Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
Reversing Trump's limits on fines The Biden administration recently quietly reversed a controversial Trump administration policy that had limited the fines levied on facilities that endangered or injured residents at nursing homes. While the numbers of deaths have plummeted since the release of vaccines, inadequate staffing, protective equipment shortages and poor infection control remain significant concerns at most of the nation’s 14,000 skilled nursing facilities, advocates say. The Trump policy favoring lower penalties was adopted in 2...
What are the chances that you will need services like these at some point in your life? - nursing home - assisted living - home health care - homemaker and chore services It turns out that the chances are quite good. The WA Cares Fund – a new program in the State of Washington, discussed below -- estimates that 7 in 10 Washingtonians over the age of 65 will need long-term services and supports within their lifetimes. That seems to parallel comparable national estimates. More to the point, these services can be extremely expensive. For e...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Sept. 14, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s topic focuses on Alaska’s Medicare Information Office: What it is and how they can help with all things Medicare-related. The timing is good, with the annual Open Enrollment for Part D drug plans starting in October. The “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” series is a monthly forum that focuses...
Our state is facing budget challenges and will need to make important decisions about how we can best address these challenges to continue providing health and financial security as well as economic opportunities to Alaskans of all ages. For many years, Alaska used its oil revenues to balance the state budget and fund state services and programs. At the same time, the state used Permanent Fund earnings to issue dividend checks to all Alaska residents. As oil revenues declined, the state reduced spending on services and programs and used the...
Sept. 17, 2021 is Constitution Day, the 234th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The state of Alaska, and several of its local jurisdictions have called for a Constitutional Amendment to implement needed reforms. To understand the need for changes to our Constitution, we need to understand the Constitution we have. Our Constitution establishes the fundamental structures of our democracy and helps protect us against governmental abuses. The drafters also provided for changes (amendments) to the Constitution. Jefferson wrote that it ought to...
Equitable access to care, services and supports for older adults and their caregivers has always been one of the main pillars of The Diverse Elders Coalition, founded in 2010, which comprises six member organizations representing African American/Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Southeast Asian American, Hispanic/Latinx and LGBT+ communities. The coalition’s partnership with the American Society on Aging (ASA) reflects a shared commitment across the Coalition, the ASA membership and the broader A...
Symptoms for early COVID-19 infection differ among age groups and between men and women, according to new research. These differences are most notable between younger age groups (16 to 59 years) compared to older age groups (60 to 80 years and older). Researchers also found that men have different symptoms compared to women in the early stages of COVID-19 infection. Investigators at King’s College London analyzed data from the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app between April 20 and Oct. 15, 2020. App contributors are invited to get tested as soon a...
Q: How do I tell family and friends I’m struggling with depression? A: While depression is common amongst older adults, it is not a normal part of aging. Life transitions, isolation, death of a loved one, health issues or loss of life purpose are stressful situations, and can cause a person to experience depression. It’s good you have recognized the symptoms, and hopefully are receiving the help you need. For most people, they get better with treatment. Often older adults do not recognize the...
You can make changes to your Medicare coverage each year during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, which runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Beginning in September, you may receive notices with information about possible changes to your coverage for the coming year. Please read these notices, as these can help you decide if you should make changes to your coverage during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period. Medicare and You If you are currently enrolled in Medicare, watch for the 2021 Medicare & You handbook...
Alaska Health Fair is in the middle of a very active fall season. We continue providing appointment-based services to communities around state, and many worksites. Our September community events include Anchorage, Fairbanks, Chugiak, Girdwood, Palmer, Soldotna and Wasilla. As we continue to work through COVID, we provide these much needed services to all Alaskans using reliable health and safety protocols. Check out our full schedule at www.alaskahealthfair.org and look for the city of your choice. Here is a brief list of the coming month’s e...
Wearable devices helping visually impaired Updated computer technology now is revolutionizing care for those who are visually impaired. A new study is showing that wearing a vibrating collision device can reduce collisions in adults who are blind or have low level vision. Researchers found that a wearable computer vision device can reduce collisions for both people who are blind and those who are visually impaired and using a long cane and/or guide dog by 37%, compared to using other mobility...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program has moved into a new office located at 35477 Kenai Spur Highway, Suite 205 (located in the 4D Professional Building). You can call them at 907-262-1280 or email kpfcsp@soldotnaseniors.com. Caregiver support group meetings will be held at the following locations and times in September. Please join to share your experiences as a caregiver or to support someone who is a caregiver. Sept. 9 Sterling Senior Center, 1 to 3 p.m. The Teepa Snow DVD “The Senior Gems: Your Guide to Supporting Family M...
September is Emergency Preparedness Month, and Alaska's unique geography can leave us vulnerable to a multitude of emergency situations like wildfires, earthquakes and tsunamis--to name a few. The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness encourages all Alaskans to have two weeks worth of emergency supplies on hand, as well as a plan mapped out in advance. Logan Stolpe, Emergency Management Specialist at Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management,...
