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The Alaska Commission on Aging is holding senior and elder listening forums in upcoming weeks, beginning in Anchorage and Palmer. Events will be open to seniors, family members, providers and all public members who are interested in issues concerning aging in Alaska.. These findings will be used to develop the new Alaska State Plan for Senior Services, FY2020-FY2023. The listening sessions will identify the top issues, concerns and needs of the senior population 60 years of age and older. Discussion topics to include: Long-term support...
Easter was on April Fool's Day this year and Good Friday was chosen as a great time to feature the Annual Legislative Skits that began decades ago as a fundraiser for the Democratic Party. The show, which features staff making fun of their bosses, is now unaffiliated to any political organization but gives money to worthy causes in Juneau. Being a people watcher myself, familiar with this Juneau tradition, I went to observe what I knew would be The Beautiful People in all their glory. I don't...
Editor's note: This column is part of an ongoing series provided by the Diverse Elders Coalition, www.diverseelders.org. It's 1959 and I'm six years old. My family has gathered at my grandparents' house this Sunday to watch The Ed Sullivan Show. I'm sitting on the cold linoleum floor, watching, as this very tall, thin, very regal-looking woman walks onto the stage. Her gray hair is pulled back in a severely tight bun, and she's wearing a high-necked long-sleeved black dress. The music starts, an...
In life, death at some point is inevitable. While most accept that, many wonder, “Will it be comfortable?” When I was young I would say, “I hope I die in my sleep.” But later as an adult, I found that I no longer needed to settle for simply hoping that I die comfortably. In 1991, the Patient Self-Determination Act established for individuals the opportunity to at least make legal, mitigating plans that will improve our own odds that we won’t die a prolonged, painful, and very expensive death, one that would traumatize us and those who care...
Dear Savvy Senior: A good friend of mine got a bad case of shingles last year and has been urging me to get vaccinated. Should I? -- Suspicious Susan Dear Susan: Yes! If you’re 50 or older, there’s a new shingles vaccine on the market that’s far superior to the older vaccine, so now is a great time to get inoculated. Here’s what you should know. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a burning, blistering, often excruciating skin rash that affects around 1 million Americans each year. The same virus that causes chickenpox causes shingle...
Editor’s note: This press release was received April 10, 2018. As the federal government undertakes a major initiative to issue new identification cards to the Medicare beneficiaries in Alaska and nationwide, an AARP survey finds that a majority of those enrollees are at risk of being victimized by fraud schemes designed to capitalize on the card replacement program. In response, AARP Alaska is participating in an education campaign to raise awareness among consumers about Medicare Card scams. The year-long national effort to mail new Medicare...
Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) are a great tool for beneficiaries and I highly recommend learning how to read them. They may appear a bit intimidating at the outset, but once you learn how to review them, they can be very helpful in understanding how your medical claims have been processed and how much you may owe after your insurance has paid their part. Additionally, these documents are invaluable in helping beneficiaries catch any errors, abuse or fraud. Let’s walk through the MSN t...
We are in our final month of a very active spring 2018 health fair season; so if you haven’t made it to an event yet, head on over to one of the last spring events available. Make it to one of these final spring events in your local community before the end of the season and you’ll find a variety of resources to help meet your family’s health needs and take time to enjoy some great community gatherings. Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests (starting at $20) along wit...
I do not waste food and am chagrined watching my daughter’s family throw out expensive organic fruit and vegetables forgotten in the back of their refrigerator. Today, I tossed $4 worth of my favorite low fat organic yogurt because I noticed clumps of green mold floating on the surface. In spite of the mold, I would have eaten the yogurt, having carefully spooned out visible green fuzz, rinsed it the down the sink, then poured the remainder through a strainer, discarding many smaller green colonies. At the point of returning the yogurt to t...
In partnership with the State of Alaska, Dept. of Health and Social Services, the Seward, Kenai and Fairbanks senior centers sponsored educational workshops to "train the trainer" in Tai Chi For Arthritis and Falls Prevention, during a two day intensive workshop, certifying 15 new instructors in the state of Alaska. These instructors are committed to teaching in their local area communities, between Fairbanks and Juneau, and all the way to the western shore of Homer. Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fa...
Hidden brain benefits found in older adults A new study for the first time is suggesting that healthy older men and women can generate just as many new brain cells as younger people. There has been controversy over whether adult humans grow new neurons, and some research has previously suggested that the adult brain was hardwired and that adults did not grow new neurons. However, that does not seem to be the case. A study just published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, suggests that many older adu...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in May. This month’s focus is part two of a presentation on basic spiritual needs throughout life, what may or may not change when someone is living with dementia, and how to best meet those needs. Resource materials include a DVD presentation by dementia expert Teepa Snow and the Rev. Linn Possell. May 1, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 8, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 15, C...
Lawmakers defend the federal budget, passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump at the end of March, by repeating a quotation attributed to Otto von Bismarck: "If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made." In other words, the legislative process can be messy and extremely unappetizing, but it usually produces results. This budget bill to fund the government through Sept. 30, 2018, will be remembered as much for what's not in it as for what is. (An extensive list of wins and woes for seniors appears...
