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Warning: This story may raise your blood pressure. For sure, it raises troubling questions about the U.S. government’s ability to manage a medical bureaucracy. Medicare, the government insurance program that provides health care to 55 million elderly and disabled Americans, continues to provide a steady income stream for criminals who are regularly finding innovative ways to steal a good sized chunk of the half-trillion dollars that are paid out annually by the program. This comes despite strong efforts by health investigators and Justice D...
If you haven’t seen the movie “The Intern,” starring Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway, you should. It’s funny, and it’s a perfect example of the difference in how generations work – the pitfalls and the saving graces. Retired, recently widowed, and bored, he applies for an internship which would generally be filled by a 20-something tech-savvy kid. He’s hired, and goes to work for a much younger boss, played by Hathaway, and that’s when two business worlds collide. You’ll enjoy the movie, but if you’re working for a much younger boss in rea...
One in nine Alaska women aged 60 and older experienced psychological or physical abuse in the past year, according to Dr. Andre Rosay, UAA Justice Center director. Results are based upon the Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS), an annual survey conducted from 2010 through 2015 by the Justice Center and funded by the Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Dr. Rosay is the principal investigator for the survey. Dr. Rosay used data from both a state survey (AVS) and national survey (...
Despite the fact that this bill has over 100 Congressional co-sponsors, you probably have not heard about H.R. 676, The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act. This legislation would: • guarantee access to comprehensive, high quality, affordable health care to all U.S. residents; • allow you to go to doctors and hospitals of your choice (unlike private insurance, which often forces you to use their list of doctors and hospitals); • not require you to pay copayments or deductibles; • not surprise you with huge unexpected medical bills....
Editor’s note: This commentary was received on May 25, 2017. Sometimes legislation in Congress has unintended consequences. This is one of those times. The American Health Care Act (AHCA) that recently passed in the U.S. House, and awaits action in the Senate, would increase costs and risks for Alaskans including: seniors, children and adults with disabilities, people with pre-existing conditions, and those ages 50 to 64. The AHCA would ax federal funding for Medicaid which supports health programs for vulnerable Alaskans. Such a huge loss o...
Editor's note: This is the eighth article in a series from the Diverse Elders Coalition, looking at different segments of the senior population. I don't let cold weather stand between me and exercise. I enjoy pulling on my cleated hiking boots, grabbing my walking sticks and taking a brisk walk on an icy sand beach on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. It does something for my spirit. I can enjoy it now at age 73 because I have the muscle mass and tone to extend myself. I can actually work up a sweat! I...
After the National Family Caregiver Support Act was passed by U.S. Congress in 2000, the Senior and Caregiver Resource Center based in Juneau began offering caregiver-specific resources to elders and their families throughout Southeast Alaska. As per the Act, the center provides five different levels of service: 1) information, 2) assistance, 3) counseling, training and support groups, 4) respite care and 5) supplemental services, according to Marianne Mills, Southeast Senior Services (SESS)...
Medicare and Medicaid are two programs that can offer a strong combination health insurance for seniors. Many people get the two programs confused because of the similarity of their names. Medicare is health insurance offered by the federal government for people over the age of 65, people who have been receiving Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months and for those of any age who have been diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Medicaid is a federal and state program offering...
The medical world can be a confusing place between insurance, medications, diagnosis, let alone understanding all of the medical jargon. Most people know about hospice care, but less people know about palliative care. Understanding the meaning of words can mean everything, especially around end-of-life, as it can be a sensitive topic. Not to confuse anyone, but we are Hospice of Anchorage and we are a palliative care agency. When it comes to treatment there are some differences in the timeframe and patient goals between hospice and palliative...
Nila Morgan, Master Certified Medicare Counselor and Fraud Education Coordinator, will walk you through how to read your Summary Notice and teach you to protect yourself from Medicare fraud at this workshop, July 13 at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Bring along any confusing bills or statements as well as all documentation in your red, white and blue Medicare card. Call 770-2070 with questions or to RSVP. Seating is limited....
Wearable patch may help detect sleep apnea New treatments for diagnosing and treating sleep apnea may soon make it much easier to combat this problem. Scientists have now come up with a disposable diagnostic patch that effectively detects obstructive sleep apnea across all severity levels. The device is called SomnaPatch and it weighs less than one ounce and records nasal pressure, blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate, respiratory effort, sleep time and body position. The team developing this...
Alaska’s food-growing season is coming into its summertime peak and Alaska farmers grow some of the best produce in the country, so now’s the time to pick up your coupons for locally-grown fruits and vegetables. The coupons come from the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program and can be used at local farmer’s markets around the state through Oct. 31. Each eligible senior receives five $5 coupons for a total of $25. The program issues the coupons to senior centers and other agencies, which pass them on to seniors age 60 or older who meet th...
