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You may think student loan debt is mostly for kids. But, think again. Kids are graduating from high school right about now, and looking toward college. And that might mean they’re looking to Grandma and Grandpa for help paying the bills, either with gifts of money, or as cosigners on student loans. But should you consider cosigning? A lot of parents and grandparents do cosign. Between 2005 and 2015, consumers age 60 and up became the fastest growing group of student loan borrowers. For some of those borrowers, they are still carrying debt f...
Suppose a debt collector sues you and wins a judgment. It may get a court order to garnish money from your account or benefits received by prepaid card. But the U.S. Department of Treasury requires banks to automatically protect certain federal benefits, IF that money gets deposited directly into your account. Banks must protect two months’ worth of benefits. So, let’s say you normally get $1,000 per month. Your bank must protect $2,000 of that money, but if you have more than that on deposit, it may be garnished or frozen. Important note: If y...
With the assistance of Debbie Rinckey and Kathy Day (two women well known in the public relations/advertising/print world around Anchorage), the Anchorage Senior Friendly Project (ASFP) is on its way to exploding by bringing businesses and seniors together. ASFP (as it is fondly known) was designed through the efforts of the Municipality of Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission and Older Persons Action Group. The mission statement of ASFP is “Businesses, Seniors, and Community – working together to build a Common Unity.” Ancho...
During the last Alaska Commission on Aging legislative teleconference of the legislative session on May 17, members of the Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA), helmed by ACoA Executive Director Denise Daniello, and ACoA health and social services planner Lesley Thompson, discussed updates on the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services operating budget for FY18. This is the budget component with the most influence over the state’s senior services and programs. The House and Senate have passed both their versions of the operating budget and...
Inheritance is an interesting package. Most of us have had something left to us from family: grandma's apple pie recipe, granddad's tools, an old guitar, a chest of drawers, even a small piece of property you've heard about but never seen. Perhaps the tools and furniture stayed on the family farm at the home great grandpa built. Perhaps only a couple of photos made it north. Perhaps only a song. Every Alaskan has stories to tell: the first moose encounter; that bear; the guy who pulled you and...
Editor's note: This is the seventh article in a series from the Diverse Elders Coalition, looking at different segments of the senior population. "How's that jade plant doing?" Joe asked me as we sat down at his kitchen table for our weekly visit. "You said you put it in a westward facing window, right? It should be getting way more light than mine do." He gestured toward his patio door where cactuses, orchids, jade plants and an avocado plant were growing on a bench he built. I had been Joe's...
Men over the age of 50 are being continually targeted with advertisements for testosterone replacement gels and patches. However, research is now questioning the real risks and benefits associated with getting tested and treated for low testosterone levels. Testosterone supplementation is touted to improve cardiovascular health, sexual function, physical function and mood in men who have low levels of testosterone. However, a review of more than 200 clinical trials questions those claims. Dr....
Many women know the importance of getting screened for vitamin D levels and raising them if they are too low. However, many men over age 50 in Alaska may have low levels and need to take action, according to dietitian Stephanie Figon, who is with Alaska Weight Management and Diabetes Counseling in Palmer, Alaska. Figon said Alaskans have a very high prevalence of low vitamin D levels compared to the lower 48, partly due to the lack of sunlight during most of the year. “If an Alaskan is not e...
Typically, when people think of animal companions they think of dogs and cats. But not everyone wants to, or can, walk a dog or has a secure enclosure for a dog to spend time outside. And some folks are allergic to cats. So we have another suggestion for you: rabbits. Yes, rabbits. Rabbits don't enjoy the popularity of dogs and cats. In fact, according to the House Rabbit Society there are only an estimated 3 to 7 million pet rabbits. That's a small number compared to the estimated 78 million...
Are you aware that Medicare works with the State of Alaska to provide assistance programs that can help with your Medicare costs? These costs can include your Medicare Part A & Part B premiums deductibles, coinsurance charges and copayments. These programs are available to all Medicare beneficiaries. There are three programs known as the Medicare Savings programs (MSPs), each having different income limits and resource parameters. The income and asset qualifications are different if you are...
PTSD is a term used by laymen to explain aberrant behavior by individuals who served in combat. Is this a fair assessment or a misuse of a term that carries deadly consequences? What is this disorder and does PTSD have any correlation to suicide? In the movie “Patton”, General Patton slapped a soldier who had “lost it” in battle and was recovering in the infirmary. He had battle fatigue or was shell shocked, according to the attending doctor. Of course, old “Blood and Guts” Patton couldn’t fa...