It was 45 years ago this month that I married Gary in the front yard of my home in Glennallen. As the wedding party stood and all the guests sat facing toward the grove of poplar trees, frogs croaked and ducks swam in the pond off to one side. In other years the trees were leafed out and the grass was green, but that year spring was slow. But, I didn't care. I wanted to get married in May and the 26th was the last Saturday of the month. At times during the preceding months, when preparing for a...
For years, I kept a blog with updates about my family. School events, vacations, celebrations were written up and posted to the blog, along with lots of photos. The blog was a more convenient way to share with family and friends in the Lower 48 than putting together letters home. And the service was free. Over time, I bonded with the blog; it became a family diary. I enjoyed browsing back through the entries, seeing pictures of children as they grew up, remembering funny adventures, seeing the home renovations and transformations. Then along...
Emmy award-winning Alaskan filmmaker William (Bill) Bacon III, headed North to the Last Frontier in 1946, making a living as a cinematographer and photographer for over 50 years. An animal trainer and cinematographer for Walt Disney Productions until the mid-1960s (Charlie the Lonesome Cougar; Nikki, Wild Dog of the North; King of the Grizzlies and more), he began making his own documentaries in the late-1990s, including Tibet: A Moment in Time and Tibet Hope, films that focused on the exile of...
The Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission invites everyone to the annual Older Americans Month Kickoff Event at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center on May 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This free event features refreshments, entertainment, keynote speech from form state senator Johnny Ellis, and presentation of the Ron Hammett Award for public service. This year’s theme is “Engage at Every Age.” For more information, call 343-6590. Also in May, Fairbanks’ annual Senior Recognition Day event will be held Thursday, May 10 at the Carlso...
In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Attu, a lineup of art shows, panel discussions, films and other events will be held in various Anchorage venues from May 17 to May 19. All events are free and open to the public. Here’s a preview: May 17: Film premiere of “When the Fog Clears,” directed by award-winning Japanese film director Tadashi Ogawa, seeks to make the “forgotten war” unforgettable. Featuring Kiska and Attu Island, which were occupied by Japan in World War II. Location: University of Alaska Anchorage Fine Arts Bldg...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will hold its quarterly meeting Tuesday, May 1, 2018. The meeting will be held via videoconference and teleconference, available at sites listed below, or statewide via toll-free telephone. The meeting takes place 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., and public comment is scheduled from 11 to 11:15 a.m. For more information, call the Alaska Commission on Aging office at 465-3250. Videoconference sites Anchorage Senior and Disabilities Services, 550 West 8th Ave., Room 323. 269-3666 Fairbanks Senior and Disabilities Services, 751...
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 Service Providers Breakfast (formally known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The May meeting is May 9, hosted by the Anchorage Aging and Disability Resource Center. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on...
One northern town became an integral part of Alaska's gold rush history after prospectors sifting through red rocks along a creek south of the Yukon River thought they had found rubies mixed with gold nuggets. They named the new prospect Ruby Creek, although the red rocks turned out to be garnets. The discovery of large quantities of gold in the creek in 1906 brought even more stampeders into Alaska's Interior. And when word leaked out in 1910 that more gold had been found on Long Creek, about...
From 1974 to 1984, TV audiences knew Marion Ross as the sitcom mom dispensing patience and wisdom during the 11-season run of the ABC hit series "Happy Days." But Marion's days were not entirely happy. In her March memoir, "My Days: Happy and Otherwise," her 'otherwise' reminiscences include a bad first marriage and the challenges confronting an actress and single working mother. Even her early years on "Happy Days" weren't always cheery thanks to TV hubby Tom Bosley. "Tom didn't particularly...
Adult guardianship cases are kind of a big deal. And sometimes, they’re difficult. On one side you have the Respondent. This is typically someone who has some kind of dementia, mental health issue, or medical issue which renders them unable to handle their own affairs. Oftentimes they are in danger of losing such essentials as housing, public benefits, or life savings, if someone doesn’t step in and help out. On the other side you have the Petitioner. This is typically a family member or fri...
Q. Is there a way for me to figure out what Facebook knows about me? A. Facebook knows more about you than you know about yourself. That might sound like a joke, but I am dead serious. Facebook not only knows everything you have ever told it, it also knows everything your “friends” have told it about you. And by “friends” I mean every connection between anyone you interact with, from actual friends to a random page you “liked” five years ago. Facebook never forgets. Facebook also likes to “share” your information. And by “share” I mean...
A safe haven for birds to breed There were times when I flew the milk run from Seattle to Juneau and stopped in at Yakutat - a place that always fascinated me. With its thick, deep green forests and rolling waves that attract international surfers, I always hoped we'd get weathered in so I could poke around, but it never happened. Not so for Aleutian terns that make annual stops here on their way to nest at Yakutat's Situk River Flats ever since the earliest recording of their migration in...
