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Online shopping has certainly made it easier to purchase products and services. But for many, that convenience has come with consequences. The most recent BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report revealed that, for a third consecutive year, online purchases were the riskiest scam encountered by consumers. Nearly 75% of those who reported being targeted by an online scam ultimately lost money. Products most frequently used to deceive victims included pets/pet supplies, digital devices, and motor vehicles. With online shopping here to stay, showing caution...
There is a vast array of benefits for retired veterans and their families, but “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Not to worry, we will point you in the right direction. I recently interviewed three Alaskan experts on the topic and here’s a sample of what they had to say. First up, Verdie Bowen, Director of the Alaskan Office of Veterans Affairs: “I’m probably the only director in the nation that actually will take and file a claim. I’m Alaskan and I’m from the bush. When you go into a community, you’re the only expert there. “We are here...
On behalf of our more than 75,000 members, AARP Alaska is working to pass legislation in the current state legislative session that empowers all Alaskans to choose how they live as they age, and the vast majority of us want to age at home in our Alaskan communities. Alaska has the fastest growing senior population in the nation for the tenth year in a row. As the senior percentage of our population grows, more workers retire and the available workforce shrinks. We’ve seen this trend accelerated in the last few years, when many older Alaskans r...
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a self-contained, compact residence with all the basic necessities for day to day living that is on the same property as a single-family home. ADUs come in many forms: backyard cottages, above-garage suites or apartments attached to the main house. Essentially, they are modest but complete living spaces paired with a primary house on the same lot. ADUs typically have a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a separate entrance. ADUs can be a way for older residents to age in place and maintain the social connections...
A caregiver is a person in charge of providing specific and often specialized care to older adults and people with chronic diseases. In other words, they are committed to accompanying and improving the quality of life of the person they care for. Caregivers fulfill the task of facilitating and providing care for the basic and instrumental activities of daily living that an older person cannot perform or in which they require some type of support, due to physical or mental disability. Taking on the commitment of caring for a loved one brings...
May has arrived, and as we welcome the warmer weather and blooming flowers, let us also take a moment to recognize the importance of mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is dedicated to raising awareness for mental well-being. Mental health is a crucial aspect of our overall well-being, as it encompasses our emotional, psychological and social wellness. Our mental health influences how we think, feel and act, and plays a significant role in our ability to cope with stress, relate to others and make d...
Obtaining the best health care involves good communication between you and your doctor. Today I will help explain how you can build an effective relationship with your doctor and make the most of your visits. Communicate well with your health care provider Communication is very important when building relationships with your health care providers and getting the best possible care. To help you communicate with your providers, take the following steps: Be prepared. Arrive at your doctor’s o...
Wikipedia reveals that the modern Mother’s Day holiday was first celebrated in 1907. Anna Jarvis campaigned to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday beginning in 1905, when her mother Ann Reeves Jarvis passed. Anna’s mother had been a peace activist and had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War and had been urging for a “Mother’s Day for Peace”, asking that husbands and sons would no longer be killed in wars. Anna Jarvis had wanted to honor this and set aside a day to honor all mothers because she believed a...
Hope Conference Alaska, presented by the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, takes place May 6 at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The educational symposium will feature guest speakers Dr. Pinky Agarwal, with updates on Parkinson’s disease, and Dr. Karin Duncan, discussing gut health and Parkinson’s. Activities include a Qi Gong demonstration, Rock Steady Boxing, a resource fair and more for people with Parkinson’s, care partners, family, friends and interested health professionals. Boxed lunch provided by Sweet Caribou...
Powerful benefits from wild blueberries for older adults New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition further supports daily consumption of wild blueberries for improving memory, brain function and blood pressure in older adults. A 12-week clinical trial called BluFlow, led by Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, an associate professor in Nutrition at the Department of Nutritional Sciences of King’s College London, investigated the cognitive and vascular benefits of daily wild blueb...
Q: My daughter has recently gotten divorced and previous occasional visits with grandchildren has now turned into full-time care, due to an absent father and a daughter who cannot afford to care for them on her own. How do I handle the ambivalence towards this situation? A: These days with circumstances of divorce, incarceration of a parent, death of the children’s parents, or when a family situation changes, it becomes a new beginning for older adults when they start caring for their g...
In February, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care. Despite his remarkable longevity and vitality until the end, President Carter still faced the inevitability of aging and the need for end-of-life care. After hearing this news, many people in the U.S. began wondering: what is hospice care? Hospice provides compassionate care to people nearing the end of their lives. It is a form of specialized healthcare that...
