyone has more than a handful of hard to remember passwords. Until now, my advice was to consider a commercial password manager app like 1Password or LastPass. However, as prices for these apps continue to rise, and as built-in smartphone features have improved, there are better choices available. Many of these f...
In 1994, when I first moved to Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), the Russian icebreaker "Yamal" cruised into town with tourists aboard. It took 13 helicopter trips just to unload their luggage for transport to the Wiley Post and Will Rogers Airport for the flight out of town. The cruisers themselves were lightered to the beach in Zodiacs. As editor of the Arctic Sounder, I got a helicopter ride out to the ship and landed on the deck. I forgot that ships are like a country unto themselves and hadn't...
Cameron was raised to be self-sufficient. Growing up meant sharing time between the family's home in Wasilla and their cabin off the grid up the Susitna River. The family planted garden plots in both locations to maximize what they could grow, and there was plenty of work for the family of four to share. Cameron's father taught him to make things work whether or not all the right tools or parts were available. His mother helped develop his love of nature and getting his hands in the dirt. His...
