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Anchorage is transitioning to Vote by Mail elections. This is an exciting advancement for our local Anchorage elections. Vote by Mail jurisdictions keep regular voters engaged, encourage new voter participation, and capture fraud attempts by verifying signatures. Anchorage began exploring alternative voting options in 2014 at the direction of Ernie Hall, former Chair, Anchorage Assembly Ethics and Election Committee. Former Assembly Member Hall had three concerns with Anchorage Municipal Elections. First, low voter turnout: voter participation...
Directory for Older Alaskans new edition Older Persons Action Group is updating its popular “Directory for Older Alaskans” for a new edition. Be sure your organization or agency listing is correct or, if you are new, have your business listing added. Email execdiropag@gci.netexecdiropag@gci.net for information. Also, advertising space is available in the directory: reach a statewide audience. Call Anne Tompkins for details, 223-8134. OPAG annual meeting, Nov. 30 Older Persons Action Group, Inc. will conduct its annual membership meeting on Nov...
I moved to Alaska in 1982 to take a job in a fledgling nonprofit organization. By 1988 I had blundered into a teaching position at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Among other benefits included with the job was a traditional pension. At the time, I was a young man more interested in a paycheck. “Pension shmension” -- who cared? Now I am an older guy who has been retired several years. That reliable monthly pension check is by far the biggest part of my income, more than double my Social Security income. The life my wife and I lead as old...
More than 25 percent of possible sexual and physical abuse cases against nursing home patients were not reported to police, warns a new government audit. The Health and Human Services inspector general’s office issued an unusual “early alert” recently, based on preliminary findings from a large sampling of cases in 33 states. The IG’s report blamed Medicare for failing to enforce federal law, which requires that nursing homes immediately notify the police in abuse cases. Investigators issued the early warning because they found that the res...
Holiday hiring is already underway and Better Business Bureau Serving the Northwest reports employment scams are trending up from last year. In 2016, more than 1,900 employment scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker, resulting in more than $730,000 lost. From January to September 2017, there have been nearly 1,400 scams reported resulting in more than $635,000 lost. In the past two years on average, 54 percent of employment scams were reported from September to the end of December. With a few more months left in 2017 and the holiday hiring...
Aggressive deportation policies, like those that have been enacted since President Donald Trump's inauguration, tear families apart - including elders and the family caregivers they depend upon. Since 1980, the share of households headed by an immigrant has doubled (from 7 percent to 14 percent in 2012). In 2009, 16 percent of households headed by an immigrant were multi-generational, compared with 10 percent of households with a U.S.-born head. Many immigrant and refugee elders depend on their...
Not very many years ago high-carbohydrate bars were the "go-to" for hikers and other athletes. Now, when I pick up snacks for the trail, the shelves are loaded with pemmican-like meat snacks or meat jerky. Marketing statistics show meat snack sales increases of more than 45 percent between 2011 and 2017, with jerky second in popularity to potato chips in the "salty foods" category. In the past year alone, beef jerky sales have risen 7 percent, according to the National Cattlemen's Beef...
Fall is in the air! Time for pumpkin spiced treats, watching football, getting out our winter gear, putting on our studded tires, and for Medicare beneficiaries, it is time to review our prescription drug coverage. Known by a number of titles such as the Fall Open Enrollment period, the Part D Open Enrollment, or Medicare’s Open Enrollment, each autumn between October 15 and December 7, Medicare offers the opportunity for Medicare beneficiaries to make changes to their coverage. These changes c...
We are now in the middle of Alaska Health Fair’s fall 2017 health fair season, so check out one of our fast approaching October events. The health fairs offer free health screenings, health and safety education, plus 11 affordable blood tests and other services. These tests can help you learn about your overall health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. For more information, call 907-278-0234 (Anchorage) or 907-374-6853 (Fairbanks); or just visit http://www...
Many people know Hospice of Anchorage as a place that serves patients with life limiting illness and provides people with grief support, but Hospice of Anchorage also provides event and educational programming for the community. For the month of October, Hospice of Anchorage is hosting a large annual community memorial event, a painting fundraiser and a community education program. It is a busy fall at Hospice of Anchorage and we hope that you will join us for at least one of the programs....
Dear Savvy Senior: I’m concerned that my 80-year-old mother is taking too many medications. She currently takes 10 different drugs prescribed by three different doctors, which I think is causing her some problems. She also struggles to keep up with all the drug costs. Any suggestions? - Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned: There’s no doubt that older Americans are taking more prescription medications than ever before. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 40 percent of seniors, age 65 and older, take five or mor...
Dear Savvy Senior: Do you know of any auto safety products that can help seniors with older cars? My 80-year-old father, who drives his beloved 2004 Toyota Avalon, is still a pretty good driver but he has limited range-of-motion, which makes looking over his shoulder to back-up or merge into traffic very difficult. Inquiring Son Dear Inquiring: To help keep your dad safe and extend his driving years, there are a number of auto aids and new safety technology products that can be added to his car to help with various needs. Here are several to...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in October. This month’s meeting topic: “Proper Body Mechanics and Back Safety and the Art of Caregiving, Part One.” Oct. 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Oct. 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Oct. 17, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Oct. 18, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m. Oct. 31, Caregiver support meeti...