There's something to be said for strength in numbers. Joining a club where you live, or where you go to vacation, even on short visits, gives you that advantage of numbers: New people to play with, and more options for venues. When I plan travel, one of the first things I look for are clubs and venues in the area where I'm going. You can find options at this website, https://www.places2play.org/, or you can just Google "Pickleball" and the city or area you are traveling to. Usually, clubs in...
My name is Leeta Topps, and I moved to Alaska from Chicago and have lived in Anchorage for a long time. I enjoy reading, walking and volunteering. I love my neighbors because we live in a beautiful community. I have a lot of fun playing games with my grandkids and the kids at school. I have been an Elder Mentor for about five years. I love my service in the community and have made great friendships and connections. At Mountain View Elementary last year, I supported children with special needs,...
"Here is something you might like to take a look at," Dad commented back in spring 2005 as he brought me a worn manila colored bundle tied with string. Dad had been puttering around looking for something on the shelves where he kept important items, while I sat on the nearby couch at his home in Homer tying a quilt. Before removing the quarter inch thick string, I read the address: "Miss Martine Burdick; Alaska Nurses Association; Seward San; Bartlett, Alaska," and noted the February 1954...
Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (WASI) will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, Friday, May 5 at 2 p.m., to celebrate the new WASI Mid-Valley Adult Day Services, located at 11975 W. Mid-Valley Way in Houston. All are welcome. WASI’s mission is to help seniors live as independently as possible for as long as possible. As the number of seniors continues to increase dramatically in the Mat- Su Valley, families, friends and professionals are seeking out more specialized care and support services for a vulnerable adult. The WASI Adult D...
Noel Wein Library in Fairbanks will close for renovations starting May 1, according to the Fairbanks North Star Borough Libraries website. The renovation work is expected to last about 10 months. During that time, library services will continue at other locations in town, including North Pole, and a new location will open temporarily on June 1 at Joy Community Center, 24 Margaret Ave. The book mobile will continue service at its regularly scheduled times and locations. Books on hold will continue to be picked up at the Noel Wein location...
This coming Memorial Day, it seems fitting to honor the sacrifice that America's brave military made in the Aleutians 80 years ago this month. Under the mistaken belief the Doolittle Raiders had taken off from an air base in the Aleutian chain to bomb Tokyo during spring 1942, Japanese forces bombed Dutch Harbor two months later. They then proceeded to occupy the islands of Kiska and Attu, although most Americans had no idea the enemy was entrenched on our soil – no enemy had occupied A...
No doubt many a teenage lad, and even a few adults, developed a major crush on Barbara Eden during her five-season run in the 1960s sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie." Now 91, fans are delighted to see the actress looking so youthful and healthy. "I have exercised all my life and now do a mild spin (stationary) bicycle and walking," Eden said from her home in Los Angeles. "I've always been careful about what I eat but I'm not fanatic about it – I'm a carnivore! I try to stay away from sugar, but u...
One of my guilty pleasures is watching the latest celebrity “trial of the month” on Court TV, and I definitely tracked the recent Alex Murdaugh murder trial. If you haven’t been following it, Alex Murdaugh was a powerful lawyer in South Carolina, who is accused of murdering his wife and his 22-year-old son. He claimed he was elsewhere at the time of the murder, but police found a cell phone on one of the victims, with video taken just before the murders, and you can hear Alex’s voice in the back...
This month’s Tech Talk is a little different. Nearly all of it was written by a computer. This technology has been under development for decades. It has been a staple of science fiction movies since I was a kid. Recently, one of the most advanced chat robots ever constructed was made public. ChatGPT has washed across tech like a tsunami. The only thing anyone seems to agree on is that the world has changed forever — whether for better or worse remains to be seen. What follows is the transcript of an interview I did with ChatGPT. I did not cha...
Gone are so many of the historic Alaska roadhouses that provided travelers with a meal and sometimes lodging, but senior centers across the Kenai have stepped in. The Seward Highway to Kenai's communities is lined with breathtaking scenery from bore tides, mountains and a side trip to Portage and its glaciers. (A word about Turnagain: Do not get out of your car and try to walk on the sucking mud or you will become the center of a rescue situation.) And once on the Kenai you have dining options....
The Social Security Administration partners with locations throughout Alaska to offer a secure video service option. Video service is a convenient and no-cost way for people to talk directly to a Social Security employee through a secure computer link that includes two-way video and sound. The video service locations are available at: In Nome, Norton Sound Health Corporation, located at 1000 Greg Kruschek Ave. Video service is available for walk-ins on a first come, first served basis, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai...