Hospice of Anchorage was founded in 1980 and is a nonprofit, 501(c) (3) organization and a partner agency of the United Way of Anchorage. We typically provide all our services at no charge, except those patients that do not yet qualify for Medicare Hospice. We also offer one-on-one grief support and peer grief support groups for anyone in the community, infant to adult, who has experienced a death loss. Volunteers are a crucial function of Hospice of Anchorage’s services. Hospice of Anchorage has three full-time and six part-time staff m...
Alaska Health Fair wishes to thank each of our dedicated and wonderful volunteers, phlebotomists and exhibitors who have helped us to put on some great community and worksite events and provide important health services to Alaskans over the past 37 years. We also want to thank our participants who have regularly attended our health fairs, as you are the reason we exist. We try to reach all statewide residents and share our mission and values: • Mission: promote statewide health education and preventative screenings • Vision: Optimal health for...
Combating the common cold with zinc There is no significant difference between zinc acetate lozenges and zinc gluconate lozenges regarding their efficacy in shortening the duration of common colds, according to a new meta-analysis. Researchers analyzed data from 7 randomized trials with zinc acetate and zinc gluconate lozenges and found that the duration of colds was shortened on average by 33 percent. Zinc lozenges appear to influence the common cold through the release of free zinc ions into...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in June. This month’s focus is “Improving Emergency Services for Dementia Patients,” with presentations featuring a DVD by Teepa Snow on techniques to reduce stress and resistance during challenging situations. Join for a time of caring and sharing, followed by a walk outside. June 6, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 13, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 20, Caregiver support meeting a...
At the age of 101, Bettie Upright continues to show her courage to try something new. In 2016, Bettie expanded her sports of Bocce and bowling in the Alaska International Senior Games to include Track and Field. As a child growing up in California, her school had a brief introduction to Track and Field just prior to the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. Bettie remembers trying the hurdles and other running events, which she enjoyed very much. The schools at the time were showing their students the...
The Alaska United Methodist Conference will host a “Methodist History in Alaska Convention,” to be held at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage, June 26-29. Presentations and discussion will focus on topics such as the Jesse Lee Home, Nome Community Center, Alaska Methodist University, various church starts and missions, Comity Agreement, and ecumenical networks. Influential Alaskan indigenous people and Alaskan women will be recognized and Outside speakers will highlight Pacific coast and national items of interest. The convention is pre...
A small spruce that peered skyward in a dense forest on Prince of Wales Island in the mid-1700s found its way to Anchorage when Alaska became America's 49th state. This Southeast Alaska sapling held no importance when Secretary of State William Seward finalized the purchase of Alaska from the Russians on March 30, 1867. And most Americans at the time thought Alaska unimportant, as well, and referred to it as "Seward's Ice Box." But just as Alaska grew in importance for the nation, this little...
We all use the wrong word occasionally – "that skinny dog looks emancipated" – but comedian Norm Crosby molded a career from such humorous grammatical gaffes known as malaprops. "Although I had a good job as an advertising manager for a shoe company in Boston, I liked to fool around with comedy," said Crosby from his home in Los Angeles. It was the 1950s, and Crosby began visiting small, local bars and clubs on weekends to try his hand at standup. "I would watch the Ed Sullivan show and borrow a...
I am going to begin this column with more than just a spoiler alert. If you have never read the short story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, put down this paper immediately. Go buy it, or download it, or whatever, and read the story. You may then continue reading this column. If you fail to follow these instructions, I will have ruined for you one of the true masterpieces of literature. Flowers for Algernon is a story about a mentally handicapped man who is selected for an exp...
Q. Is Roku the easiest streaming device to use? I can’t seem to get a handle on it so I can watch Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. A. I love my Roku. My son gave me one a couple birthdays ago, and since then I’ve found many ways to enjoy it. Of course, he knows how much I enjoy tinkering with gadgets. Roku is loaded with features that make it a tinkerer’s dream, which makes it definitely not the easiest to use. None of the streaming devices are as easy to use as they should be, all of them are a challenge. For basic access to services like Netfl...
Palm trees and swans in the harbor may not seem possible in England, but in Cornwall it is. Its temperate ocean climate is the mildest and sunniest in all of the United Kingdom due to its position at 50.503632 degrees (Anchorage is 61.217381 degrees) with the Gulf Stream wafting warm air from the south. The region shares a literary mythical relation to Alaska. Considered a magical place, Cornwall is home to the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, and notably his sister...
Staff 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 (June 13 and 27), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (June 7 and 21), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29), 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...