The Kenai Peninsula Famiy Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in July. This month’s meetings will feature presentations on and by the local Independent Living Center and Aging and Disability Resource Center. July 4, no meeting due to Independence Day holiday July 11, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. July 18, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center,1 p.m. July 19, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m. July 25, Caregiver s...
On May 31, Governor Walker announced the 2017 Governor's Denali Peak Performance Award winners. Alvin Ancheta, Leana Christy and Lisa Gowdy from the Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman won the Customer Service Excellence Team Award. This award is given to individuals who provide prompt, courteous service that is above and beyond the norm. The mission of the Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman (OLTCO) is to resolve issues for elders who live in assisted living and nursing homes in Alaska....
Vista Rose Senior Apartments, a 78-unit low income tax credit development being constructed by the Pacific Companies and Valley Residential Services, is scheduled to complete the first phase of the project in August, opening 42 units. This senior housing project will be an age-restricted (55+) community and feature energy-efficient one bedroom and two bedroom apartments with a washer/dryer in every unit as well as a range, refrigerator, dishwasher and balcony, according to a Valley Residential...
Dennis and Christine McClure, authors of "We Fought the Road," a book about the building of the Alaska-Canada Highway, will hold a book signing at the University of Alaska Anchorage book store on July 10, from 4 to 6 p.m., and in Palmer, July 15 at Fireside Books, at 4 p.m. That signing will be followed by a "Dinner and Discussion with the Authors" at Turkey Red restaurant, 6 p.m. The book, scheduled for release in September, is inspired by letters from Christine's dad, who was in charge of...
Girdwood Forest Fair, July 7-9. Features Alaskan artists, hand-crafted items, exotic foods and entertainment from all over Alaska. Fun for the whole family is kicked off with the parade at 10 a.m. on Sat., July 8. www.Girdwoodforestfair.com Eagle River Bearpaw Festival, July 12-16. See the Slippery Salmon Olympics, Classic Car Show, Bear Paw Motorcycle Show, Festival Royalty Pageant, our Spectacular Grand Parade and much more! www.Bearpawfestival.org Copper River Wild! Salmon Festival, July 14-15 in Cordova. Watch annual Salmon Jam Music Festiv...
Baseball has long been a staple of summers in Alaska. And when Anchorage baseball fans wanted a semi-pro team in 1969, they knew they could count on George "Lefty" Van Brunt to coach the boys of summer from the first base side of the plate. Lefty's career with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots began that year when the Anchorage Community got serious about baseball because the adult league's all-star team could never beat the Fairbanks team. "The Gold Panners used to come down and kick our butts,"...
Best known for her roles in musical theater, Tony-nominated actress and singer Susan Watson released a collection of 14 Broadway and jazz standards on her CD "The Music Never Ends" last fall. "Some of these tracks I had sung earlier in my career and others I had always heard and loved, and just wanted to get them recorded," said Watson from her home in Sherman Oaks, California (see www.susanwatsonmusic.com). As an added bonus, says Watson, six of the songwriters on the CD were women well into th...
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 (July 11 and 25), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (July 5 and 19), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (July 6, 13, 20, 27), 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 Juneau Soc...
I grew up in the '70s. Back then, young people tended to sow their wild oats fairly indiscriminately. Sometimes, one of those wild oats sprouted. Those of you with grayer hair than mine, or at least with a good historical perspective, might point out that this sort of thing has been going on since... well, probably since the dawn of time. Even the Old Testament is complete with such stories (think Bathsheba). "Les Miserables" is based on such a sad tale. But back then, before the sexual...
Q. My 80-year-old mother received some messages from her Facebook friends that they had gotten a friend request from her, despite the fact they were already friends. What is going on? A. According to published estimates, there may be as many as 80 million fake accounts on Facebook, and this sounds like one of those situations. It usually starts when a malicious attacker steals someone’s profile picture and header photo as the basis for a fake account. Next they send friend requests from the fake account to the victim’s friend list. Most peo...
Alaska craftspeople who work in gems and silver rush every year in late January to the Tucson Gem Show where 250 dealers hawk the supplies that keep local artisans afloat and viable for the tourism trade. It's a huge affair. Not so the small, regional wool and sheep shows where sheep farmers and yarn makers bring out their best to show and sell. The Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair in Cummington, Massachusetts, a mere blip on your GPS, is held Memorial Day weekend and is a real look into...
Rivers of ice that tell the story of Alaska's geologic past, glaciers rank high on sightseeing bucket lists. Hanging from alpine cirques or plunging directly into deep fjords, 100,000 glaciers in the Last Frontier represent the rugged, remote Alaska visitors come to see and residents respect as barometers of the state's overall environmental wellness. Formed when centuries of snow is compressed and moves under its own massive weight, glaciers are scenic symbols of Alaska. Standing near one of...