Laser zaps gum disease Dentistry is getting a little bit less invasive and less painful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a minimally invasive laser, a tiny laser fiber about the thickness of three human hairs, to treat gum disease. The laser helps regenerate bone and tissue. It eliminates the traditional treatment of periodontal surgery, a highly invasive and often painful procedure. This less invasive technique means minimal post-operative discomfort requiring no opioid...
We saw the devastation from Hurricane Harvey and then monster storm Irma. It’s not just rain, wind and flooding that leads to a disaster, it’s also earthquakes, landslides and fires. You just never know when severe weather will strike, you never know when you’ll have to jump in your car and evacuate, or rush down into the basement or other safe space. Here are some quick tips to get you started. A more complete version can be found on my website at www.suzycohen.com. Medications. Keep a handwritten list in your wallet. Even better (if you h...
Sometimes, it's best to just sit down and talk. Ask tough questions, listen to the answers with an open mind, and share opinions about the future. Young and old, facing each other in a platform of respect and openness, with outcomes possibly affecting the future of a generation. The Elders and Youth Conference, organized by the First Alaskans Institute (FAI), is preparing for a 34th annual statewide event October 16-18 in Anchorage. Featuring a slate of contributors, supporters, and passionate...
Joe Pichler is a lifelong Alaskan. His parents Norman Pichler and Barbara Henry were true pioneers in Alaska in many ways. Norman was involved in the Alaska Mountain Rescue group and avalanche control during the many years he was a ski patrolman at Alyeska. Barbara was a passionate advocate for improved health care, education and equal rights for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Joe is retired from more than 30 years of employment at the Sheraton in Anchorage. He is the proud...
We used to have two cars until a few years ago when the 1992 Dodge Grand Caravan suddenly made loud clunking noises and stopped running – forever. On the one hand we were sad to see her go. My wife and I had lots of shared memories about taking the “red rocket” on camping trips around Alaska, and even a three-month car-camping excursion down the Alcan and around the western half of the United States. On the other hand, two cars for two people seemed a bit excessive. We could save thousands of dollars a year by sharing a single car. Lower...
We've had a great 2017 summer at Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corporation Inc. (CLSCCI) in spite of the often rainy weather (alas Eclipse Day 21 August was clouded in and raining). So great in fact it seems that we neglected to report in to the Senior Voice on our activities. So here's what's been happening on the Upper Kenai River at Kenai Lake. CLSCCI's President, Ron Sloan, resigned and was replaced. Ken Green stepped up to take the reins in July and appears to be surviving. Mayme Ohnemus...
Every year, Sitka hosts the Alaska Day Festival, and 2017’s theme, "Sesquicentennial of the Treaty of Cession," marks the 150th anniversary of the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States on Oct. 18, 1867. Starting Oct. 10, official greeters dressed in 1860s garb will greet visitors at the Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport. “We’re expecting more tourists this year,” said Ted Allio, chairman of the Alaska Day Festival Committee. “We have a new hotel, so there’s plenty of room for people to visit.” This year’s festivities include everyth...
Four small cannons in Sitka, which started out in Unalaska, stand in testimony to Alaska's occupation by Russia and the subsequent transfer of Alaska to America 150 years ago. The Northern Commercial Company in Unalaska donated the cannons to the state of Alaska two years after statehood. The artifacts date back to the 1700s, when Lord Baranof ruled Alaska for Russia as its manager and governor. The antique guns, made of bronze, weighed about 500 pounds each and had the date 1723 stamped on...
For over 50 years, L.Q. Jones was a familiar supporting character actor in some 100 films and hundreds more television shows. Lanky, tough and athletic, he could tackle any role although was often cast as the 'heavy' in westerns and dramas, projecting the 'bad guy' image with merely a sinister smirk or a menacing twinkle in the eye. Jones turned 90 on Aug. 19, and two days later hosted a showing of "The Wild Bunch" at Grauman's (now the TCL) Chinese Theatre. Born and raised in Texas as Justus...
For now, Social Security is in the black. In 2016 the Social Security Administration (SSA) took in income of $957 billion, which includes interest income. During the same year, it had total expenditures of $922 billion, adding $35 billion to its asset reserves. The reserves together with new income that is projected, should be enough to cover SSA’s costs for another 10 years. But unless something changes, by 2022 the expenditures will start to outpace the income, gradually gobbling up the reserves. Who’s collecting Social Security benefits now?...
It used to be a rare thing to meet someone who worked from home and actually made a decent income. Some people say they could never do it. They’re not self-starters. They can’t deal with the distractions. They’d feel like they were always at work. Then there are people who work from home, for an employer or for themselves, and never want to “go to work” again. Who actually works at home? In 2015, only about 3 percent of workers, or 4 million people, worked from home. As millennials swarm the workforce and always talk about work-life balance,...
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 (Oct. 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Oct. 4 and 18), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26), 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...