Dear Savvy Senior: I have struggled with shortness of breath for several years now. I just thought I was getting old and fat, but a friend recently told me about COPD. So, my question is could I have COPD and not know it? — Huffing and Puffing Dear Huffing: Yes. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a progressive lung disease that affects an estimated 30 million Americans, but about half of them don’t know they have it. Many people mistake shortness of breath as a normal part of aging, or a result of being out of shape, but tha...
Fall is back to school time, with educational programs for older adults kicking off their fall semesters. Here is an overview of the OLE and OLLI programs’ offerings. OLÉ! Anchorage OLÉ, which stands for Opportunities for Lifelong Education, is raring to go after a summer off with classes both online and – on Fridays – in person. Whether you want to learn about invasive plants in Alaska, films from storytellers around the globe, seabirds and shorebirds, Antarctica or electric vehicles, OLÉ has classes! Online classes through Zoom take place Tu...
Preservation Alaska, also known as the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation (AAHP), seeks nominations for its 14th Annual Historic Preservation Award. This award honors excellence in historic preservation throughout Alaska by recognizing a project, organization, agency or individual exemplifying the highest standards in Alaska preservation in different categories: Lifetime Achievement, Adaptive Use, Stabilization, Renovation and Restoration Projects; and the Stewardship Award for property owners, organizations, firms, governmental...
The garage sale signs were posted on each side of the driveway, so I knew we were expected and welcome, but I still had mixed feelings. An older gentleman in our community of Slana back in the summer of 2010, had sold his home and moved to Tok. His lifetime accumulation of personal belongings needed to be removed from the property. A Norwegian immigrant, he moved to Alaska in 1966, making his living as a commercial fisherman, a trapper, and a carpenter. He embraced the homesteader lifestyle....
Anchorage Genealogical Society holds its fall seminar Oct. 2, virtually via Zoom this year. The seminar will be led by Lisa Alzo, a freelance writer, instructor and internationally recognized lecturer specializing in Slovak/Eastern European genealogical research, writing family histories, and using the internet to trace female and immigrant ancestors. She is the author of nine books and numerous magazine articles. Seminar sessions will include “10 Ways to Jump Start your Eastern European Research”; “Immigrant Cluster Communities: Past, Prese...
There’s still time to grab and use this year’s Senior Farmer’s Market coupon booklet, distributed through local senior centers and other agencies. Each booklet includes five coupons valued at $7 each, which can be used to buy fresh produce and other items at local farmer’s markets, authorized roadside stands and other select locations. Applicants must be at least 60 years old and meet low-income eligibility guidelines. Links to the online application and a list of where to get the booklets are at the state’s Dept. of Health and Social Se...
Prospectors searching for gold in the Wrangell mountains during the early 1900s found a mountain of copper instead. That discovery brought the famous Guggenheim-Morgan Syndicate into the history of Alaska, along with chicanery of the highest order. The Syndicate, which owned the copper mines, needed a transportation system to haul its lucrative cargo. It planned a railroad line in the Copper River valley that ran 196 miles from Cordova to the site of what became the Kennecott Copper mines. The...
When the Los Angeles Hollywood Museum reopened in August, having closed its doors to the public during much of the pandemic, Claudia Wells was one of many guests invited to celebrate the event that included a "Back to the Future" exhibit (www.thehollywoodmuseum.com). Wells appeared in the original 1985 movie as Jennifer Parker, girlfriend to Marty McFly played by Michael J. Fox who starred in the beloved movie trilogy. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at age 29, Fox later established...
This story has been updated to correct errors in the earlier version. Since its inception 47 years ago, Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) has seen the state's elderly population skyrocket. According to CIHA statistics, in 1990, Alaska's overall population stood at 550,000 and the state's median age was 29. Approximately 6 percent of the state's population was over age 60 at the time. Of those, about 1,200 Alaskans were over the age of 85. Some 47 years later, the state population now stands...
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new order temporarily halting evictions in areas with heightened levels of community transmission of COVID-19. The order makes it illegal to evict any individual who qualifies, and allows tenants to stay in their housing through Oct. 3, 2021. Meanwhile, state of Alaska officials are still determining the specifics of this new order. The most current guidelines are numbered below. Go to https://www.alaskahousingrelief.org/renters/eviction-guidance for updated information. Eligibility...
In the decades since George Jetson previewed his push-button lifestyle, some of us have dreamed of a smart home of our very own. Yet this branch of technology has resisted the kind of progress that has put supercomputers in our pockets. Most home automation products are hard to set up, they do not work and play well with others, and even the best devices are occasionally unresponsive. Like a desert mirage, visions of a push-button future always feel just out of reach. Automation has crept into a few spaces in our house, with limited success....
Dear Savvy Senior: How does Medicare cover in-home health care? My husband has a chronic health condition that makes it very difficult for him to leave the house, so I’m wondering if he could qualify for Medicare home health care. — Seeking Help Dear Seeking: Medicare covers a wide variety of part-time or intermittent in-home health care services to beneficiaries in need, if they meet Medicare’s criteria. Here’s how it works. In order for your husband to secure coverage for home health care, Medicare first requires that he be homebou...
